QUESTION:
Is there any truth to the ‘Sunni’ claim that Lady Khadijah (peace be upon her) was forty years old when she married the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him and his family)?
ANSWER:
In the Name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful.
May Allah bless Muhammad and his Family and damn their enemies.
According to what has been narrated in Bihar al-Anwar on the authority of Ibn Hammad and Ibn Abbas, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) married Lady Khadijah (peace be upon her) at the age of twenty-five. In contrast, Lady Khadijah (peace be upon her) herself was no more than twenty-eight years old
Biharul-Anwar, By al-Majlisi, vol. 16, PG. 12.
There are also narrations reported by the opponents of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) confirming this. For example,
Al-Hakim reported, according to al-Bayhaqi, that Lady Khadijah (peace be upon her) was twenty-five years old when she married the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family).
Mustadrak al-Hakim, vol. 3, PG 182 and Dala’il al-Nubuwwa by al-Bayhaqi, vol. 2, PG. 71
Although the first narration is deemed more authentic, the second narration is perhaps closer to the truth regarding Lady Khadijah’s actual age. Despite ‘Sunni’ claims to the contrary, they were approximately around the same age at the time of their marriage.
Nevertheless, the ‘Sunnis’ claim there was a significant age difference between the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) and Lady Khadijah (peace be upon her) by alleging that she was forty years old at the time of their marriage.
His Eminence, Sheikh al-Habib, believes that such claims are forged by A’isha (may the wrath of Allah be upon her), who wanted to affront Lady Khadijah (peace be upon her) by making people believe that she was the young, radiant wife of the Prophet, while Lady Khadijah (peace be upon Her) was the elderly wife whose best years were behind her. Of course, this could not be further from the truth. A’isha’s jealousy and knowledge of what she represented to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) compared to Lady Khadija (peace be upon her), drove her to insult and demean the Prophet’s most holy wife whenever the opportunity presented itself.
The Office of Sheikh al-Habib