Ḥaḍrat Khadījahra was a widow with children and had married two times, however both of her husbands had passed away. She was a very revered, wealthy, and noble woman. Due to her noble character she was given the title Ṭāhirah,1 which became very well known and was recognized throughout Makkah.2 It is for this reason that many people of Makkah presented proposals of marriage to her, but she declined them all. When she had the opportunity to deal with Muḥammadsa she witnessed his great moral qualities, and capabilities, and also found her slave Maysarah satiated with praise for him; she sent a marriage proposal to Muḥammadsa herself. After consulting with Abū Ṭālib, Muḥammadsa accepted this proposal. The relatives of Muḥammadsa and Ḥaḍrat Khadījahra were gathered and the marriage vows were taken at a dowry of five hundred Dirham. At that time Muḥammadsa was 25 years of age and Ḥaḍrat Khadījahra was of 40. In other words, Ḥaḍrat Khadījahra was 15 years older than Muḥammadsa. At the time of the marriage of Ḥaḍrat Khadījahra her father Khuwailid bin Asad had passed away, so her uncle ‘Umar bin Asad took part in the marriage on his behalf.3
1 The Pure (Publishers)
2 Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Muḥammad bin ‘Abdul-Bāqī Az-Zarqānī, Volume 1, Bābu Tazawwujihī ‘Alaihis-Salām min Khadījata binti Khuwailid, p. 373, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
3 * Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Part 1, Dhikru Tazwīji Rasūlillāhisa Khadījata binti Khuwailid, pp. 62-63, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
* Ar-Rauḍul-Anf, By Imām Abul-Qāsim ‘Abdur-Raḥmān Suhailī,, Volume 1, pp. 324-325, Bābu Ḥadīthi Tazwīji Rasūlillāhisa Khadījatara, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)