Abul Kasem (islamophobe) has leveled allegations against our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and against Islam that as a religion it encourages & promotes pedophiles.The purpose of this article is to Refute these Baseless allegations against Islam & to defend the Honor of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) & our Mother Ummul Momineen Bibi Ayesha (R.A) with authentic evidences and not just opinions.
It is hoped and prayed that Allah(SWT) is pleased with our efforts and forgives the sins we have committed in the past & the sins that we will commit in the Future.
Aameen.
I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.
In the name of Allah
the Exalted from defaults,
the One Who guides whoever
He wishes, and misguides
whomever He wishes;
we begin in complete reliance
upon Allah
The Article is in reply to series of allegations made by author in his book which can be accessed here: What Prophet Mohammed Did His Whole Life?
1) Muhammad married and had sex with 09 year old girl named Ayesha.
The First Allegation
Abul Kasem , said : Bibi Aisha(R.A) was pre-pubescent when she married our Beloved Prophet and was pre-pubescent when the marriage was consummated.
Our Reply :
Evidence from Quran
The Quran, in at least one passage, presupposes that there is an age which a girl must attain before she can be considered marriageable.
All-Mighty Allah (SWT) says in the Quran:
And try orphans (as regards their intelligence) until they reach the age of marriage; if then you find sound judgement in them, release their property to them, but consume it not wastefully, and hastily fearing that they should grow up, and whoever amongst guardians is rich, he should take no wages, but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable (according to his work). And when you release their property to them, take witness in their presence; and Allah is All Sufficient in taking account. Surat An-Nisā’ : 6
Comments:
Note that the expression “until they reach the age of marriage” explains that there is an age which a girl must reach before a man can marry her.
Presumably, that age would be puberty. It can also mean Maturity which would include both Physical and Psychological.
Furthermore, this is the only verse in the Quran using the term “Balaghu Alnikah“ (age of procreation) for puberty, and it is to mention the condition of sound judgement before gaining the responsibilities normally associated with puberty.
Very simply put, it means an Age when the Girl has reached maturity & has started menstruation.
This is when a Girl is considered to be of Marriageable Age.
Now keeping in mind the above verse Let us look at another verse.
They ask you concerning menstruation. Say: that is an Adha (a harmful thing for a husband to have a sexual intercourse with his wife while she is having her menses), therefore keep away from women during menses and go not unto them till they have purified (from menses and have taken a bath). And when they have purified themselves, then go in unto them as Allah has ordained for you (go in unto them in any manner as long as it is in their vagina). Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves (by taking a bath and cleaning and washing thoroughly their private parts, bodies, for their prayers, etc.).Surat Al-Baqarah : 222
Comments:
The Above Verse Clearly tells us that sex during menstruation is not allowed and men can only approach their women when they are clean.
This Verse also implies that married women who have sex with their husbands must also be menstruating women i.e. to mean that they must be mature.
The Above 2 Verses of the Quran make it apparent that for Consummation of Marriage the girl must be mature both psychologically and physically and this is naturally achieved when the girl reaches puberty.
In light of the above verses it is Haraam/unlawful to have sex with an immature Girl.
This is the Islamic Law concerning marriage.
No mufassireen (commentators of the Quran) or companion of the Prophet has allowed sex with immature girls.
The mufassireen and companions of the Prophet are authoritative sources on the Quran and if they did not deem it to allow pre-pubescent sex then it is safe to say that the Quran does not allow such a thing.
However contrary to this above Evidence, Abul Kasem in his article (which he copy/pasted from another author) draws his own conclusion that Islam allows intercourse with pre-pubescent girls, which is actually wrong and an attempt to misguide the mankind along with himself.
Evidences from the Classical Scholars of Islam
An Explanation of Muslim by Imam Nawawi
Book of Marriage, Hadeeth 75, Vol 9, p.207
Aisha said: ‘Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) engaged me when I was six years old, and consummated the marriage when I was a girl of nine years old.’…
Imam Malik and Shafii and Abu Hanifa said: ‘The limit for that (consummation) is her (the female’s) capability for (sexual) intercourse.’
Dawudi said: ‘And Aisha then had physically matured well indeed’.”
When Imam Malik, and Shafii and Abu Hanifa (May All be pleased with them) all say that the limit for consummation is the female’s capability for intercourse, this includes any and all ways in which this can be defined, whether it is being fully physically or psychologically developed.
Also the Above Hadith clearly tells us that Bibi Aisha(R.A) was 6 when Married and 9 when the Marriage was consummated.
Surely, if even the thought of intercourse with pre-pubescent girls was allowed then our Beloved Prophet would not have waited three years to consummate the marriage.
Obviously he waited for her to reach physical and mental maturity.
This is sufficient Proof that Islam does not allow or encourage pedophilia. The Truth is that Islam completely forbids this act and has deemed it as Haraam.
The Second Allegation
Abul Kasem Further said : Islamic law in Aisha’s time said that only pre-pubescent girls were allowed to play with or own dolls.
He quoted Hadith -Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 151
Narrated ‘Aisha: I used to play with the dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my girl friends also used to play with me. When Allah’s Apostle used to enter they used to hide themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me.
(The playing with the dolls and similar images is forbidden, but it was allowed for ‘Aisha at that time, as she was a little girl, not yet reached the age of puberty.)(Fateh-al-Bari page 143, Vol.13)
Our Reply :
The author claims that the proof of Aisha’s childhood is her saying that “her dolls were with her” when “she was taken to his house as a bride when she was 9”.
Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 151: Narrated ‘Aisha: I used to play with the dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my girl friends also used to play with me. When Allah’s Apostle used to enter they used to hide themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me.
Ibn Hajar cites in Fathulbari that the Muslim scholars deduced from the context of this hadith, the permission to play with dolls regardless of age as a means to learn about matters of the home and raising children. [“Fath-ul-Bari, Explanation of Sahih Bukhari” page 143, vol 13, Imam Ibn Hajar]
Please Note that this is the same reference given by Abul Kasem but he very slyly omits this statement of Ibn Hajar.
Ibn Hajar is clearly telling that Playing with Dolls had nothing to with the age of a Girl and in Arabic society(like in many cultures)
Indeed, playing with dolls by adults was and still is common in many recent societies, as an educational preparation for motherhood.
It is ridiculous to claim that merely playing with dolls or swings is evidence of physical or even mental maturity.
From the Proofs presented above the Entire Logic and all the arguments of Abul Kasem fall apart and are proven to be his own Lies.
The proof that Bibi Ayesha (R.A) was of Mature Age when the marriage was consummated is provided above with authentic references from renowned Islamic scholars.
I have provided Hadith and Rulings from Islamic Scholars and above all i have provided evidence from the Quran that it is completely forbidden to have intercourse with a Girl who is not matured.
Islam Gives the Girl Freedom to break the Marriage that was done when she was Pre-pubescent or if she was forced.
Sunan Abi Dawud, Nasaii, ibn Majah, and Musnad Imam Ahmad from the hadith of ibn Abbas:
“A young girl who was still a virgin came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and she mentioned that her father married her (to someone), while she was forced, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave her the choice (to remained married or not).
Another variation of this Hadith : A young girl who was still a virgin came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and she mentioned that her father married her (to someone), while she was forced, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent for the girl’s father and then in his presence, gave her the choice (to remained married or not). She responded, “oh messenger of Allah, I have accepted what my father did, but I wanted to show other women ( that they could not be forced into marriage).”
Abu Hanifah in his Musnad (collection of hadiths that he narrated with his personal chain to the Prophet (Peace be upon him)
“The virgin cannot be made to marry without requesting her command, and if she keeps silent, then this is her permission (Qari: The reason is that modesty overcomes her) and the previously married cannot be made to marry without her permission.”
Clearly from the above we understand that when a prepubescent girl does not object to an engagement, her acceptance is only temporary until she reaches menstruation and psychological maturity, at which time her acceptance can be accepted.
Here we can derive that when Aisha (r.a) was 6 or 7, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) had just made an agreement to marry her, but he actually commutated or completed his agreement when she reached puberty at the age of 9.
Evidence that the Arab society practiced Marriage at an Early Age.
Imam Ash-Shafi’e said: “I have seen in the city of Sana’a a grandmother while she was twenty one. She menstruated at the age of nine and gave birth at the age of 10”.Sunan Al-Bayhaqi Al-Kubra, 1/319
Ibn Al-Jawzi narrated similar stories from Ibn U’qail and Abbad ibn Abbad Al-Muhlabi.
عباد بن عباد المهلبي قال أدركت فينا يعني المهالبة امرأة صارت جدة وهي بنت ثمان عشرة سنة ولدت لتسع
“. سنين ابنة فولدت ابنتها لتسع سنين ابنة فصارت هي جدة وهي ابنة ثماني عشر سنة
Abbad ibn Abbad Al-Muhlabi said: “I have witnessed a woman from Muhlabah who become a grandmother at the age of eighteen. She gave birth (to her daughter) at the age of nine and her daughter gave birth to her child at the age of nine (as well), so the woman became a grandmother at the age of eighteen.”Tahqeeq Fi Ahadeeth Al-Khilaf, 2/267
Vern L. Bullough in his paper says: Age of Consent throughout history has usually coincided with the AGE OF PUBERTY although at sometimes it has been as EARLY AS SEVEN.
Vern L. BulloughPhD, DSci, RN Special Issue: Age of Consent A Historical Overview. Journal of Psychology & Human Sexuality Volume 16, Issue 2-3, 2005 pages 25-42.
Some excerpts from the paper:
Past record of Age of consent: Age of Consent throughout history has usually coincided with the age of puberty although at sometimes it has been as early as seven. Early on age of consent was a familial or tribal matter and only became a legal one in the Greco-Roman period. The Roman tradition served as the base for Christian Europe as well as the Christian Church itself which generally, essentially based upon biological development, set it at 12 or 14 but continued to set the absolute minimum at seven.
St. Augustine (354-439 M.E.), one of the founders of the Western Christian Church marred girl under 12:.” Finally giving up on his attempts to achieve abstinence, he decided to marry and became betrothed to a pre-pubertal girl, i.e., under 12
In England even the marriage vows of two-year old Jane Brerton and three-year old John Somerford, where others had to speak for them, were accepted.
One of Charles II’s illegitimate sons, whom he created the Duke of Southampton in 1671, married Mary Wood when he was nine and she was seven.
The most influential legal text of the seventeenth century in England and its colonies was that of Sir Edward Coke who made it clear that marriage of girls under 12 was normal, and the age at which a girl who was a wife was eligible for a dower from her husband’s estate was nine even though her husband be only four years old (Coke, 1719).
American president, Thomas Jefferson, had intimate relations with 15 years old Sally Hemmings, a black slave, and that miscegenation reached even into the White House. Jefferson, of course, was much older, old enough to be her father. One historian, Annette Gordon-Reed, distressed at such conduct, wrote that we just can’t talk about our founding fathers that way
20th Century record: Magnus Hirschfeld surveyed the age of consent of some 50 countries at the beginning of the twentieth century, he found it to be 12 in fifteen countries (including Scotland), 13 in seven, 14 in five, 15 in four, and 16 in five. In the remaining 14 countries it remained unclear (Hirschfeld, 2000).
The Vatican was one of those with age 12, an age it still maintains, which means that technically most of the priests in the U.S. being accused of having sex with pubescent youth, were not doing anything illegal by Vatican standards except for violating their vows of clerical celibacy.
About the author of above paper:
►Vern L. Bullough is State of New York University Distinguished Professor,
►History and Sociology Emeritus, SUNY College, Buffalo.
►He was also a former Dean of Natural and Social Sciences there.
►He founded the Center for Sex Research at California State University, Northridge, and is also an Emeritus Professor from that institution.
►He has received the Distinguished Achievement Award as well as the Alfred Kinsey Award from the Society for the Scientific Study of Sex and was past president of the society.
►He has also received numerous other awards.
►He is the author or co-author or editor of more than fifty books, half of which deal with sex and gender issues, and more than a hundred refereed articles and many hundred more popular articles.
The Third Allegation
Abul Kasem then Goes on with his Flawed arguments saying :
That There are many Hadith that show it was the Prophet who desired Ayesha and asked Abu Bakr to give him his then 6-year-old daughter for marriage. In fact Abu Bakr was shocked by such a request. He objected that he was a foster brother to the Prophet, which would have made such a marriage illicit.
Sahih Bukhari 7.18 :Narrated ‘Ursa: The Prophet asked Abu Bakr for ‘Aisha’s hand in marriage. Abu Bakr said “But I am your brother.” The Prophet said, “You are my brother in Allah’s religion and His Book, but she (Aisha) is lawful for me to marry.”
Sahih Bukhari 9.140: Narrated ‘Aisha: Allah’s Apostle said to me, “You were shown to me twice (in my dream) before I married you. I saw an angel carrying you in a silken piece of cloth, and I said to him, ‘Uncover (her),’ and behold, it was you. I said (to myself), ‘If this is from Allah, then it must happen.’ Then you were shown to me, the angel carrying you in a silken piece of cloth, and I said (to him), ‘Uncover (her), and behold, it was you. I said (to myself), ‘If this is from Allah, then it must happen.’ ”
Whether Muhammad had actually such dream or he just said it to please Ayesha is not the point. What matters here is that it indicates that Aisha(r.a) was a baby being carried by an angel when the Prophet dreamt of her.
Our Reply :
In the above statement the author claims that there are many Hadith’s, in Support of his false claim that our Beloved Prophet (PBUH) forced Abu Bakr (R.A).
He then goes on to quote Hadiths which are actually contradicting his own statements. The 2nd Hadith he quoted clearly illustrate the Islamic view that this Marriage was by the Will of Allah.
Let me quote one Hadith here which will prove his claim of his a lie concocted by him.
From Imam Ahmed (Good Hadith according to Ibn Hajar in Fathul Bari, with other hadiths corroborating many of the details including Tabarani as good, Al Hakim in Mustadrak as authentic, and Abdulrazaq in Mustadrak) :
“After Khadijah died, Khawlah bint Hakeem,…said: ‘Wouldn’t you marry, O prophet of Allah?’ He said: ‘Who?’ She said: ‘If you like, a virgin, or a previously married woman.’ He said: ‘Who is the virgin?’ She said: ‘The daughter of the most beloved creature to you, Aisha daughter of Abu Bakr.’ He said: ‘And who is the previously married?’ She said: ‘Sawda bint Zama; she believed in you and followed you, in what you say.’ He said: ‘So go, and mention me to them.’
So she entered Abu Bakr’s house and said: ‘O Um Ruman, what great good and blessing did Allah grant you!’ She said: ‘And what is that?’ She said: ‘The Prophet PBUH sent me to propose his marriage to Aisha.’ She said: ‘Wait for Abu Bakr to come.’ Abu Bakr came and she said: ‘O Abu Bakr, what great good and blessings did Allah grant you!’ He said: ‘And what is that?’ She said: ‘The Prophet PBUH sent me to propose his marriage to Aisha.’ He said: ‘Is she good for him? She is his brother’s daughter.’
She returned to the Prophet PBUH and mentioned that to him. He said: ‘Return and tell him I am your brother and you are my brother in Islam, and your daughter is good for me.’
She returned and mentioned that to him.
He Abu Bakr(R.A) said: ‘Wait.’ And he went out.
Um Ruman said that Mutim Ibn Adiyy had proposed for her to his son, and by Allah, Abu Bakr(R.A) never made a promise and broke it… He returned and told Khawlah: ‘Invite the Prophet(PBUH) to come over.’
She invited him, and he married him to her, while Aisha was six years old then…
The Above Narration makes it very clear that Hazrat Abu Bakr(R.A) was not forced and he did not have any reservations about the marriage.
This proves that Abu Bakr (r.a) was not forced to take his decision.
Further evidence that Hazrat Abu Bakr was completely Happy with the Marriage.
The consummation itself was urged by Abu Bakr(R.A), which disproves any reluctance from his side.
Ibn Hajar (in “Fathul Bari”) and Al Tabaraani
“Aisha said:…’Until we arrived at Madinah, so I dwelt among the family of Abu Bakr…So Abu Bakr told him: ‘What prevents you (Prophet(PBUH)) from consummating with your wife?’ So he consummated with me’.”
The Above Hadith tells us that after the Migration to Madinah, Bibi Aisha(R.A) was living with the Family of Abu Bakr(R.A) and sometime after this, Abu Bakr(R.A) himself approached our Beloved Prophet(Peace be upon him) and asked him as to why he had not yet consummated the marriage with Bibi Aisha(R.A).
It is after this talk with Abu Bakr(R.A) that our Beloved Prophet(Peace be upon him) consummated the marriage with Bibi Aisha(R.A).
I have provided proofs in the Beginning of the Article that intercourse with pre-pubescent Girls is not sanctioned by Islam.
If Bibi Ayesha(R.A) was pre-pubescent then why will her own Father who according to the author was against this marriage, encourage our Beloved Prophet(PBUH) to consummate the Marriage?
Knowing that Hazrat Abu Bakr(R.A), knew Islamic Law very well, was the most competent and the most knowledgeable amongst all the Sahaba’s who later went on to become the First Khalifa.
The Above Hadith is sufficient to remove any doubts that the Marriage was forced.
The author also mentions that Abu Bakr (R.A)‘s permission for the marriage was out of devotion to the Allah’s messenger, which is so wrong, as naturally a person who is so dutiful to Allah , would not go against what Allah has himself said in the Quran that was proved above.
Plus the Hadith quoted above very clearly shows that Hazrat Abu Bakr(R.A) had absolutely no problems with the Marriage and was completely happy with it.
The Fourth Allegation:
Aisha was still playing with/owning dolls when she was 14 years old at the time of the Battle of Khaibar.
On the authority of Aisha (RA), that she said: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) returned from the battle of Tabook or Khaibar (the narrator of the hadith was in doubt about whether he was told “Tabook or Khaibar.”).
There was a curtain covering her ‘sahwah’ (chamber or small room in front of the house). The wind blew a side of the curtain and uncovered Aisha’s dolls.
He (SAW) said: What is this, O Aisha? She said: My dolls. Then he (SAW) saw amongst them a horse with two wings from scraps of cloth. He (SAW) said: What is this which I see amongst them (amongst the dolls)? She said: A horse. He asked: What is upon it? She said: Two wings.
He (SAW) asked (in astonishment): A horse with two wings? She said: Didn’t you hear that Sulaiman (Solomon – AS) had horses with wings?
She said: Then he (SAW) laughed until I saw his molar teeth.
[Abu Daawood, An-Nasaa’iee as-Sunan al-Kubraa, Albani (ra) says the chain of narrators of an-Nasaa’ee is authentic (Saheeh). As for the chain of narrators of Abu Daawood, Albani (ra) has also declared it to be authentic (saheeh)]
Shaykh al-Islam, Imam Ibn Hajar, Hafiz, Commander of the Faithful in Hadith, Qadi of Egypt, concluded that Aisha was PRE-PUBESCENT when she was 14 years old. Now, if she was pre-pubescent when she was 14 years old, she must have been also pre-pubescent when she was 9 years old when she married and had sex with Muhammad.
Our Reply :
Ibn Hajar cites in Fathulbari that the Muslim scholars deduced from the context of this hadith, the permission to play with dolls regardless of age as a means to learn about matters of the home and raising children. “Fath-ul-Bari, Explanation of Sahih Bukhari” page 143, vol 13, Imam Ibn Hajar
The above explanation of the Hadith given in the reference above has been given by the foremost scholars of Islam, these scholars were the best intheir field. They have deduced from the above Hadith that the permission to play with dolls was not restricted by age.
Again in the light of the above evidence all the dubious claims made by Abul Kasem are refuted.
Further, The Battle of Tabook took place in the 9th year after the Migration and
The Battle of Khaibar took place in the 7th year after Migration.
From the Above Hadith it is very clear that the age of Bibi Aisha(R.A) would have to be 15-16 if it was Battle of Khaiber & the age would be 17-18 if it was Battle of Tabook.
It is completely illogical as to how the author arrived at the age of 14 for Bibi Aisha(R.A) from the above Hadith.
The Fifth Allegation:
The accuser says: Sahih Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 33 Narrated ‘Aisha:
I never felt so jealous of any woman as I did of Khadija, though she had died three years before the Prophet married me, and that was because I heard him mentioning her too often, and because his Lord had ordered him to give her the glad tidings that she would have a palace in Paradise, made of Qasab and because he used to slaughter a sheep and distribute its meat among her friends.
Khadija died in December of 619 AD. That is two years before Hijra. At that time the Prophet was 51-years-old. So in the same year that Khadija died the prophet married Ayesha and took her to his home 3 years later, i.e. one year after Hijra. But until she grow up he married Umm Salama.
Our Reply :
Aisha (R.A) was indeed a jealous of Bibi Khadija(R.A), obviously because Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) held fond memories of her all his life and mentioned her too often.
Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) remained committed in love to Bibi Khadija(R.A) alone for 26 years of his life. It was after her death that he married other women. Bibi Aisha(R.A) was the only virgin he married.
In the Prime of his youth, he remained married and committed to a woman who almost double his age, he only married other woman after Bibi Khadija(R.A) passed away, and most of these marriages were to women who were wither older than him and in despair or the marriage was for political reasons so that the tribe to which the woman belonged would join Islam.
If according to the author (May Allah guide him) that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was a pedophile, then he could’ve married a lot of such women/Girls who were underage. But he married women who were mostly widows who were in despair and those older in age.
As I mentioned above Bibi Aisha(R.A) was the only virgin he married.
The Sixth Allegation:
The author further States that Muslims give the Excuse that the Marriage was Political or Symbolical.
The excuse that this marriage was ―political‖ can be also dismissed easily. Abu Bakr was a good friend of the Prophet; he was one of his followers and his foster brother, he belonged to the same tribe of the Prophet; there was no need for the Apostle of Allah to sleep with his little daughter in order to foster his friendship. The evidence shows that the holy Prophet took advantage of this man‘s devotion and abused the trust that he had in him and coerced him into giving his little girl in marriage to him. How could you deny the request of a man whom you believe to be a messenger of God?
How symbolic it could be if the Prophet approached Ayesha when she, according to her own testimony, was still playing with her toys and gave her a completely different kind of toy to play with that ―SURPRISED‖ that little girl?
Our Reply :
The author is now reduced to making imaginary statements to support his false claims.
The marriage was not for Political or Symbolic reasons. It was a real marriage with all the Rights and Duties that Husbands and Wives have towards each other. So this attempt by the author to delve into the personal life of Bibi Aisha(R.A) to try and defame our Beloved prophet(Peace be upon him) is completely wrong, Muslims completely accept the fact that this was a real marriage and that they had a relation as any normal husband wife would have.
This Marriage of Bibi Aisha(R.A) with our Beloved Prophet(PBUH) was a Blessing to the Entire Ummah.
The Highest Number of Hadith’s are Narrated from Hazrat Abu Hurairah(R.A) and then from Bibi Aisha(R.A)
This marriage was a very important event through which muslims got a tremendous amount of knowledge about Islam through Bibi Aisha(R.A)
She helped the sahaba in understanding the lifestyle of prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as she was with him from a young age and grew up with him to be a virtuous woman. Women could easily approach her for any doubts regarding the matters of them which they out of modesty could not approach Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
She was one of the Most competent and early Jurists who very keenly and closely observed the Life of our Beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him) and even guided the sahaba in matters when they disagreed.
Some Examples where she helped Sahaba
a) Abu Musa al-Ash’ari says about her:.
ما أشكل علينا أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حديث قط فسألنا عائشة إلا وجدنا عندها منه علما
“Whenever we (the Companions) of Prophet peace be upon him had any difficulty on hadith, of which we approached Aisha and (always) found that she had the knowledge of the hadith”.
Sunan Tirmidhi hadith no: 3883:
b)Narrated Abdullah bin ‘Umar (RA): Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said, “Evil omen is in the women, the house and the horse.”
(Bukhari, Hadith 4703)
Now see how Aisha (Mother of believers cleared)
عَنْ أَبِي حَسَّانَ قَالَ دَخَلَ رَجُلَانِ مِنْ بَنِي عَامِرٍ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ فَأَخْبَرَاهَا أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ الطِّيَرَةُ مِنْ الدَّارِ وَالْمَرْأَةِ وَالْفَرَسِ فَغَضِبَتْ فَطَارَتْ شِقَّةٌ مِنْهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَشِقَّةٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَقَالَتْ وَالَّذِي أَنْزَلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ مَا قَالَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَطُّ إِنَّمَا قَالَ كَانَ أَهْلُ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَتَطَيَّرُونَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ
Abu Hassan narrated: Two men from Banu Aamir came to Sayyidah Aisha and told her that Sayyidina Abu Huraira narrates that the Prophet (pbuh) said; ‘Bad omen is in a house, a woman and a horse.’
She was enraged, full of anger and said; ‘By the One Who Revealed Quran on Muhammad, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) did not say that, what he actually said was that in the days of ignorance people used to take bad omen in these things.’
(Musnad Ahmad Hadith 24841. Shu’aib ‘Arna’ut said the Hadith is Sahih on the conditions of Sahih Muslim.)
There have been innumerable blessings that the Ummah received in the form of knowledge transmitted through Bibi Aisha(R.A), she was with our Beloved Prophet(Peace be upon him) from a very young age and thus she acquired great knowledge from him.
Conclusion
It is accepted amongst the Ahlus sunnah wal jamah scholars that the marriage took place at an early age, the sad thing is; in this sex crazed world that we live in today everything is looked at through stained glass. The perception and views of the author and his ilk only reflect upon their upbringing and mindset. For 1400 years the age of Bibi Aisha(R.A) was not an issue only recently have people started questioning it, that is solely due to the disconnect between cultures and traditions and the age that we live in.
Even in Europe until the end of 19th century the agreeable age of marriage was 7 years, considering that 1400 years ago the age of Bibi Aisha(R.A) was 9, it is safe to say that Islam had higher standards even then.
Today the age for marriage is decided by law, this minimum age for marriage is set by age factor (18 in some countries), and however 1400 years ago in Arab society and till the 19th century in Europe and other society the marriageable age was based on maturity factor and not age factor.
To apply today’s rules and law’s to a society that existed 1400 years ago is grossly unfair.
Even then if there is any doubt in anyone’s mind then allow us to ask this question –
Why is there not a SINGLE hadith from Bibi Aisha(R.A) showing her being displeased of the marriage?
Why is there not one hadith from Bibi Aisha)R.A) showing her to be like a victim, instead when you look at Bibi Aisha(R.A) you find no symptoms of a victim but you find signs of happiness.
She became a great leader for Islam, a great scholar for Islam who would teach about Islam to many men. Does this seem to be the symptoms of someone who has been abused?
The answer to the above questions is NO.
But still some people continue to defame Islam, we only hope and pray that Allah (SWT) guides them and all of us.
May Peace, Blessing & Mercy of Allah (SWT) always be showered on our Beloved Prophet
Article written by : Al Asim Ibn Al-Azeez
Credits go to Brother Asim Ul Haq for his valuable feedback and guidance.
A very special thanks, to a Muslimah for her valuable contribution to this article.
Evidence that Age of Marriage was determined by Puberty and was not Based on Age factor is taken from an article written by Shaykh Ayman bin Khalid.
For the complete article ref – http://www.islamic-life.com/forums/local_links.php?linkid=879&catid=3
May Allah (SWT) be pleased with our efforts, forgive our sins and grant us Jannah .