Initially the tribe that set off and speedily advanced in the scorching desert, inevitably started to slow down as time passed… This was mainly due to the massive load of merchandise carried by the camels…

Eventually two of the camels, totally exhausted by the heat and load, were no longer able to continue. They fell behind… Our Master was at the front, leading the caravan. When Maysara saw the two camels in the back he panicked. Exhausted camels meant two camel-loads of merchandise was going to be trashed in the desert. There was no way the other camels could carry any more than the load they were already under.

“O Sayyid, O Sayyid…!” Maysara ran to Muhammad and breathlessly explained the situation…

Upon hearing this our Master immediately turned back and went towards the two camels that were left behind. He got off his camel, went next to the two camels that were hardly able to stand, held onto their legs and started murmuring something… Perhaps he was praying…

Maysara and Khadijas relative Huzayma were watching in amusement…

After our Master finished, he got up, mounted his camel and went back to the head of the caravan as though nothing happened…

A little while later something amazing took place. The two camels that were unable to take a single step suddenly started to walk hastily and caught up to the rest of the tribe!

Eventually Muhammad’s caravan made it through the desert and entered the land of Damascus. Just like all other caravans they stopped at Basra for rest. Our Master went to lay down beneath the trees just ahead the monastery just like he did when he came here as a kid…

He started reminiscing the old days… Under the shadow of the olive trees, he fell into deep contemplation…

Meanwhile priest Nastura was watching Muhammad… When he saw Muhammad’s assistant he asked, “O Maysara, who is that man lying beneath the trees?”

“He is one of the people of Mecca…”

Priest Nastura wasn’t convinced… “No man other than the Rasul of Allah has laid beneath that tree!” he murmured to himself. Then he asked again, “Is there redness in his eyes?”

“Yes, his eyes are always red” Maysara answered.

Upon this Priest Nastura said, “He is a Nabi! The final Nabi indeed… If only I lived long enough to witness his risalah…!”

Maysara, astounded, made sure to not forget these words.

The caravan made a rewarding business in Basra… They sold their goods and made significant profit, then bought new merchandise that were quite lucrative at Mecca for very good prices…

The caravan left Basra and reached the lake of Lot… Maysara looked up and saw the same cloud following Muhammad just as it did in the past… Maysara, whom Khadija had delegated as an assistant to Muhammad, attentively and admiringly observed our Master throughout their journey. After everything he witnessed and heard his connection and loyalty to our Master became stronger.

The caravan had travelled long distances. Finally, they returned to the Valley of Fatma. Maysara dismounted his camel, went near Muhammad and asked, “O Sayyid! Will you allow me to go first and give our lady the good news of our arrival and tell her about our trip?”

It was tradition to give a gift to those who came with good news. “Of course, Maysara, go ahead and give her the good news” he responded.

Maysara rode his camel as fast as he could to Khadijas house. Khadija was expecting their arrival. When she saw Maysara she was curious to hear all about it. 

Maysara explained, “My lady, from the moment we left until our return, all of our business went extremely well… Amazing things happened throughout our trip, I don’t know how to explain…”

He then told Khadija about the miraculous healing of the camels that were about to die, the things Priest Natura said about our Master, how the food they ate on the trip was so prosperous and abundant and the cloud that constantly followed our Master…

Khadija listened in astonishment. She was mesmerized… She had never heard of such things taking place before… Her feeling started to change. A deep admiration was growing in her heart towards our Master… She gave Maysara a gracious gift and sent him away…

She then went to the rooftop of her house with the women next to her and started waiting for Muhammad’s arrival, constantly watching the road… Finally, towards noon the caravan became visible in the distance. They all set their gaze on the caravan that was slowly but surely getting closer and more visible… 

Khadija was startled when she saw Muhammad in front of the caravan… As he walked a cloud was following him, relieving him from the scorching rays of the Meccan Sun… Khadija was absorbed in a whirlpool of thoughts…

How can this be…? Hadn’t Priest Naysura told Maysara that Muhammad was the Nabi of the final times!? What about the dream she had seen… and how her cousin Waraqa interpreted her dream…? “You will marry the Nabi of the final times” he had said… This was crazy. Khadija was befuddled… She immediately sent her visitors away and went down to greet our Master…

Muhammad gave her all the information regarding the business trip, the goods they sold and bought, their profit and expense etc. Indeed, this had been a fruitful business trip. But more so than business, the most important aspect of this venture was the connection that was established between Khadija and our Master.

Khadija’s business had grown even more after her second divorce. She was the most acclaimed businesswoman of Mecca. Besides her wealth and worldly success, her beauty, grace and culture made her a popular candidate among the notables of Mecca looking to get married. Khadija on the other hand had no interest in them at all. Especially after her dream, she didn’t even go near the topic of marriage…

After she heard the things, Maysara told her and put it together with the things she knew, her heart was in a different state altogether… Her feelings grew deeper for Muhammad, love and admiration started filling her heart… She couldn’t get him off her mind…

One day her friend Nufaysa came to visit her… Unable to keep it to herself any longer, Khadija opened up to her friend. Nufaysa was already well aware of the change in Khadijas state… “Don’t worry” she reassured her friend, “I will go and talk to him in an appropriate manner and put out some feelers to understand his thoughts…”

So Nufaysa paid Muhammad a visit. After some idle chat she eventually brought the topic to marriage:

“All your peers are married with kids Muhammad…  You’re from a good family and a very popular young man in Mecca… Everybody knows how good mannered and trustworthy you are, you can easily find a wife!?”

Muhammad, a little troubled by this conversation, explained to Nufaysa that his financial state was not appropriate for marriage.

Nufaysa then asserted, “Oh but there is someone you can marry who is both wealthy and beautiful, and from a very good family!”

Muhammad asked who this can be, Nufaysa exclaimed, “Khadija!”

This did not make any sense at all…

“But Khadija won’t accept me! The wealthiest men of Mecca asked for her hand, and she refused them all…”

Nufaysa smiled, “If you accept it, leave the rest to me… I will talk to her…”

Muhammad knew this wasn’t just Nufaysa’s idea…