A House Full of Children

Khadijah's house became a family home. She bore the Prophet ﷺ all his children except Ibrahim: the sons al-Qasim and 'Abdullah, and the daughters Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah. The sons died in early childhood, and the Prophet ﷺ was known after his firstborn as Abu al-Qasim.

There was room in that house for others too. Her nephew Hakim ibn Hizam bought a young captive named Zayd ibn Harithah and gave him to his aunt, and she gave him to her husband. When Zayd's father and uncle later came to ransom him, the Prophet ﷺ let Zayd choose — and Zayd chose to stay with him over going home.

The house of Khadijah, where the daughters grew up and Zayd chose to remain, would soon be the first place in the world where Islam was practised.