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“She believed in me when none else did. She embraced Islam when people disbelieved
me. And she helped and comforted me in her person and wealth when there was none else
to lend me a helping hand. I had children from her only.”
Abu Hurairah reported that Gabriel came to Allâh’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) and said:
“Allâh’s Messenger, lo, Khadijah is coming to you with a vessel of seasoned food or drink. When she
comes to you, offer her greetings from her Lord, and give her glad tidings of a palace of jewels in
Paradise where there is no noise and no toil.”
These two painful events took place within a short lapse of time and added a lot to his grief and
suffering. The Makkans now openly declared their campaign of torture and oppression. The Prophet
(Peace be upon him) lost all hope of bringing them back to the right path, so he set out for Al-Ta’if
seeking a supportive atmosphere. But there too, he was disappointed and he sustained unbearable
tortures and maltreatment that far outweighed his miserable situation in his native town.
His Companions were on equal footing subjected to unspeakable torture and unbearable oppression
to such an extent that his closest friend, Abu Bakr, to escape pressure, fled out of Makkah and
wanted to leave for Abyssinia (Ethiopia) if it were not for Ibn Ad-Daghanah w ho met him at Bark Al-
Ghamad and managed to dissuade him from completing his journey of escape and brought him back
under his protection.
Tdeath of Abu Talib rendered the Prophet (Peace be upon him) vulnerable, and the polytheists
availed them of that opportunity to give free rein to their hatred and highhandedness and to
translate them in terms of oppression and physical tortures. Once an insolent Quraishite intercepted
him and sprinkled sand on his head. When he arrived home, a daughter of his washed the sand
away and wept. “Do not weep, my daughter. Allâh will verily protect your father.” The Prophet
(Peace be upon him) said.
Rapid succession of misfortunes, led the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to call that period, ‘the year
of grief and mourning’. Thenceforth, that year bore that appellation.
HIS MARRIAGE TO SAWDA IN SHAWWAL, THE TENTH YEAR OF PROPHETHOOD :
The death of Khadijah left the Prophet (Peace be upon him) lonely. The name of Sawdah was
suggested to him for marriage which he accepted. This lady had suffered many hardships for the
sake of Islam. She was an early convert to the Islamic Faith and it was by her persuasion that her
husband had embraced Islam. On the second emigration to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), Sawdah had
accompanied her husband As-Sakran bin ‘Amr. He died on their way back to Makkah leaving her in a
terrible state of destitution. She was the first woman for the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to marry
after the death of Khadijah. Some years later she granted her turn with the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) to her co-wife, ‘Aishah.
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