Nufaysah, a woman friend of Khadijah, came to Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and asked him why he did not marry. "I have not the means to marry," he answered. "But if thou were given the means," she said, "and if thou wert bidden to an alliance where there is beauty and property and nobility and abundance, wouldst thou not consent?" "Who is she?" he said. "Khadijah," said Nufaysah. "And how could such a marriage be mine?" he said. "Leave that to me!" was her answer. "For my part," he said, "I am willing." Nufaysah returned with these tidings to Khadijah, who then sent word to Muhammad asking him to come to her; and when he came she said to him: "Son of mine uncle, I love thee for thy kinship with me, and for that thou art ever in the centre, not being a partisan amongst the people for this or for that; and I love thee for thy trustworthiness and for the beauty of thy character and the truth of thy speech." Then she offered herself in marriage to him, and they agreed that he should speak to his uncles and she would speak to her uncle 'Amr, the son of Asad, for Khuwaylid her father had died. It was Hamzah, despite his relative youth, whom the Hashimites delegated to represent them on this occasion, no doubt because he was the most closely connected of them with the clan of Asad, for his full sister Safiyyah had recently married Khadijah's brother 'Awwam. So Hamzah went with his nephew to 'Amr and asked for the hand of Khadijah; and it was agreed between them that Muhammad should give her twenty she-camels as dowry.