Continuing from my previous post (https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2019/10/25/a-salafi-defense-of-muhammads-marriage-to-a-minor-pt-1/), I now publish a further refutation by the same Salafi website (https://islamqa.info/en/answers/122534/refutation-of-the-lie-that-the-prophet-blessings-and-peace-of-allah-be-upon-him-married-aaishah-when-she-was-18-years-old) to those Muslims who are embarrassed by their prophet’s marriage to a premature 9-year-old maiden.
Refutation of
the lie that the Prophet married ‘Aa’ishah when she was 18 years old
Question
I read in a newspaper an article entitled “Young journalist
corrects a thousand-year-old mistake of leading scholars”. What was said in the
article may be summed up as follows:
1. The idea that the Messenger married the Mother of the
Believers ‘Aa’ishah when she was six years old and consummated the marriage with
her when she was nine years old, based on the report narrated by al-Bukhaari,
is wrong, and the mistake has to do with the age of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be
pleased with her) at that time.
2. From researching historical sources (according to what the
author of the article says), it is clear that the real age of ‘Aa’ishah (may
Allah be pleased with her) when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) consummated the marriage with her was 18 years, not 9 years.
3. This mistake was overlooked by all the Muslim scholars, and
was not discovered except by this journalist!
I hope that you can explain this matter to ordinary Muslims and
give us the Islamic perspective on this issue.
Answer
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The saheeh hadiths state that the Prophet did the marriage
contract with ‘Aa’ishah when she was six years old, and consummated the
marriage with her when she was nine years old. These hadiths include the
following:
It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: The Messenger of Allah married
me when I was six years old and he consummated the marriage with me when I was
nine years old. We came to Madinah and stayed among Banu’l-Haarith ibn
Khazraj, and I fell sick… My mother Umm Roomaan came to me when I was on a
swing and some of my friends were with me. She called me loudly and I went to
her, and I did not know what she wanted of me. She took me by the hand and made
me stand at the door of the house, as I was gasping for breath, until I had
calmed down. Then she took some water and wiped my face and head with it, then
she took me into the house. There were some women of the Ansaar in the house,
who said: With good wishes and blessings and good luck. She handed me over to
them and they adorned me, and suddenly I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) at mid-morning, and they handed me over to him.
At that time I was nine years old.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3894) and Muslim (1422)
It was narrated from her that she said: I used to play with
dolls in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
and I had friends who would play with me. When the Messenger of Allah entered
they would hide themselves and he would call them to come and play with me.
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7130) and Muslim (2440).
Abu Dawood (4932) narrated from her that she said: The Messenger
of Allah came back from the campaign to Tabook or Khaybar and there was a
curtain over her niche. The wind lifted the edge of the curtain and uncovered
‘Aa’ishah’s toy dolls. He said: “What is this, O ‘Aa’ishah?” She said: My
dolls. He saw among them a horse with two wings made of cloth and he said:
“What is this that I see in the midst of them?” She said: A horse. He said:
“What is this that I see on it?” I said: Two wings. He said: “A horse with
wings?” She said: Have you not heard that Sulaymaan had horses with wings? She
said: And the Messenger of Allah smiled so broadly that I saw his eyeteeth.
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Adaab az-Zafaaf (p.
203)
Al-Haafiz said:
Al-Khattaabi said: A concession was only granted allowing
‘Aa’ishah to play with them (toys) because at that time she had not yet reached
the age of puberty. I say: As to whether this was the case, we cannot be
certain but it is possible, because at the time of the campaign to Khaybar,
‘Aa’ishah was fourteen years old, so either she had reached the age of fourteen
or had passed that age or was close to it. But at the time of the campaign to
Tabook, she had definitely passed the age of fourteen, so the reports of those
who say that it was Khaybar are more likely to be correct. End quote. The
campaign to Khaybar occurred in 7 AH.
Muslim (1422) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet married
her when she was seven years old and she was taken to him as a bride when she was
nine years old, and she took her dolls with her. He died when she was eighteen
years old.
An-Nawawi said:
What is meant by dolls is these toys that young girls play with;
this highlights that she was very young. End quote.
In this report she said that she was seven years old, but in
most of the reports it says that she was six years old. The way to reconcile
between the reports is to note that she was six years and some months, so
sometimes she only mentioned the years, and sometimes she counted the year that
she had embarked upon (her seventh year). This was suggested by an-Nawawi in
Sharh Muslim.
Ibn Katheer narrated that this is a matter on which the scholars
were agreed, and there was no report that any one of them disagreed.
He said:
The words “he married her when she was six years old and
consummated the marriage with her when she was nine years old” are a matter
concerning which there is no difference of opinion among the scholars, as it is
proven in the Saheehs and elsewhere, and the Prophet consummated the marriage
with her two years after he migrated to Madinah.
End quote from al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah (3/161)
It is well-known that scholarly consensus is protected from
error, because the ummah cannot agree on misguidance. At-Tirmidhi (2167)
narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah said: “Allah will not cause
my ummah to agree on misguidance.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Jaami‘ (1848)
Secondly:
The writer of the article mentioned was led by his ignorance and
fanatical support for his false view to tell many lies and twist things, aiming
thereby to support his falsehood.
For example, he quotes Ibn Katheer as saying, in al-Bidaayah
wa’n-Nihaayah, concerning the earliest Muslims: “Among the woman were Asma’
bint Abi Bakr and ‘Aa’ishah, when she was small; these people became Muslim
within three years.” But we have not come across these words in al-Bidaayah
wa’n-Nihaayah. Rather Ibn Katheer said (3/25): The first free man to believe
was Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq; the first child was ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib; and the first
woman was Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid. End quote. He did not mention either Asma’
or ‘Aa’ishah.
In fact ‘Aa’ishah was born approximately four years after the
Prophet’s mission began.
This author also says:
“All the sources, without exception, say that she – i.e., Asma’
– was ten years older than ‘Aa’ishah.”
That is not the case. Adh-Dhahabi said in Siyar A‘laam
an-Nubala’ (3/522): Asma’ was more than ten years older than ‘Aa’ishah.” End
quote.
The Arabic phrase translated here as “more than ten” may refer
to any number between thirteen and twenty.
Thirdly:
The fact that the Prophet married ‘Aa’ishah when she was nine
years old is nothing strange. It is well-known that the age at which girls
reach puberty varies according to race and environment. In hot regions girls
reach puberty earlier, whereas in cold polar regions puberty may be delayed
until the age of twenty-one years.
At-Tirmidhi said: ‘Aa’ishah said: When a girl reaches the age of
nine years, she is a woman.
Sunan at-Tirmidhi (2/409)
Imam ash-Shaafa‘i said: In Yemen I saw many girls aged nine who
had reached puberty.
Siyar A‘laam an-Nubala’ (10/91)
Al-Bayhaqi (1588) narrated that ash-Shaafa‘i said: The earliest
age at which I heard of girls reaching puberty was the women of Tihaamah who
reach puberty at the age of nine.
Ash-Shaafa‘i also said: In San‘aa’ I saw a grandmother who was
twenty-one years old; she reached puberty at the age of nine and gave birth at
the age of ten, and her daughter reached puberty at the age of nine and gave
birth at the age of ten.
As-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi (1/319)
Based on that, the Messenger consummated his marriage with
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) when she had reached puberty or was
very close to it.
For more information, please see the answer to question
no. 44990
What is required of anyone who speaks about any branch of knowledge
is that he should speak on the basis of knowledge and fairness, far removed
from ignorance, fanaticism and following whims and desires.
It is sufficient evil for a person to fabricate a view that was
not uttered by any of the scholars throughout the centuries. This indicates
that this view is wrong. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymyah said: Every view that is
held by only one of the later scholars, and not by any of the earlier scholars,
for which there is no precedent among any of the earlier scholars, is wrong, as
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: Beware of developing a view that you have never
heard from any scholar. End quote.
Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (21/291)
We ask Allah to show as the truth as truth and enable us to
follow it, and to show us falsehood as false, and enable us to avoid it.
FURTHER READING
A Muslim Defense of Muhammad’s Marrying A Prebuscent Minor Pt. 1
(https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2019/10/25/a-muslim-defense-of-muhammads-marrying-a-prebuscent-minor-pt-1/)
Revisiting the Age of Aisha Pt. 1 (https://answeringislam.net/authors/shamoun/rebuttals/jonathan_brown/aisha_age_1.html)
IHS
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