Muslims, or followers of Islam, try to walk in the footsteps of their prophet Muhammad. They are also inspired by the examples of Muhammad's wives and companions.
The wives of Muhammad:
Khadija was Muhammad's first wife and the mother of the only child to survive him, his daughter Fatima. He married his other wives after the death of Khadija. Some of these women were recent widows of battles. Others were daughters of his close allies or tribal leaders.
The companions of Muhammad:
The term Companions refers to anyone who met three criteria. 1) Was a contemporary of Muhammad. 2) Saw or heard him speak on at least one occasion. 3) Converted to Islam. Companions are responsible for the transmission of Hadith, as each Hadith must have as it first transmitter a Companion. The first four companions listed were also the first four leaders (caliph) of the Muslim community after Muhammad's death.
Last updated: 04-25-2005 03:06:01