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 This page is independent/supplementary to the doll-playing exegesis used in [[Aisha Age of Consummation|Aisha's Age of Consummation]] which in itself proves her status as pre-pubescent at the time of consummation.
-see the evidence
+==Introduction==
+Most Muslims are unaware that the [[Sahih]] [[hadith|ahadith]] say that [[Aisha]], the wife of [[Muhammad]], was below the age of puberty when she was at least fourteen years old, and remained in that state till the age of sixteen. This is because they have never read the Sahih ahadith in Arabic. The collectors of Hadith were generally not ashamed of the truth. Even being some of the most devout Muslims to have ever lived, they had still slavishly preserved [[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Muhammad|many authentic narrations]] which reflect very poorly on the character of Muhammad. However, some modern Muslims and apologists in the West are ashamed that their prophet would marry and have sex with a pre-pubescent young girl, so they may claim that there is no evidence that Aisha was below the age of puberty. On the contrary, they may insist that she was already past the age of puberty, even though they do not possess the evidence to back this claim.
+We do not need to accept on blind faith the unsubstantiated claims of these Muslims since we have the original sahih ahadith. What do these say about Aisha’s pubertal status? The evidence is clear from the collection of Imam Bukhari. Hence, we will base our proposition on the famous “[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Translation-Meanings-Summarized-Sahih-Al-Bukhari/dp/1567445195 Translation of the Meanings of Sahih Al-Bukhari Arabic-English]” by ''Dr Muhammad Muhsin Khan'', published by the Islamic University - Al-Medina Al-Munauwara, Saudi Arabia.
 ==The Evidence==
+===Scientific===
+Before we address the scriptural evidence, a few biological truths are worth noting. Apologetic claims which appeal to science can be summarised by the following argument.
+{{Quote|[http://web.archive.org/web/20071031090648/http://www.alinaam.org.za/social/myaaisha.htm The Young Marriage of `Âishah(R)]<BR>Madrassah In'aamiyya|Women reach puberty at different ages ranging from 8-12 years old depending on genetics, race and environment. We read that
+:There is little difference in the size of boys and girls until the age of ten, the growth spurt at puberty starts earlier in girls but lasts longer in boys.
+We also read that
+:The first signs of puberty occur around age 9 or 10 in girls but closer to 12 in boys.
+Women in warmer environments reach puberty at a much earlier age than those in cold environments.
+:The average temperature of the country or province is considered the chief factor here, not only with regard to menstruation but as regards the whole of sexual development at puberty.
+Marriage at the early years of puberty was acceptable in 7th century Arabia as it was the social norm in all Semitic cultures from the Israelites to the Arabs and all nations in between.}}
+In truth there is no significant climatic effect on the age at which girls reach nubility (i.e. between warm Arabia and cold Europe)<ref>Bojlen and Bentzon - "The Influence of Climate and Nutrition on Age at Menarche: A Historical Review and A Modern Hypothesis" - (1968)</ref> and the average age at menarche (first menstrual cycle), after a rise during the 19<sup>th</sup> century, has only recently began to fall. For girls in the Medieval (5<sup>th</sup> to 15<sup>th</sup> century) Middle East, the average age at menarche was between 12 to 13 years of age.
+{{Quote|[http://www.mum.org/menarage.htm Average age at menarche in various cultures]|'''Historical Data on Age at Menarche'''
+''Early data''
+Ancient Rome 12-14
+Medieval Europe 12-14
+Medieval Middle East 12-13
+''Nineteenth Century''
+Manchester 1840s
+:working class women 15.7
+:upper class women 14.6
+London 1855 (hospital patients) 15.5
+Germany 1869 15.7
+Scotland 1870 15.6-16.6
+London 1880 (middle class) 15
+U.S.A. late 19th century 12-14
+''Early 20th Century''
+USA 1905 14-15.7}}
+In an attempted [[Tu Quoque|tu-quoque]], the apologist claims "Marriage at the early years of puberty was acceptable in 7th century Arabia as it was the social norm in all Semitic cultures". With a little fact-checking you will find that in the Middle Ages, Jewish girls were traditionally married off around the age of 12-13,<ref>''[[W:Nashim|Kiddushin]]'' ([[W:tosafot|tosafot]]) 41a</ref> which was also the average age at menarche. However, this only strengthens the case against Aisha having reached her first menses when consummating her marriage to Muhammad, and it also opposes the assertion that this consummation between a 54 year old man and a 9 year old girl would have been the accepted cultural norm. In fact, in Jewish culture, a large age gap between the spouses was opposed,<ref>''[[W:Yebamot|Yebamot]]'' 44a</ref><ref>''Sanhedrin'' 76a</ref> yet the age gap between Muhammad and Aisha was a massive 45 years. As they themselves have left behind no written records, there is ''no'' evidence of pedophilic marriages being accepted among the non-Muslim Arabs of Muhammad's time. The only sources we have are Muslim sources, so to claim that such a marriage was a cultural norm among all Arabs is baseless conjecture.
+To further justify Muhammad's marriage, the article ends with the following:
+{{Quote|[http://web.archive.org/web/20071031090648/http://www.alinaam.org.za/social/myaaisha.htm The Young Marriage of `Âishah(R)]<BR>Madrassah In'aamiyya|Appendix: A married nine-year old in Thailand gives birth
+A news article from The New Straits Times, Malaysia dated 10th of March, 2001 about a nine-year old girl living in northern Thailand giving birth to a baby girl. The fact that a nine-year old girl is mature enough to give birth proves the point above about girls reaching puberty earlier than men.}}
+What they seem to ignore is that the Qur'an actually [[Pedophilia in the Qur'an|permits sex with girls]] who have not yet menstruated, a fact which is perfectly consistent with Muhammad having sex with a pre-pubescent Aisha. Instead, many apologists claim marriage and sex with a post-pubertal girl is acceptable behaviour which is validated by nature itself. What they fail to understand is that nature is not perfect, nor does it have to be for us humans who are capable of reasoning.
+[[W:Lina Medina|Lina Medina]] (born September 27, 1933, in Ticrapo, Peru), had her menarche at age 8 months,<ref>[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1020827/asp/foreign/story_1140311.asp Six decades later, world’s youngest mother awaits aid] - The Telegraph, August 27, 2002</ref> and after giving birth to her first child at the age of 5 years and 7 months (under unknown circumstances), she is the youngest mother in history. Following the logic used by many apologists, it would mean having sex with this child when she was 8 months old is acceptable behaviour. Giving birth at 5 years hardly meant this child was "mature". To view an image of Lina, 7 and a 1/2 months into pregnancy, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lina_Medina.jpg click here].
+===Scriptural===
+We now move onto the scriptural evidence. Here are some of the relevant sahih hadith:
+{{Quote| {{Bukhari|7|62|118}}|Narrated 'Ursa:
+Aisha said, "While the Ethiopians were playing with their small spears, Allah's Apostle screened me behind him and I watched (that display) and kept on watching till I left on my own." So you may estimate of what age '''a little girl''' may listen to amusement. }}
+''[Author’s note: in this hadith, Ayesha was 15 years old – according to Muhsin Khan]''
+{{Quote|{{Bukhari|7|62|163}}| Narrated 'Aisha:
+The Prophet was screening me with his Rida' (garment covering the upper part of the body) while I was looking at the Ethiopians who were playing in the courtyard of the mosque. (I continued watching) till I was satisfied. So you may deduce from this event how '''a little girl (who has not reached the age of puberty)''' who is eager to enjoy amusement should be treated in this respect. }}
+''[Author’s note: in this hadith, Aisha had not reached puberty – according to Muhsin Khan]''
+In the first hadith {{Bukhari|7|62|118}}, Dr Muhsin Khan in the official text published in Islamic University - Al-Medina Al-Munauwara, Saudi Arabia says, ''“Aisha was 15 years then.”'' Some Muslims might claim that it was only Muhsin Khan’s opinion that Aisha was 15 years old at that time. However, this is irrelevant since Muhammad would have bedded Aisha by then. This is because this incident of Aisha watching the Abyssinian/Ethiopian slaves throwing spears in the mosque took place in Medina because according to Abu Dawud, Eid festivals were instituted only in Medina.
+{{Quote|{{Abudawud|3|1130}}|Narrated Anas ibn Malik: When the Apostle of Allah came to Medina, the people had two days on which they engaged in games. He asked: What are these two days (what is the significance)? They said: We used to engage ourselves on them in the pre-Islamic period. The Apostle of Allah said: Allah has substituted for them something better than them, the day of sacrifice and the day of the breaking of the fast. (‘Idu’l-Adha and ‘Idu’l-Fitr.) }}
+We know from other ahadith that Muhammad married Aisha in Shawwal, 1 Hijri. However, the first Eid al-Adha would have taken place at the earliest two months later in Dhul Hijja. Hence these two “Aisha watching the Ethiopians” ahadith tell us that she was below the age of puberty more than two months after Muhammad had sex with her. Muhsin Khan stated that this was about six years later.
+In the second hadith {{Bukhari|7|62|163}}, Muhsin Khan added the phrase “who has not reached the age of puberty” in parentheses. Some Muslims might claim that this phrase is in parentheses, and therefore it was only his opinion, not in the original Arabic. However, this is false since the parenthetical phrase explains the Arabic phrase, ''“jariyathin hadeethaathil sanna”''. This phrase is also found in the following hadith when Aisha was 14 years old.
+{{Quote| {{Bukhari|3|48|829}}, See also: {{Bukhari|6|60|274}}|Narrated Aisha: (the wife of the Prophet):… On that Allah's Apostle called Buraira and said, 'O Buraira. Did you ever see anything which roused your suspicions about her?' Buraira said, 'No, by Allah Who has sent you with the Truth, I have never seen in her anything faulty except that she is '''a girl of immature age''', who sometimes sleeps and leaves the dough for the goats to eat.'… I was '''a young girl''' and did not have much knowledge of the Quran}}
+''[Author’s note: in this hadith, Aisha was about 14 years old]''
+In Arabic, the phrase ''“jariyathil hadeethaathil sanna”'' literally means “pre-pubertal girl of new/recent/young age”. The word “jariya” has several meanings, but only one can fit Aisha. It means a pre-pubertal girl, a singer, slave girl/woman, concubine, or maid. The last four definitions show that it is a pejorative term, just like the word ‘boy’ was used by white people to describe black male slaves, even if adults.
+{{Quote||2=<font size="4"><font color="darkred">جارية</font></font><BR>
+slave girl, female slave, bondmaid, bondwoman, odalisque girl, odalisque<ref>[http://dictionary.sakhr.com/idrisidic_2MM.asp?Lang=E-A&Sub=%cc%c7%d1%ed%c9 Arabic to English] dictionary.sakhr.com</ref>}}
+‘Jariya’ is sometimes translated as ‘young playful girl’, but it is never used to describe a mature woman, particularly one who is married, unless that person is below the age of puberty. ‘Jariya’ is also sometimes translated as ‘young girl’ or ‘young woman’. However, this does not mean that the subject has passed the age of puberty because the Arabic meaning is not the same as the English understanding of the phrase ‘young woman’. In other words, the Arabic term ‘jariya’ carries the same meaning as the English understanding of the phrase ‘young woman’ to mean ‘girl’ or ‘lass’ (Roget’s Thesaurus).
+This is proven by Mufti Sayed Abdul Jaleel Saheb, Sheikh - ul- Hadith - Madressah Talimuddeen who said, “In the Arabic language, the word "Jaria" is generally used for a young, immature girl (who has not reached the age of puberty as yet).”<ref>Quote taken from [http://www.tazkiyah.info/Tazkiyah/docs/Islam_&_Music.doc QURANIC AYAH WHEREIN ALLAAH T A' ALA HAS DECLARED THE PROHIBITATION OF MUSIC.] tazkiyah.info</ref>
+The understanding that Aisha was below the age of puberty is emphasized by the phrase “hadeethaathil sanna”, which means ‘new’, ‘beginning’, or ‘initial age’. This phrase carries the notion of immaturity because it is the initial age, bearing in mind that the phrase does not mean ‘new’ as in a “change” (which is a possible understanding of the English word ‘new’), but refers to the initial phase or beginning. Hence, “jariyathil hadeethaathil sanna” means a young girl in the first period of her youth, which can only mean the age before puberty.
+Ayesha Bewley of the Maliki School has also translated al-Bukhari, but merely translated this phrase to ‘young girl’. This is not the true meaning of the phrase as it does not specifically convey the notion that Aisha bint Abu Bakr was below the age of puberty. Hence, some Muslims might delude themselves into thinking that ‘young girl’ in this translation does not say anything about puberty. It does – in Arabic.
+Other ahadith also show Aisha was a jariya, or a pre-pubertal girl:
+{{Quote| {{Bukhari|6|61|515}}|
+Narrated Yusuf bin Mahk:
+While I was with Aisha, the mother of the Believers, a person from Iraq came and asked, "What type of shroud is the best?" 'Aisha said, "May Allah be merciful to you! What does it matter?" He said, "O mother of the Believers! Show me (the copy of) your Qur'an," She said, "Why?" He said, "In order to compile and arrange the Qur'an according to it, for people recite it with its Suras not in proper order." 'Aisha said, "What does it matter which part of it you read first? (Be informed) that the first thing that was revealed thereof was a Sura from Al-Mufassal, and in it was mentioned Paradise and the Fire. When the people embraced Islam, the Verses regarding legal and illegal things were revealed. If the first thing to be revealed was: 'Do not drink alcoholic drinks.' people would have said, 'We will never leave alcoholic drinks,' and if there had been revealed, 'Do not commit illegal sexual intercourse, 'they would have said, 'We will never give up illegal sexual intercourse.' While I was '''a young girl of playing age''', the following Verse was revealed in Mecca to Muhammad: 'Nay! But the Hour is their appointed time (for their full recompense), and the Hour will be more grievous and more bitter.' (54.46) Sura Al-Baqara (The Cow) and Surat An-Nisa (The Women) were revealed while I was with him." Then 'Aisha took out the copy of the Qur'an for the man and dictated to him the Verses of the Suras (in their proper order) }}
+The Arabic phrase here is ''“jariyathan al-aban”''.
+{{Quote| {{Bukhari|6|60|399}}|
+Narrated Yusuf bin Mahik:
+I was in the house of 'Aisha, the mother of the Believers. She said, "This revelation: "Nay, but the Hour is their appointed time (for their full recompense); and the Hour will be more previous and most bitter." (54.46) was revealed to Muhammad at Mecca while I was '''a playful little girl'''." }}
+The Arabic phrase here is ''“jariyathan al-aban”''.
+{{Quote| {{Bukhari|7|62|17}}|
+Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:
+When I got married, Allah's Apostle said to me, "What type of lady have you married?" I replied, "I have married a matron' He said, "Why, don't you have a liking for the virgins and for fondling them?" Jabir also said: Allah's Apostle said, "Why didn't you marry '''a young girl''' so that you might play with her and she with you?' }}
+The Arabic phrase here is ''“jariyathan thulaibuha”''. It shows that 'jariya' is the opposite of ‘matron’ or a mature woman.
+{{Quote|{{Bukhari|1|6|293}}|Narrated Al-Qasim:
+‘Aisha said, “We set out with the sole intention of performing Hajj and when we reached Sarif, (a place six miles from Mecca) I got my menses. Allah’s Apostle came to me while I was weeping. He said ‘What is the matter with you? Have you got your menses?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This is a thing which Allah has ordained for the daughters of Adam. So do what all the pilgrims do with the exception of the Taw-af (Circumambulation) round the Ka’ba.” ‘Aisha added, “Allah’s Apostle sacrificed cows on behalf of his wives.”}}
+{{Quote|{{Bukhari|2|26|631}}|Narrated Al-Qasim bin Muhammad:
+‘ Aisha said, “We set out with Allah’s Apostles in the months of Hajj, and (in) the nights of Hajj, and at the time and places of Hajj and in a state of Hajj. We dismounted at Sarif (a village six miles from Mecca). The Prophet then addressed his companions and said, “Anyone who has not got the Hadi and likes to do Umra instead of Hajj may do so (i.e. Hajj-al-Tamattu) and anyone who has got the Hadi should not finish the Ihram after performing ‘ Umra). (i.e. Hajj-al-Qiran). Aisha added, “The companions of the Prophet obeyed the above (order) and some of them (i.e. who did not have Hadi) finished their Ihram after Umra.” Allah’s Apostle and some of his companions were resourceful and had the Hadi with them, they could not perform Umra (alone) (but had to perform both Hajj and Umra with one Ihram). Aisha added, “Allah’s Apostle came to me and saw me weeping and said, “What makes you weep, O Hantah?” I replied, “I have heard your conversation with your companions and I cannot perform the Umra.” He asked, “What is wrong with you?’ I replied, ‘I do not offer the prayers (i.e. I have my menses).’ He said, ‘It will not harm you for you are one of the daughters of Adam, and Allah has written for you (this state) as He has written it for them. Keep on with your intentions for Hajj and Allah may reward you that.” Aisha further added, “Then we proceeded for Hajj till we reached Mina and I became clean from my menses.}}
-The problem with hadiths is that they do not sound logical at times. In Islam, it is necessary that you can only have sexual encounters with women who go through menstruation.Some Hadiths are clearly not reliable and need to be re-evaluated. Not just topics regarding Aisha's age but a host of other topics.Aisha's age at the time of marriage is uncertain and is still debatable. There are facts that we can be certain about, example; Aisha did not have children (Malatant of Shadow's valid point about them not engaging is sex). Was happy about her marriage. Became a great Scholar of Islam and military leader, role model for women, etc.Even if she was in fact 9 years old, this marriage is still justified for the following reasons: (a) She reached the age of puberty. (b) The marriage happened 1400 ago, not today. At that time, their marriage was not considered unusual and the proof is that the enemies of Muslims at that time did not criticize this marriage. They attacked prophet Mohammad on many issues, yet they didn't criticize his marriage to Aisha.Let us analyse from the authentic sources of Islam (Quran and Hadiths) what the minimum age for marriage is for a human being. The Quran says in:
+The two hadiths above, tell us the age when Aisha got her first menses. Her marriage was consummated in the year 622, and this journey for [[hajj]] took place in 629. Therefore, Aisha was about sixteen years old at the time of her first menstruation.
-Surah Nisa 4:6:
-"Make trial of orphans until they reach the age of marriage; if then ye find sound judgment in them, release their property to them; but consume it not wastefully, nor in haste against their growing up. If the guardian is well-off, Let him claim no remuneration, but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable. When ye release their property to them, take witnesses in their presence: But all-sufficient is God in taking account."
-From this verse, we can see that there is an age limit of marriage in Islam. The Arabic word used in this verse is "alnnikaha," which some translators have translated as "puberty."
-Surah Nisa 4:6: Shakir:
-"And test the orphans until they attain puberty; then if you find in them maturity of intellect, make over to them their property, and do not consume it extravagantly and hastily, lest they attain to full age; and whoever is rich, let him abstain altogether, and whoever is poor, let him eat reasonably; then when you make over to them their property, call witnesses in their presence; and Allah is enough as a Reckoner."Surah Nisa 4:6: Khalifah:
-"You shall test the orphans when they reach puberty. As soon as you find them mature enough, give them their property. Do not consume it extravagantly in a hurry, before they grow up. The rich guardian shall not charge any wage, but the poor guardian may charge equitably. When you give them their properties, you shall have witnesses. GOD suffices as Reckoner." "To reach the age of marriage means to be adolescent. According to Shariah, it is fixed on the manifestation of the natural growth of the human parts of the body. It means that according to Quran the age for marriage of a boy or a girl is on his or her reaching the age of adolescence.""Along with the injunction of maturity (bulugh) in this verse, the Holy Qur'an has also answered the question as to the 'age' when a child would be taken as mature (baligh) by saying: اذا بلغوا النكاح translated as 'until they reach marriageability'. Here, it has been indicated that real maturity is not tied up with any particular count of years. Rather, it depends on particular indicators and signs experiences by adults entering the threshold of adulthood. When, in terms of these indicators and signs, they would be regarded to marry, they would be considered mature, even if their age does not exceed thirteen or fourteen years."also read in the following verse that marriage is a strong promise/covenant according to:Surah Nisa 4:21:"And how could ye take it when ye have gone in unto each other, and they have Taken from you a solemn covenant?"
-From these 2 verses in combination, we understand that marriage is a agreement between men and women at the age of maturity where they can make good judgments. When a person reaches puberty, he/she can decide to get married if he/she wants to. If you marry someone before puberty, the marriage is NOT complete till both reach puberty. You cannot have intercourse with the person you marry, till the marriage is completed (which is at puberty). No-one can force you to marry, or stay married. We see that there is no specific limit to when a person can complete the marriage, because puberty can start earlier for some people and late for others. Interestingly, in the USA 100+ years ago, people could participate in sexual activity, at the age of 10:"The common law, from which America gets much of its precedents in the legal field, set the age of consent at age ten. In other words, participating in sexual activity with someone above the age of ten did not result in the crime of "statutory" rape or child molesting. The activity may have come under other statutory or informal social regulations, but anyone over the age of ten could consent to a sexual activity." In California over 100 years back, you could marry above the age of 7:"If the infants were under seven years of age the marriage was absolutely void, but parties over seven years of age and under the age of consent, could enter into a voidable marriage."Notice that States of America over 100 years ago set a SPECIFIC age in which you can marry and participate in sexual activity. In other words, if you have not reached puberty at 7-10 years old, you could easily 100 years back in USA, have had prepubescent intercourse! Why?Because not everyone reaches puberty that young. In contrast, the Islamic law which came centuries before the USA law, it is far superior because it does NOT give any chance of prepubescent intercourse to occur, based on the teachings. This is because there is no specific age limit of marriage, because puberty can occur at different ages for different people. This means the consummation of the marriage has to occur at least at puberty.Science tells us today that females attain puberty quicker than the males. We also come to know from modern science that a person CAN reach puberty at the age of 9 years old, or even at the age of 8."Although puberty usually starts between ages 8 to 13 in girls, it may start earlier or later."When we read these Hadiths, we will clearly see that Muhammad never consummated the marriage at 6 years old, but rather at 9. Now, let us analyse what age Muhammad actually married Aisha, based on the following authentic Hadiths:Sahih Bukhari, Book 58, Number 234:"Narrated By 'Aisha : The Prophet engaged me when I was a girl of six (years). We went to Medina and stayed at the home of Bani-al-Harith bin Khazraj. Then I got ill and my hair fell down. Later on my hair grew (again) and my mother, Um Ruman, came to me while I was playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me, and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted to do to me. She caught me by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house. I was breathless then, and when my breathing became Allright, she took some water and rubbed my face and head with it. Then she took me into the house.There in the house I saw some Ansari women who said, "Best wishes and Allah's Blessing and a good luck." Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me (for the marriage). Unexpectedly Allah's Apostle came to me in the forenoon and my mother handed me over to him, and at that time I was a girl of nine years of age."Sahih Bukhari, Book 62, Number 64:
-"Narrated By 'Aisha : That the Prophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old, and then she remained with him for nine years (i.e., till his death)."The contract was conducted when she was 6, but the Prophet waited 3 years to consummate the marriage. If Muhammad was a paedophile as you Justin claim, he could have consummated the marriage before she even reached 7, leave aside 9. A womanizer would not wait 3 years to get married to someone, yet Muhammad did. Does this sound like a paedophile? No!!! Moreover, the forthcoming narration of Aisha substantiates that the Prophet didn't marry based on his own desires.here read "On the authority of 'Alee bin Zaid bin Jad'aan that his grandmother informed him that 'Aaishah said: "I have been given 9 things which were not given to any other woman after Maryam bint 'Imraan. Jibreel came with my picture in a piece of silk until it was commanded to the Prophet to marry me. He married me, a virgin, and he did not marry any virgin other than me. His soul departed while he was in my house. He was buried in my house. The Angels had surrounded my house. And when the Revelations used to come down and he was with his other wives, they would be separated from him. Whereas the Revelations used to come down and I would be with him in the same bedding. And I am the daughter of the Khaleefah and the truthful one.Revelation was sent from the sky about my chastity. I was created in goodness to a good person. And I have been promised forgiveness and good sustenance." When Muhammad was around 53 years old, he consummated the marriage at 9 years old. If Muhammad married Aisha for his own sexual urge and own selfishness, HE WOULD HAVE MARRIED WOMEN THIS AGE WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER! In fact, we know that the he 1st marriage of Muhammad took place when he was 25 years of age and he married Khadija who was twice widowed, and was 40 years old. Muhammad's first marriage was at 25, so why didn't he marry a much younger woman? A man who would want to marry for his own sexual lusts would have married at a younger age, to a much younger woman. Moreover, the elder a man gets, the less sexual he gets. This disproves that Muhammad wanted to marry Aisha for his own sexual interests, and prove he was NOT what the critics falsely claim he was...Justin It was quite normal for females (Muslim or non-Muslim) to get married at ages of 9 or 10, back then. I'm justifying marriage at this age merely because people back then did it but rather, I'm showing that what typical westerners might consider today as immoral was not seen like that back then. Moreover, this shows morals in Islamic law are consistent and do not change on what the majority want. If the skeptic claims Muhammad was a pedophile for marrying Aisha with her consent, then the same standards should be applied to the people who did the same thing (i.e. Christians, Jews, etc), and all those who didn't condemn the marriage. Furthermore, from the ages 9-14 in Europe, Asia, Africa etc, females were married at these ages. In the USA about 100 years ago, people could participate in sexual activity, at the age of 10..Aisha was also mature for her age both mentally and physically due to modest and far superior discipline. She was not like your common 9 year old kid, who is still dependant on the parents. Aisha was very mature for her age, and acted like an adult mentally and knew right from wrong. Let us read what Aisha said about herself:""Aisha said, if the little girl reaches nine then she is a woman." (Tirmidhi - Classed Hasan Sahih By Sheikh Albani In: Jami' Sahih Al-Adhkar & Tirmidhi) "Aisha knew (she hit puberty) when she reached nine years old." (Sheikh Abdur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri - Tuhfat Al-Ahwadhi ) Justin Here see that Aisha went through her menses, which is a sign of puberty. This proves that Aisha was indeed in puberty and was physically mature. A female who has not yet hit puberty would not have had menses, yet Aisha did which is proof she was physically mature. Not only that, but BEFORE her marriage with Prophet Muhammad, she felt ill going THROUGH her menses. It is mentioned in:Sahih Bukhari, Book 58, Number 234:Narrated By 'Aisha : The Prophet engaged me when I was a girl of six (years). We went to Medina and stayed at the home of Bani-al-Harith bin Khazraj. Then I got ill and my hair fell down. Later on my hair grew (again) and my mother, Um Ruman, came to me while I was playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me, and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted to do to me. She caught me by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house. I was breathless then, and when my breathing became alright, she took some water and rubbed my face and head with it. Then she took me into the house. There in the house I saw some Ansari women who said, "Best wishes and Allah's Blessing and a good luck." Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me (for the marriage). Unexpectedly Allah's Apostle came to me in the forenoon and my mother handed me over to him, and at that time I was a girl of nine years of age.Sahih Bukhari:"Narrated 'Aisha I had seen my parents following Islam since I attained the age of puberty. Not a day passed but the Prophet visited us, both in the mornings and evenings. My father Abii Bakr thought of building a mosque in the courtyard of his house and he did so. He used to pray and recite the Qur'an in it. The pagan women and their children used to stand by him and look at him with surprise. Abu Bakr was a Softhearted person and could not help weeping while reciting the Quran. The chiefs of the Quraish pagans became afraid of that (i.e. that their children and women might be affected by the recitation of Quran)."
-Notice the above narration states Aisha had reached puberty while she was still living with her parents. So, before Aisha moved in with the Prophet and before the marriage consummation occurred, she had reached puberty.Also Aishah said: "The Messenger of Allah married me when I was six years old and he finished the wedding when I was 9 years old." Malik (Ibn Anas), Imam Abu Hanifa and Ash-Shafi'ie have said: The period before the perfection that they had until that time would be physically prepared for the community. "Al-Dawudi said:" And Aishah body had been really mature." (Sharh Sahih Muslim, Imam Nawawi) This is proof that Aisha was indeed in puberty before she even got married, which disproves the anti-Islamic argument that she was "allegedly" a prepubescent child.No Hadith indicates or shows Aisha was unhappy for being married or that she was forced. If Muhammad was what critics claim he was, surely Aisha would have objected from day one. Why do you find no mention of Aisha ever complaining against the marriage with Muhammad? That is because she clearly agreed to marry him. In reality, we find that Aisha was proud to be married to the holy Prophet."Narrated Aisha: I am honored with some of the advantages that no other woman has them honored! The Messenger of Allah married me when I was 7 years old, the angel showed him my picture so he saw me, he completed our marriage when I was 9 years old was, I saw the angel Gibrail, I was the Prophet's favorite wife and I was the one who stayed with him during his illness until he died and nobody was there except me and the Angels." (Ibn Hajar Alasqalani - Isabah Fi Tamyiz Al-Sahabah) History shows us clearly that Aisha became one of the best scholars of her time. She narrated numerous hadiths.She was a scholar in where men would ask her specific and challenging questions about Islam, and she was able to answer them. She was also very good at mathematics, so she was also able to answer questions about Islamic finance, a field which is difficult to grasp. We read that Aisha was married to Muhammad until he died, according to:Sahih Muslim, Book 8, Number 3311:'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) married her when she was seven years old, and he was taken to his house as a bride when she was nine, and her dolls were with her; and when he (the Holy Prophet) died she was eighteen years old.That's 10 years of marriage with Muhammad. A wife of a pedophile could not become such a scholar in a subject. A person married to a pedophile for a week would mentally suffer and would be NEVER be willing to learn from the SAME pedophile. 10 years of marriage to person you don't want to will NEVER make you become a student of the same person. But natural, Muhammad was not a pedophile, which is why Aisha was able to learn a huge degree of information from the Prophet Muhammad, and become a scholar of scholars. The following proves this:"A wife in the house of the prophet - may Allah's prayers and peace be on him - would encourage women to call on her to enquire about things related to their religion, just as men did. They asked Al Sayeda Aisha about matters, which they would feel embarrassed to ask the Prophet himself about. Al Sayeda Aisha was an intelligent woman, which a sharp memory, renowned for relating the Traditions (Ahadith) and for her skill in matters of religion. When the prominent companions faced a problem, they used to ask her and she always answered their queries satisfactory.
-Abu Mossa El Ash'ari said: "Whenever we, the companions of Allah's Prophet - may Allah's prayers and peace be on him - met with a Tradition (Hadith) that needed explanation, and asked Aisha, we always found her with a satisfactory answer." Masruq said: "I have seen the leading companion of Muhammad - may Allah's prayers and peace be on him - ask her about the ordinances of Islam." Al Dhahby said: "She was one of the most prominent scholars among the Companions of Allah's Messenger - may Allah's prayers and peace be on him - used to refer to her.Her excellence was not confined to relating the Traditions and Islamic Legislations, but she was also eloquent and convincing."It should be borne in mind that, like all acts of the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him), even this marriage had a Divine purpose behind it. Hadrat Aisha was a precocious girl and was devolving both in mind and body with rapidity peculiar to such rare personalities. She was admitted to the house of the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) just at the threshold of her puberty, the most impressionable and formative period of her life. It was the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) who nurtured her sensibilities and directed the growth of her faculties to the most fruitful channel and thus she was made to play an eminent role in the history of Islam."If it wasn't from Aisha, Islam wouldn't be what it is today. We wouldn't have 2000+ Hadiths we have today from Aisha, if it wasn't for Aisha. How could the wife of a so called "pedophile" become a scholar and learner for a decade, from the same man? Who would want to become a student of a pedophile? Yet, Aisha did, because even she knew he wasn't a pedophile.This should be sufficient proof to prove to an unbiased secularist that the marriage between Muhammad and Aisha was and is legal in Islam, and that Muhammad is NOT a pedophile, womanizer or whatever other filthy name the skeptics use.But, since many Christians bring this argument up against Muhammad, let us take a look what their own Bible says:1) The Bible clearly allows you to marry at the age of puberty, which in other words means when you "pass the flower of the age." It is mentioned in:
-Corinthians 7:36: KJV:
-"But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry."
-Corinthians 7:36-38: NIV:
-"If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin - this man also does the right thing. So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does even better." So according to the Bible which Christianity is based on, you can clearly get married as soon as you reached puberty. We need to ask those Christians who throw slanders about the Prophet being a pedophile that: Will you agree that marrying at the age of puberty is lawful? If the Christian says "no," then he/she contradicts the Bible, and is the last person to claim to be a follower and a believer in the entire Bible. If the Christian says: "yes, I agree that marrying at the age of puberty is lawful," then according to the same standards, the Christian should have no problem with the marriage of Aisha. You can't have double standards and still be consistent by condemning Muhammad's marriage with Aisha while simultaneously agreeing with what the Bible says.We read in the following verses in the Old Testament that a girl after her BREASTS & PUBLIC HAIR were formed, she had intercourse. This is mentioned in:
-Ezekiel 16:4-14:
-"On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised. " 'Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, "Live!" I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew up and developed and became the most beautiful of jewels. Your breasts were formed and your hair grew, you who were naked and bare. " 'Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine. " 'I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put leather sandals on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was fine flour, honey and olive oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD."as we can see here that during puberty, a female had intercourse and then this goes on to speak about nudity, descriptions of the girl, etc. So, the Christian's very own Bible allows you to marry and have intercourse at the age of puberty. EVERY Christian must believe in the Old Testament, because it is part of the Bible and Jesus even used to quote verses of the Old Testament in the New Testament, so claiming that "we don't have to follow or believe in the Old Testament," is not a valid argument.
 ==Conclusion==