How old was Khadija when she married the Prophet Muhammad?

Unraveling the Truth: How Old Was Khadija (ra) When She Married Prophet Muhammad (saw)? The age of Khadija (ra), the Prophet Muhammad's (saw) first wife, at the time of their marriage has been a topic of debate among scholars and historians. While the traditional view holds that she was 40 years old, some contemporary scholars have suggested a younger age of 28. This answer looks at the evidence and arguments surrounding this controversial issue, aiming to establish the most accurate and well-supported opinion. Evidences There are at least four reports that establish the Forty-Year opinion and a number narrating her age on death 25 years later corroborwting these. Two of these reports come from Hakim bin Hizam, the nephew of Khadija: أخبرنا محمد بن عمر. أخبرنا المنذر بن عبد الله الحزامي عن موسى بن عقبة عن أبي حبيبة مولى الزبير قال: سمعت حكيم بن حزام يقول: تزوج رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – خديجة وهي ابنة أربعين سنة ورسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – ابن خمس وعشرين سنة. وكانت خديجة أسن مني بسنتين. وولدت قبل الفيل بخمس عشرة سنة وولدت أنا قبل الفيل بثلاث عشرة سنة. Muhammad bin ‘Umar [al-Waqidi] said that al-Munzar bin Abdullah al-Hizami narrated from Musa bin ‘Uqba that Abi Habiba, the freed-slave of al-Zubair, said, I heard Hakim bin Hizam say: The Messenger of Allah (saw) married Khadija when she was forty and he was twenty-five. Khadija was two years older to me. She was born fifteen years before the Incident of the Elephant and I was born thirteen years before it. أخبرنا محمد بن عمر. أخبرنا مغيرة بن عبد الرحمن الأسدي عن أهله قالوا: سألنا حكيم بن حزام أيهما كان أسن رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – أو خديجة. فقال: كانت خديجة أسن منه بخمس عشرة Muhammad bin ‘Umar [al-Waqidi] reported that Mughira bin Abdul Rahman al-Asadi narrated from his family, who said: We asked Hakim bin Hizam who was older, the Messenger of Allah (saw) or Khadija? He said: Khadija was fifteen years older to him. The third comes from Nafisa bint Munya, the one who brought Khadija’s proposal to the Messenger of Allah (saw). Muhammad ibn Sa‘d states: قال: أخبرنا محمد بن عمر بن واقد الأسلمي. أخبرنا موسى بن شيبة عن عميرة بنت عبيد الله بن كعب بن مالك عن أم سعد بنت سعد بن الربيع عن نفيسة بنت منيةقالت: … وتزوجها رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – وهو ابن خمس وعشرين سنة. وخديجة يومئذ بنت أربعين سنة. ولدت قبل الفيل بخمس عشرة سنة Muhammad bin ‘Umar [al-Waqidi] narrated from Musa bin Shaiba, who narrated from ‘Umaira bint ‘Ubaidullah from Umm Sa’d bint Sa’d that Nafisa bint Munya said: … The Messenger of Allah (saw) married and he was twenty-five years old. At that time Khadija was forty years old. She was born fifteen years before the Event of the Elephant. The historian al-Waqidi (d. 207/737) reports: حدثنا محمد بن عبد الله، عن الزهري، قال: وحدثنا كثير بن زيد، عن المطلب بن عبد الله بن حنطب قالا: كانت أول امرأة تزوجها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قبل النبوة خديجة بنت خويلد … ثم تزوجها رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – وهو يومئذ ابن خمس وعشرين سنة وخديجة ابنة أربعين سنة Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah narrated to us from al-Zuhri and Kathir bin Zaid who narrated to us from al-Muttalib bin Abdullah bin Hantab: The first wife of the Messenger of Allah (saw) before the pronouncement of the Prophethood was Khadija bint Khuwaylid.… Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) married her when he was twenty-five and Khadija was forty years old. Likewise, al-Tabari (d. 310/923) quotes: قال هشام بن محمد: نكح رسول الله ص خديجة، وهو ابن خمس وعشرين سنة، وخديجة يومئذ ابنة أربعين سنة. Hisham bin Muhammad [al-Kalbi] stated: The Messenger of Allah (saw) married Khadija when he was twenty-five years old and Khadija was forty years old. The Forty-Year Opinion: A Robust Tradition The opinion that Khadija was 40 years old when she married the Prophet is supported by numerous early and reliable sources. Ibn Sa'd, in his monumental work "Tabaqat al-Kubra," cites multiple narrations from Hakim bin Hizam, Khadija's nephew, and Nafisa bint Munya, who facilitated the marriage proposal. These narrations explicitly state that Khadija was 40 at the time of her marriage. [Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 8, pp. 12-13, 174; Vol. 1, p. 105] Additionally, historians like al-Waqidi, al-Tabari, and Hisham bin Muhammad al-Kalbi corroborate the forty-year opinion, with al-Waqidi asserting, "We and the scholars around us [all] say that Khadija was born fifteen years before the Event of the Elephant and when the Messenger of Allah (saw) married her, she was forty years old." [Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 8, p. 13] The Twenty-Eight-Year Opinion: Scarce Evidence In contrast, the opinion that Khadija was 28 years old at the time of her marriage is based on only two narrations. One is attributed to Ibn 'Abbas through the controversial "chain of lies" involving Abu Salih and Muhammad bin Sa'ib al-Kalbi. [Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 8, p. 13] The other is from Ibn Ishaq, which is not found in his extant work on the Prophet's biography. [Al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, Vol. 3, p. 200] Weighing the Evidence When comparing the evidence for the two opinions, the forty-year opinion emerges as significantly stronger. It is supported by a larger number of narrations, many of which come from direct sources like Khadija's nephew and the facilitator of the marriage proposal. Furthermore, scholars throughout history, from al-Waqidi and al-Baladhuri to Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani and al-Zarqani, have overwhelmingly preferred and narrated the forty-year opinion. Biological Considerations: Addressing Misconceptions Some scholars have raised biological concerns about Khadija bearing children in her forties, citing it as a reason to favor the twenty-eight-year opinion. However, this argument fails to consider the historical context. According to reliable sources, it was not uncommon for Arab and Qurayshi women to bear children in their forties or even fifties. [Al-Baghdadi, Tarikh Baghdad, Vol. 15, p. 11; Al-Jahiz, Rasa'il al-Jahiz, Vol. 1, p. 213] A New Perspective In recent years, a novel perspective on Khadija's age has emerged. This view proposes that Khadija was neither 40 nor 28 but rather in her early to mid-thirties when she married the Prophet. Proponents of this opinion argue that it reconciles the traditional and revisionist views, acknowledging Khadija's maturity and experience while addressing potential biological concerns. However, the opinion lacks substantial historical evidence and appears to be a modern attempt at reconciliation rather than a well-grounded viewpoint based on early sources. Conclusion After a basic analysis of the available evidence, the forty-year opinion regarding Khadija's age at the time of her marriage to the Prophet (saw) emerges as the most well-supported and historically grounded view. The overwhelming weight of early and reliable narrations, the consensus among classical scholars, and the contextual understanding of the biological norms of the time solidify this opinion as the most accurate representation of this pivotal event in Islamic history.