With so many people insisting that women in Islam have a very limited role in the religion (and in life in general), I thought it would be good for us to take a step back into history: the real version. Here are some facts about the life of Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (radiallahu anha), wife of the Prophet Muhammad, who you may not know was she was the first person to accept Islam, in 610 A.D.

Khadijah (ra) was rich. Her father was a successful businessman, and after he passed away in 585 A.D., Khadijah (ra) inherited his business. Rather than just sit and spend all the riches that her father had acquired, she stepped up and ran the business, making it even more successful and expanding it even more. In a world where her industry was dominated by men, she worked hard, and her business was so successful that she was called the Ameerat Quraish – the Princess of the Quraish, the tribe that she lived with. Along with this success came many rich and powerful suitors, but Khadijah (ra) turned them all away.

She wasn’t even interested in marrying again until she met the Prophet (pbuh). At the time, revelation had not been given to the Prophet (pbuh) yet, and he was actually one the merchants who worked under her for a period of time. She was the one who proposed to him in 595 A.D., stating that she admired that he had a good character, and he was “the best of his people and honest in speech.” The fact that she proposed to him was unorthodox at the time, and the fact that she was older than him and more wealthy than him was also uncommon at the time. All in all, their marriage was the epitome of going against the ideals of society.

After her husband was given the message of Islam in 610 A.D., he came home to her, worried and anxious. She was the one who comforted him when he was down. In fact, she was the first person ever to accept Islam. When the Quraish, the Prophet’s own tribe, ostracized him, Khadijah (ra) stood by his side and helped fund the living expenses of the entire group of Muslims that was living just outside the city. She passed away soon after this point, but her life impacted the Prophet (pbuh) for many years afterwards.

The idea that is important to understand here is that Muslim women are not to be put in a box. The vividness and importance of Khadijah’s (ra) life contrasts the mundane picture of Muslim women’s lives that is often depicted by media. By understanding and gaining a unique sense of knowledge about not only Khadijah (ra) but other Muslim women, people can understand the nuances of the religion itself. This, especially in the modern, politicized world, is vital to cooperation.