Thursday, August 13, 2026

The Blessed Youth of the Beloved Prophet ﷺ: Hilf-ul-Fudool, His Trade Journey and Marriage to Sayyidatuna Khadijah رضي الله عنها

Participation in Hilf-ul-Fudool

A person from the city of Zubayd came to Makkah to sell his goods. A person named ‘Aas bin Waail bought goods from him, but did not make the payment. The trader requested for help from some of the tribes, but none of them helped him. He then climbed Mount Abi Qubays¹ and made a request for help to everyone. Upon this, some peace-loving people of Quraish launched a reform movement.

Prominent chiefs gathered at the house of Abdullah bin Jud’aan, where Sayyiduna Zubair Bin Abdul Muttalib (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُ), the uncle of the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم), suggested that they should make a mutual agreement. The chiefs of Quraysh entered into an agreement and made a firm intention that they would eradicate unrest, protect travellers, help the poor, support the oppressed and hold cruel people to account.

The Holy Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) also participated in this agreement. Even after the declaration of prophethood, the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) would express joy upon participating in this agreement, and would say: “I was so pleased due to this agreement that if someone had given me red camels in return of this agreement, I would not have felt as pleased. Even today, if an oppressed person calls me for help under this agreement, I am ready to help him.”²

Referance:

¹ Abu Qubays is a mountain which is located outside Masjid al-Haraam near Safa and Marwa. By the Divine command, this was the first mountain to be created in the world. This mountain is also called ‘Al-Ameen’. (Tafsir ad-Durr al-Manthur, vol 2, pg. 266, Balad al-Amin, pg. 206)

² Al-Raud-ul-Unuf, vol. 1, p. 242-244

This agreement has been named ‘Hilf-ul-Fudool’. The reason behind this is that a long time ago, an agreement was made in Makkah. The names of all those who caused this agreement to be formed were ‘Fadl’. For this reason, it was named ‘Hilf-ul-Fudool’, i.e. the agreement made by the few people whose names were ‘Fadl’.¹

Referance:

¹ Seerat-un-Nabawiyyah by Ibn-e-Hishaam, vol. 1, p. 265

Second Business Trip to the Levant

The Final Messenger of Allah (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) possessed a sublime character from the beginning. When he reached the age of 25, his truthfulness and honesty became acclaimed everywhere. He became famous as “Sadiq” (the truthful) and “Ameen” (the trustworthy) all around Makkah.

There was an esteemed and wealthy noblewoman of Makkah, named “Khadija”. She needed an honest person who could take her trade goods to the Levant for sale and return with a profit for her.

When the acclaim of his trustworthiness and truthfulness reached her, she sent him a message, saying: “Take my trade goods to the Levant. I will pay you double the amount that I pay others.”

The Holy Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) accepted this request of hers and departed for the Levant with the trade goods. The slave of Sayyidatuna Khadija (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا), named ‘Maysarah’, was also accompanying him in this trip who would serve him and fulfil his other needs.

Once again, when the Holy Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) reached Busra, the famous city of the Levant, he (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) rested near the place of worship of a monk named ‘Nastoora’. That monk already knew Maysarah. Due to this, he came to him, and pointing towards the Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم), asked him: “Who is that under this tree?” Maysarah replied: “He is a dweller of Makkah, and belongs to the Banu Hashim tribe; his name is ‘Muhammad’ and his title is ‘Ameen’”.

The monk said: “No one except a prophet stopped under this tree.” He then asked: “Does redness remain in his eyes?”

Maysarah replied: “Yes, it does, and it remains all the time.”

Having heard this, Nastoora said: “He is the last Prophet of Allah Almighty. I can see all those signs in him which I read in the Torah and the Zaboor. I wish I could be alive when he (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) declares his prophethood. If I stay alive, I will help him fully, and spend my entire life serving him. O Maysarah! I advise you not to ever leave him; keep serving him, because Allah Almighty has blessed him with prophethood.”

The Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) returned soon after selling the trade goods. When his caravan reached Makkah, Sayyidatuna Khadija (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا) was sitting on her roof. She saw that two angels had shaded the Final Messenger of Allah (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) from the sun. Observing this left a profound effect on Sayyidatuna Khadija (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا).

After a few days, when she discussed this matter with her slave Maysarah, he told her that he witnessed such incidents throughout the journey. Maysarah then told her about the wondrous scenes he saw about the Beloved Prophet’s (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) truthfulness, honesty, treating others kindly, sympathising with them, understanding matters and business acumen. He also mentioned how Nastoora monk had wholeheartedly expressed his love for the Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) and what he had predicted about him.

Having heard this, Sayyidatuna Khadija (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا) developed great reverence and devotion for the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم).

Marrying Sayyidatuna Khadija (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا)

Sayyidatuna Khadija (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا) was a wealthy and very respectable woman of Makkah. She belonged to Banu Asad Bin Abdul ‘Uzaa, a branch of the Quraysh tribe. Three generations above, her lineage joins the lineage of the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم).¹

The people of Makkah would call her by the title ‘Taahirah’, i.e. ‘the chaste one’, due to her chastity. She was 40 years old at that time. She had married twice and both her husbands had passed away. Very rich and affluent people sent her marriage proposals, but she turned them down and had decided not to get married again.

However, after hearing about the Beloved Prophet’s (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) sublime character, habits, blessings and astonishing events, her heart was inclined towards marrying him. She called the (paternal) aunt of the Final Messenger of Allah (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم), Sayyidatuna Safiyyah (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا), who was the wife of Awam Bin Khuwaylid, the brother of Sayyidatuna Khadija (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا).

Referance:

¹ Faizan-e-Khadija-tul-Kubra, p. 35-38

Sayyidatuna Khadija (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا) called Sayyidatuna Safiyyah (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا) and sought some information regarding the personal details of the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم). Then, almost 3 months after returning from the journey of the Levant, she sent him a marriage proposal.

Sayyidatuna Khadija (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا) herself mentioned the reason for liking him in this way: “I liked him because of his noble character and truthfulness.”

The Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) mentioned this marriage proposal to the elders of his family and uncles (younger brothers of his father). They accepted the marriage proposal. The Beloved Prophet’s (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) Nikah was performed in which his uncle, Abu Taalib, delivered the Khutbah and fixed a Haq Mahr of 20 camels from his own wealth.¹

Sayyidatuna Khadija (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا) remained in the servitude of the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) for almost 25 years. He (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم) did not marry any other woman during her life. Except for one son of the Holy Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم), Sayyiduna Ibrahim (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُ), all his other children were born to Sayyidatuna Khadija (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا). Sayyidatuna Khadija (رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا) sacrificed all her wealth for the Beloved Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّم), and spent her entire life under his servitude.

Referance:

¹ Sharh al-Zurqaani ‘ala al-Mawahib, vol. 1, p. 370 – 376, summarised

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