Step back a moment and reflect… Imagine…
Think of a woman who has experienced all the ups and downs of life, enduring the death of one husband after the other, going through the difficulty of earning for herself due to her circumstances, suffering the heartache of the divorce of her daughters because of her faith, living in a home that was constantly beset with abuse and persecution for the sake of her Rabb, going into exile in her old age, tolerating adverse conditions of hunger and starvation… yet still maintaining the same intense love for her husband like a newly-wed bride… yet still dedicated to him with her heart and soul, totally compliant with her mind and body… yet still pouring every vestige of her strength in nurturing her children… yet still spending large amounts of money for the cause of her faith with a smile… yet still motivating those around her despite the hostile environment…
Translate those thoughts into reality and you have the Mother of the Believers, Sayyidah Khadeejah (radhiyallahu ‘anha).
What made her the amazing woman she was? How did she do it?
Was it a wishing well or a motivational seminar perhaps? A mood-lifting anti-depressant or a funky nasheed the last thing before bed? Or was it a long drawn shopping expedition or maybe just letting some hair down with the friends? Never. Not at all. These are all quick-fixes. Some of them harm the body; others hurt the pocket and most kill the soul.
IT WAS HER GOOD COMPANY.
The reaction of some might be… “Okay” while others might be like… “Yawn… anyone got a pillow.” But as boring and as traditional as that may sound, the reality on Planet Earth is that whatever is good and pure will at the end of the day remain good and pure while whatever is evil and dirty will always remain the same.
Authentic historical accounts of the life of Sayyidah Khadeejah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) indicate very clearly that her attitude and outlook was shaped and moulded by her cousin, the pious and learned scholar of the time, Waraqah bin Naufal.
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) explained that we are who we are, because of the company we keep.
Companions are not only humans we can talk to and laugh with. Websites and magazines, social media and TV/Radio programmes are the new companions of the Modern Age. Companions make you or break you!