Since most of the books of the history of Islam were...

Since most of the books of the history of Islam were "inspired" by what the Communists call "the ruling circles," I shall identify their authors as the "court historians." These historians foisted upon their readers the following three myths vis-a-vis the life of Hadhret Khadija, may Allah be pleased with her and bless her. She was forty years old when she and Muhammad Mustafa were married. She was married twice before she and Muhammad Mustafa were married.

She and Muhammad Mustafa had six children - two boys and four daughters. We shall discuss these myths point by point. The Age of Khadija Most of the Muslim historians have stated that Khadija was 40-years old when she married Muhammad Mustafa. So many historians have repeated this figure that now it is believed as a gospel truth. Yet this figure is open to question on the following grounds: No historian knows the year in which Khadija was born.

The figure "40" is only an estimate, and it is an over-estimate. Whereas it is true that Khadija was older than Muhammad Mustafa, she was not 15 years older as claimed by most of the historians, but only a few years older than him. Arabia is a very hot country, and Arab girls reach maturity much more rapidly than girls do in cold or temperate climates. Hadhrat Ayesha is said to have been married when she was only eleven years old. Other Arab girls were also married quite early.

In a country like Arabia, a woman could not spend forty years of her life waiting to be married. At forty, the best years of a woman's life are already behind her - in Arabia or in any other country. But even if she marries at forty, she cannot entertain any hope of having children. Even in cold and temperate zones, a woman, in most cases, is past her child-bearing age at 40. In Arabia, this happens, probably, much earlier. Khadija spent many years of her life in the single state.

As noted before, she received many offers of marriage from the lords and princes of Arabia but she turned them down. They could not impress her with their wealth. If they were rich, she was immeasurably richer than the richest of them. And in such personal qualities as the qualities of head, hand and heart, all of them were like the dust of her feet. Anyone trying to impress her with his wealth or power would be naive, if not foolish, indeed.

Therefore, she marked time until the man who really impressed her - Muhammad Mustafa - came along, and she married him.