Meeting Muhammed ﷺ
Having seen two of her marriages end, Khadijah RA`s attention was now devoted to the upbringing of her children, and building up the business she inherited from her father. Her astuteness and business ability made her business one of the most widespread businesses among the Quraysh.
Her policy was to employ hard-working, honest and distinguished managers to deal on her behalf as a lot depended on the integrity of the employees who travelled far and wide on her behalf. She exported her goods to far away markets like Syria, and her managers bought goods from those markets to be sold at home.
Khadijah RA had heard of the integrity, honesty and principled behaviour of the Prophet ﷺ and sent a job offer to him to head her trading caravans. He gladly accepted the offer and started working for her. Khadijah RA sent him on a business trip; her old and trusted slave Maysarah being delegated to accompany and serve him.
Maysarah was impressed by the Prophet ﷺ’s integrity, strength of character, adherence to principles, his amicable dealings and his business abilities. On the way back from Syria, the Prophet ﷺ lay down under a tree to rest for a while. a Jewish monk, noted for his knowledge of religion and for his insight saw him and asked Maysarah who he was. Maysarah told him all about Muhammad ﷺ and his reputation for honesty and intelligence. The monk then told him that this man would be elevated to Prophethood in the future, as no man had ever rested under that particular tree but Prophets.
Tradition has it that Maysarah also saw two angels bearing a cloud over the Prophet ﷺ’s head to protect him from the glare and heat of the sun.
When he returned home Maysarah reported to Khadijah RA all that had taken place on the trip to Syria. She was deeply moved and impressed, and started thinking of proposing marriage to Muhammad ﷺ. But how could she express her thoughts to him? She already rejected several proposals of marriage from men belonging to some of the noblest families of the Quraysh. How would her tribe react? What would her family say? And the question that concerned her most was, would her proposal be acceptable to this young, yet unmarried man of the tribe of Quraysh?
As she pondered over these questions and debated within herself, one night she dreamt that the shining sun had descended from the heavens into her courtyard, radiating her home. When she woke up she went for the interpretation of this wonderful dream to her cousin, Waraqah bin Nawfal, a man noted for his skill in interpreting dreams, and for his depth of knowledge, particularly of the Torah and the Injeel. When he heard her dream, he gave a serene smile, and told her not to worry, as this was a very promising dream. The glorious sun she saw descending into her courtyard indicated that the Prophet ﷺ, whose advent had been predicted in the Torah and the Injeel was to grace her home and she would gain from his presence in her life. After this meeting with Waraqah she became stronger in her desire to marry Muhammad ﷺ.
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