Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (May Allah be pleased with her) was the first follower of Islam and the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Khadijah was born in what is now Mecca in 555 CE to a wealthy merchant family, which she continued to run upon her father’s death. She married twice and was widowed each time, which left her to raise her children alone while running her trading business. Over time, she would grow her business to be the largest in all of Mecca, larger than all the other trade business combined. She first met Muhammad, who would later become her third husband, when she hired him to participate in a trade for her. Although he was younger (approximately 15 years but this varies based on who you speak with), she admired him and actually proposed marriage to him, rather than waiting for him to propose to her. After Muhammad experienced the first revelation of the Quran, which would ultimately make him the last Prophet, he shared the story with Khadijah. Not only did she believe her husband, becoming the first follower of Islam, she also supported his role as Prophet and encouraged his mission. Although she came from a wealthy family, she was devoted to acts of charity (one of the five pillars of Islam) and sponsored the ransom from Muslim slaves and upon the boycott by the ruling classes of Mecca on Muslims, starved alongside the followers of Muhammad. She is known as Al-Tahira, a nickname inspired by her good deeds.