Exploring the birth period of Islam, this biography focuses on one of the most prominent and respected Muslim women in history, Khadija, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad. Addressing both her devotion and her leadership roles in Mecca, this book shines light on a figure who is an inspiration to women, both Muslim and non-Muslim alike.

One day, the Prophet Muhammad was describing Khadija’s virtue, and he pointed to the heaven and earth with his finger and stated, “Mary, mother of Jesus, is the best of the women of the heavens, and the worthiest woman still living on this earth is Khadija, daughter of Khuwaylid.” Khadija’s life is a source of great inspiration to believers, especially women. She is an excellent example of how one can give to the cause of Islam one’s time, energy, wealth and life. Her story is a reminder to believers to live purposeful lives and, in our prayers, we should remember Khadija and the whole family of the Prophet for their sacrifice and dedication. It was precisely their sacrifice, dedication and hard work that made it possible for Islam to reach all the four corners of the world and allowed the Quran to be preserved in its original form. May Allah be pleased with them all. Once when the Prophet Muhammad was in the Cave of Hira with the angel Jibril, or Gabriel, Jibril saw from afar that Khadija was coming towards the Cave. He said to the Prophet: “Khadija is coming here. She has brought some food and water for you.” And then he added: “When she comes in, give her the greetings from her Lord and tell her that there will be a house made of pearls for her in Paradise where there will be neither hardship nor any clamour.” When Khadija arrived, the Prophet said to her: “Here is Jibril. He is giving greetings to you from your Lord and he himself is greeting you.” Khadija replied: “God is peace and He is the source of all peace! May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon you, O Messenger of Allah. And my greeting to Jibril!”

The first Graywolf Press African Fiction Prize winner, a story of a girl’s fantastical sea voyage to rescue her father The House of Rust is an enchanting novel about a Hadhrami girl in Mombasa. When her fisherman father goes missing, Aisha takes to the sea on a magical boat made of a skeleton to rescue him. She is guided by a talking scholar’s cat (and soon crows, goats, and other animals all have their say, too). On this journey Aisha meets three terrifying sea monsters. After she survives a final confrontation with Baba wa Papa, the father of all sharks, she rescues her own father, and hopes that life will return to normal. But at home, things only grow stranger. Khadija Abdalla Bajaber’s debut is a magical realist coming-of-age tale told through the lens of the Swahili and diasporic Hadhrami culture in Mombasa, Kenya. Richly descriptive and written with an imaginative hand and sharp eye for unusual detail, The House of Rust is a memorable novel by a thrilling new voice.

Khadija is 18 is a story from the frontline of multicultural Britain, and explores the lives of two teenage refugee girls in London's East End. Liza needs Khadija and Khadija needs Liza. When Khadija links up with Ade, things begin to unravel. Does Khadija care about Liza anymore? And what is Ade doin’ having sex with a ref girl? All the while the immigration clock is ticking down. Giving voice to the dispossessed and capturing the hopes and heartbreak of our young people, Shamser Sinha is an exciting new voice in playwriting.

Following conflicting desires for an Aztec crown, this book explores the possibilities of repatriation. In The Contested Crown, Khadija von Zinnenburg Carroll meditates on the case of a spectacular feather headdress believed to have belonged to Montezuma, emperor of the Aztecs. This crown has long been the center of political and cultural power struggles, and it is one of the most contested museum claims between Europe and the Americas. Taken to Europe during the conquest of Mexico, it was placed at Ambras Castle, the Habsburg residence of the author’s ancestors, and is now in Vienna’s Welt Museum. Mexico has long requested to have it back, but the Welt Museum uses science to insist it is too fragile to travel. Both the biography of a cultural object and a history of collecting and colonizing, this book offers an artist’s perspective on the creative potentials of repatriation. Carroll compares Holocaust and colonial ethical claims, and she considers relationships between indigenous people, international law and the museums that amass global treasures, the significance of copies, and how conservation science shapes collections. Illustrated with diagrams and rare archival material, this book brings together global history, European history, and material culture around this fascinating object and the debates about repatriation.

L’histoire de Khadija Alors que le prophète Mohammed était une fois dans la grotte de Hira avec l’ange Jibril, ou Gabriel, Jibril a vu de loin que Khadija se dirigeait vers la grotte. Il a dit au Prophète : « Khadija est en train de venir ici. Elle a apporté un peu de nourriture et d’eau pour toi. » Et puis il ajouta : « Quand elle arrive, donnez-lui les salutations de son Seigneur et dis-lui qu’il y aura une maison faite de perles pour elle au Paradis, où il n’y aura ni difficultés, ni aucune rumeur. » Lorsque Khadija est arrivée, le Prophète lui a dit : « Voici Jibril. Il te transmet ses salutations, de la part de ton Seigneur et lui-même te salue. » Khadija répondit : « Dieu est la paix et Il est la source de toute paix ! Que la paix d’Allah et Ses bénédictions soient sur toi, ô Messager d’Allah. Et mes salutations à Jibril ! »