The name Khadija, derived from Arabic, means 'premature child'. It is historically significant as the name of Khadija bint Khuwaylid, the first wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the mother of all his children except one. Khadija was a wealthy merchant and a widow at the time of her marriage to Muhammad in 595. She played a pivotal role in the early days of Islam, being the first person to convert to the religion following Muhammad's first revelation 15 years after their marriage.