19. Who was the most superior wife of the Prophet?

Answer:

According to traditions, the best wife of the Prophet was Khadija.

According to one authentic hadith ‘Ayesha, said, "The Messenger of Allah (S) once mentioned Khadija, and I objected by saying, ‘She was an old woman, and such and such, and Allah has granted you someone better than her [meaning herself].' He said, ‘Not at all. Allah has not granted me better than her; she believed in me when people denounced me. She believed in me when people called me a liar. She shared her wealth with me when people deprived me, and Allah blessed me with children by her while depriving me of the children of any other wife.'"1

Allah has inspired His Messenger (S) to convey the good news to her that she had in Paradise a house built of stalks of gold and silver, and that she had been a favorite of Allah.2 The Almighty said of her: "The best of the women of Paradise are Khadija daughter of Khuaylid, Fatimah daughter of Muhammad, Asiya daughter of Muzahim, and Mary daughter of ‘Umran."3

The best wife of the Prophet (S) therefore, is Khadija, the truthful of this nation, the foremost in believing in Allah and His Book, and in solacing His Prophet.

• 1. . This hadith is among detailed ahadith narrated by Sunnis. Bukhari and Muslim quote them in their sahihs in almost similar wording.
• 2. . As narrated by Bukhari in his chapter on women's jealousy and sentimentality, near the conclusion of his treatise on marriage, page 175, vol. 3, of his Sahih.
• 3. . Mustadrak, vol. 2, p. 539 & al-Kabir by Tabarani, vol. 23, p. 7.