When the Prophet(sa) was about twenty-five years old, his reputation for integrity and fellow-feeling had spread over the whole of the town. People would point admiring fingers at him and say, here was a man who could be trusted. This reputation reached the ears of a rich widow who approached the Prophet's(sa) uncle, Abu Talib, to let his nephew lead a trading caravan of hers to Syria. Abu Talib mentioned this to the Prophet(sa) and the Prophet(sa) agreed. The expedition met with great success and brought unexpected profits. The rich widow, Khadija(ra), was convinced that the success of the caravan was due not only to the conditions of the market in Syria, but also to the integrity and efficiency of its leader. She interrogated her slave, Maisara, on this subject, and Maisara supported her view and told her that the honesty and sympathy with which this young leader of the caravan had managed her affairs would not be shown by many persons. Khadija(ra) was much impressed by this account. She was forty years of age and had already been widowed twice. She sent a woman friend of hers to the Prophet(sa) to find out whether he would be persuaded to marry her. This woman went to the Prophet(sa) and asked why he had not married. The Prophet(sa) replied he was not rich enough to do so. The visitor suggested whether he would agree, if a rich and respectable woman were found whom he could marry. The Prophet(sa) asked who this woman could be, and the visitor said she was Khadija(ra). The Prophet(sa) apologized, saying that Khadija(ra) was too highly placed for him.
The visitor undertook to deal with all difficulties. In that case, said the Prophet(sa), there was nothing for him to say but to agree. Khadija(ra) then sent a message to the Prophet's(sa) uncle. Marriage between the Prophet(sa) and Khadija(ra) was settled and solemnized. A poor man orphaned in, childhood had his first peep into prosperity. He became rich. But the use he made of his riches is an object-lesson to all mankind. After the marriage Khadija(ra) felt that she was rich and he was poor and that this inequality between them would not make for happiness. So she proposed to make over her property and her slaves to the Prophet(sa). The Prophet(sa), making sure that Khadija(ra) was in earnest, declared that as soon as he had any of Khadija's(ra) slaves, he would set them free. And he did so. Moreover, the greater part of the property which he received from Khadija(ra) he distributed among the poor. Among the slaves whom he thus set free was one Zaid(ra). He appeared to be more intelligent and more alert than others. He belonged to a respectable family, had been kidnapped as a child and sold from place to place until he reached Mecca.
Young Zaid(ra), newly freed, saw at once that it was better to sacrifice freedom for the sake of slavery to the Prophet(sa). When the Prophet(sa) set the slaves free, Zaid(ra) refused to be freed and asked leave to continue to live with the Prophet(sa). He did so, and as time went on his attachment to the Prophet(sa) grew. But in the meantime Zaid's(ra) father and his uncle were on his track and they ultimately heard that he was in Mecca. In Mecca they traced him in the house of the Prophet(sa). Coming to the Prophet(sa), they asked for the liberty of Zaid(ra) and offered to pay as much ransom as the Prophet(sa) should demand. The Prophet(sa) said that Zaid(ra) was free and could go with them as he liked. He sent for Zaid(ra) and showed him his father and uncle. After the parties had met and dried their tears, Zaid's(ra) father told him that he had been freed by his kind Master and, as his mother was much afflicted by the separation, he had better return home. Zaid(ra) replied, "Father! who does not love his parents? My heart is full of love for you and mother. But I love this man Muhammad(sa) so much that I cannot think of living elsewhere than with him. I have met you and I am glad. But separation from Muhammad(sa) I cannot endure." Zaid's(ra) father and his uncle did their utmost to persuade Zaid(ra) to return home with them but Zaid(ra) did not agree. Upon this the Holy Prophet(sa) said, "Zaid(ra) was a freedman already, but from today he will be my son." Seeing this affection between Zaid(ra) and the Prophet(sa), Zaid's(ra) father and uncle went back and Zaid(ra) remained with the Prophet(sa) (Hisham).