Review of the Article on the Status of Khadija (a) in the Leiden Encyclopedia of the Quran

The article “Khadīja” by Barbara Freyer Stowasser has been published in the second volume of the Leiden Encyclopedia of the Qurʾān. Referring to Sunnī sources, she first introduces Lady Khadīja and after enumerating her qualities, she describes how Khadīja got married to the Prophet of Islam (s). Then she continues by mentioning her material and spiritual support for the Holy Prophet (s) before quoting verses of the Qurʾān that have been linked to Khadīja in exegetical texts. Finally, she points to the status of Khadīja among the chosen women.
The author of this article, despite referring to numerous sources, has suffered shortcomings and mistakes due to referral to Sunnī sources and the limited works by Orientalists. She mentions some things that are incompatible with definitive history. This paper seeks to critique the contents of this article by referring to authentic Islamic sources and explaining the true status of Lady Khadīja among Muslims.