Aisha and her marriage to Muhammad


We do not agree with the agressive language employed, but the below quoted newsgroup posting gives the facts in a concise form.


From m-14719@mailbox.swip.net (SVENHOLM)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: How old was Aicha?
Date: Mon Sep 09 23:42:23 EDT 1996

In article <512o2v$ngl@shellx.best.com>, m-14719@mailbox.swip.net (SVENHOLM) writes:

    How old was Mohammad's favorite wife, Aisha?

I was hoping that there would be at least some who would venture to come closer to the truth. I am adding my notes here, if only because we just have had an international congress on the prevention of sexual abuse of children, and there were a few enlightened Muslims who had demonstrated against the sort of practice described below, and which still continues in some countries.

Here are my notes with the specific references:

Already, when Aisha was about 4-5 years old Muhammad started dreaming of a union with her[a]. When she was 6, Muhammad asked Abu Bakr, Aisha's father, for her hand. Abu Bakr thought it was improper, because, as he said "I am your brother"; Muhammad brushed aside Abu Bakr's reservation by saying that it was perfectly lawful for him to marry Aisha[b]. So, Aisha was bethroted to Muhammad, and 3 years later, i.e. when Aisha was 9, the marriage was consumed.[c] And Muhammad was 53 then. The 3 year waiting period probably had to do with the fact that at that time Aisha had contracted some disease, whereby she, temporarily lost her hair. Aisha was then socially and psychologically still a child as is evidenced by the fact that she was still given to her toys, she was unaware of what was happening around her, and her playmates behave as would the children at present times[d]. Aisha became Muhammad's favourite wife. And the sexuality in the relationship was predominant[e]. Later, Aisha was to be called the "mother of believers"

If you are wondering, yes, the relationship was pedophilic.

SVENHOLM


References (Check them out at the Hadith Data Base):

a. B.5.58.235
b. B.7.62.18
c. B.5.58.236, 7.62.64, 7.62.65, 7.62.88
d. B.8.73.151, 5.58.234
e. B.1.5.270, 3.28.36, 7.62.6, 3.31.148, 3.31.149, 3.31.150, 7.62.142, IbnSa'd 1pg165

"B.5.58.234" means "Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 58, Number 234"


  • Shaikh ibn Baz agrees
  • Moiz Amjad disagrees and gives more details but others observe regarding his claims:
    The Pakistani Web page raises questions about just how inconsistent all
    these traditions are.
    
    I give examples from his page. (All dates are in Western notation)
    
    'But according to another narrative Bukhari (kitabu'l-tafseer) Ayesha
    (ra) is reported to have said that at the time Surah Al-Qamar, the 54th
    chapter of the Qur'an, was revealed, "I was a young girl". The 54th
    surah of the Qur'an was revealed nine years before Hijrah'.
    
    So Ayesha was a young girl in about 613 , and so born about 605 or
    earlier.
    
    'Tabari in his treatise on Islamic history, while mentioning Abu
    Bakr (ra) reports that Abu Bakr had four children and all four
    were born during the Jahiliyyah -- the pre Islamic period. Obviously,
    if Ayesha (ra) was born in the period of jahiliyyah, she could not
    have been less than 14 years in 1 AH -- the time she most likely got
    married.'
    
    So Ayesha was definitely born before 608  if she was 14 in 621/622. 
    
    'According to Ibn Hajar, Fatimah (ra) was five years older
    than Ayesha (ra). Fatimah (ra) is reported to have been born when
    the Prophet (pbuh) was 35 years old.'
    
    So Fatimah was born in 605  when the Prophet was 35. So Ayesha was born
    in 610 , after Muhammad started to receive revelations, in direct
    contradiction of the Web page's other statements above.
    
    -- 
    Steven Carr steven@bowness.demon.co.uk     (Source)
    
  • The Young Marriage of 'Aishah
  • Why Did Prophet Muhammad Marry Young Aisha Siddiqa?
  • An Examination of Muhammad’s Marriage to a Prepubescent Girl And Its Moral Implications is the most detailed treatment on this issue with many quotations and references to the early Muslim sources

  • Answering Islam Home Page