> Muslim Response (E-book): Refuting the Islamaphobe's Claim that Prophet Muhammad was a Pedophile

[Qatada]

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Historical Age of Marriage in Western Countries


Age of Marriage in Rome

According to About.com:

In Ancient Rome…young girls were often married off when they were between the ages of twelve and fourteen.

(About.com, Teen Marriage -- History, Statistics, Things to Consider)

In the book entitled The Age of Marriage in Ancient Rome, we read:
Traditionally in pre-modern societies, AAFM [age at first marriage] for girls
corresponded with the visible onset of puberty. In these early societies, high mortality rates demanded an offsetting high-birth rate. As a result, younger marriages were required to facilitate population growth.

(The Age of Marriage in Ancient Rome, http://osdir.com/ml/education.public...l-review/2006-
05/msg00028.html)

In a scholarly article about the Roman Empire, we read that marriage would oftentimes precede the onset of puberty: Durry (1955a/b/c, 1956)[48] had argued that Roman girls were married before puberty, that puberty was not important in fixing the age of marriage, and that such early marriages were consummated before puberty…

Taking into consideration epigraphic and literary material, Hopkins concludes that "[w]hether pre-pubertal or not, girl's age at marriage was by our standards very young and marriages were generally immediately
consummated" …

At least one author believed that a girl "should be married and deflowered as soon as she reaches puberty (i.e., the socially determined age of puberty)… "




Psychohistorians[66] cite Rouselle (1988:p33) in arguing that Roman misconceptions about the hymen "could only be the result of girls being deflowered before puberty", being lawfully married before puberty.

(Janssen, D.F.; Oct 2002. G.U.S.. Volume I: World Reference Atlas. InterimReport. Amsterdam, The Netherlands, http://www2.huberlin.de/sexology/GES...M#_Toc26337172)

In the article “The Age of Roman Girls at Marriage”, we read:

In fact menarche (onset of menses) was not always a pre-condition of marriage; nevertheless marriages were usually consummated immediately…they (prepubertal marriages) were not exceptional and were condoned. (The Age of Roman Girls at Marriage, http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0032-
4728%28196503%2918%3A3%3C309%3ATAORGA%3E2.0.CO%3B2 Q&size=LARGE&origin=JSTOR-enlargePage)



The age of seven was in vogue:

Around AD 530, and at least as far back as the reign of Augustus, the legal minimum age of marriage for girls was 12 and for boys 14 (Hopkins,
p313n22)…At least for the aristocracy, early ages are frequently mentioned. Betrothal could take place within a poorly defined period before this age; at least it must be assumed that a minimum legal age of seven was in vogue (p313n23)[49] … Plutarche (historian, philosopher), and Soranus (doctor,
practising at Rome), both Greeks, implied that early marriage (12 or before) and defloration would occur…

(Janssen, D.F.; Oct 2002. G.U.S.. Volume I: World Reference Atlas. InterimReport. Amsterdam, The Netherlands, http://www2.huberlin.
de/sexology/GESUND/ARCHIV/GUS/HISTORYCHHS.HTM#_Toc26337172)


The great Roman leader Augustus fixed the minimum age of marriage at ten years old:

Roman children of the aristocracy married youngest (Hopkins, 1965:316ff;1983[57]:p94; Weaver, 1986:p156)[58]. Roman marriage arrangements usually
began with a betrothal, which was possible before age ten[59], at least in the case of the aristocracy, or when political gains were in vogue (Balsdon, p87,
275n18)[60]. Augustus (AD 9) had fixed the minimum age at ten (Rawson, 1986:p21)[61]…

(Janssen, D.F.; Oct 2002. G.U.S.. Volume I: World Reference Atlas. Interim Report. Amsterdam, The Netherlands, http://www2.huberlin.
de/sexology/GESUND/ARCHIV/GUS/HISTORYCHHS.HTM#_Toc26337172)





Age of Marriage in Greece

In the Ancient Greek civilization, the time to marry was at the onset of puberty:

Flacelière (59) also mentioned that girls could marry as soon as puberty hit.

(Daily Life in Greece at the Time of Pericles, http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0075-
4269(1966)86%3C250%3ADLIGAT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-W, http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Greeks/.../marriage.html )



WomenInTheAncientWorld.com says:

Athenian men married out of a sense of civic duty and put off the fateful day until the age of 30 or more, at which time they married girls of half their age whose youth made them more easily controlled. (WomanInTheAncientWorld.com, http://www.womenintheancientworld.co...nt%20egypt.htm)

[Qatada]

Jewish and Christian Prophets


1. Abraham: When the ignorant Christians condemn Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) for marrying a young girl fifty years younger than him, they are actually
attacking the Prophets in their Bible as well. Do they not recall the story of Prophet
Abraham (peace be upon him) who, according to the Bible, slept with Hagar (peace be
upon her) who was sixty or seventy younger than him? If the Christians have an issue
with Prophet Muhammad being in his fifties, do they not say anything when Prophet
Abraham was in his eighties? We read:

Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband
to be his wife. He (Abram) slept with Hagar, and she conceived…So Hagar bore
Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Abram
was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.
(Genesis, Chapter 16, verses 1–4, 15–16, NIV)


2. David: We read in the Bible that King David lay beside a young virgin, by which was
meant a girl who had just attained the age of puberty. We read:
When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm
even when they put covers over him. So his servants said to him, ‘Let us look for
a young virgin to attend the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so
that our lord the king may keep warm.’ Then they searched throughout Israel for a
beautiful girl and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
(1 Kings, Chapter 1, verses 1–4, NIV)


3. Isaac: According to the Judeo-Christian tradition, Prophet Isaac (peace be upon him) was forty years old when he married Rebecca (Rivka) who was only three years old at the time! And it should be remembered that Prophet Isaac is considered by the Jews to be one of the most important of Prophets, and Rebecca is one of the four matriarchs of the Jews. What is interesting to note is that just like there are some defeatist Muslims who deny that Aisha was nine years old when she was married, there are also some defeatist Jews who deny that Rebecca was three years old when she was married. We refer the reader to the following defeatist website made by contemporary Jews who seek to deny what their classical scholars say on the matter:
Jewish Legends: Not according to everyone!


In this article, the Jewish writers admit that they are taught in Jewish schools that
Rebecca was three years old when she was married:

We all came home from school saying that Rivka was three years old when
she got married, and most of us had a hard time believing it. Our teachers
explained that people in those days matured faster, so 3 years old then was not
what 3 years old is now. What they did not tell us (probably because they did not
know), is that there is another opinion that says that she was 14.
(JewishLegends.com,
Jewish Legends: Not according to everyone!)

How oddly similar is this claim made by these Jewish defeatists (“another opinion that
says she was 14”) to the claim made by some Muslim defeatists who claim that “another opinion says that Aisha was nineteen years of age.” Jewish apologists further the following argument:

Rivka, shortly before her marriage (Bereishit 24:16), is called NA’ARAH, which
refers to a girl of at least 12 years of age!
(JewishLegends.com, Jewish Legends: Not according to everyone!)

Muslim apologists use a strikingly similar argument. We cite the example of Understanding-Islam.com, a Muslim website that takes unorthodox opinions:
All those who know the Arabic language, are aware that the word "bikr" in the Arabic language is not used for an immature nine-year old girl. The correct word for a young playful girl, as stated earlier is "Jariyah". "Bikr" on the other hand, is used for an unmarried lady, and obviously a nine year old is not a "lady". (Understanding-Islam, http://understandingislam.com/related/text.asp?type=question&qid=375)

Both sites (Jewish and Muslim) engage in some simplistic mathematical arguments in order to find discrepancies in dating. In fact, both groups use similar methodology to question the historicity of these early marriages. What is not similar, however, is the amount of ink wasted attacking Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on the one hand and on the other hand the silence on Prophet Isaac’s marriage to the three year old Rebecca. The Zionists lead the charge in the attacks against Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), so should we now expose their hypocrisy? If they argue that their classical scholars were wrong for saying that the forty year old Prophet Isaac married a three year old, then logic and fairness dictate that the Muslims are also absolved because they too have defeatists who simply deny that Aisha was nine at the time of marriage!


4. Jesus: And if the Christians wish to stick a spear in our hearts by attacking Prophet Muhammad, then what of Prophet Jesus’s mother Mary (peace be upon her) who was only twelve years old when she was betrothed to the ninety year old Saint Joseph? The Catholic Encyclopedia says:

The priests announced through Judea that they wished to find in the tribe of Juda
a respectable man to espouse Mary, then twelve to fourteen years of age. Joseph,
who was at the time ninety years old, went up to Jerusalem among the candidates.
(Catholic Encyclopedia, CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Joseph)

According to the “Oxford Dictionary Bible” commentary, Mary was twelve years old when she became pregnant. As for the age of Saint Joseph, the traditional opinion was that he was a ninety year old widower at the time. It has only been very recently that suddenly the defeatists have sought to deny this, claiming that Joseph was “only” in his thirties. Whether or not Joseph was in his thirties or nineties is largely inconsequential, since the fact is that he was a grown man who married a twelve year old girl. In any case, the Christian East still accepts the idea that Saint Joseph was in his eighties and that Mary was twelve. An Eastern Orthodox website says:


An Elderly Joseph: The New Testament Apocrypha speak of Joseph as an elderly man, a widower with adult children, who was quite reluctant to be included among those from among whom a protector for Mary would be chosen. Although the Apocrypha were not included in the canon of Scripture their importance is great and much in evidence in the liturgical texts of some of the great Feasts.

However the Gospels too give evidence for an elderly Joseph. For example he is no longer mentioned after Jesus' trip to the temple as an adolescent. Note also that as Jesus was dying upon the Cross He asked John to look after His mother. That would have been unnecessary - and even insulting to Joseph had he been alive. But as an elderly man he would have reposed well before Jesus' crucifixion at the age of 32-33. Mary, however, would only have been in her middle age… The Christian East's picture of Joseph as a courageous, faithful, God-centred elderly widower rings true. It also tells us that "old people" are quite capable of being chosen for and embarking upon extraordinary adventures in which they obtain remarkable success by God's mercy and provision.

This picture may not be very attractive - particularly in a youth-fixated culture such as ours in which "old" has become a pejoritive expression. One can
understand the appeal of the youthful Joseph. But truth may have an attraction all its own.

(Ukrainian-Orthodoxy,http://www.unicorne.org/orthodoxy/ar...s_a/joseph.htm)


Therefore, if the Christian West seeks to damn the Muslims for our belief in an elderly Prophet who married a young virgin, then let them cast the first stone against their own brothers in the East first. In any case, even if we accept the claim that Saint Joseph was in his thirties when he was betrothed to Mary (peace be upon her), does this change the fact that Mary was twelve years old?

The priest of Saint Mary’s Catholic Church said: “Mary’s husband is believed to be around 36. Mary was only 13 when she married Joseph. When she first was arranged with Joseph, she was between 7 to 9 years old.” So even the Western Christians believe that a grown man well into his thirties married a young girl and impregnated her. If the Christians of today are shocked at Aisha’s age, then should they not be equally shocked by the age of Mary? But we find that they are hypocritical in their attitude towards the Muslims, and we know this is only because the people hate to accept the Truth, and we recognize that all the Prophets were maligned and criticized by the disbelieving people.

God will deal with them just like God dealt with all those who maligned the Prophets.

[Qatada]

Historical Age of Marriage in Non-Western Countries


Age of Marriage in Egypt

In the article “Marriage in Ancient Egypt”, we read:

Marriage contracts do not generally tell the age of the parties, but we know from
other documents that marriage almost always occurred after sexual adulthood.
The average age for girls to enter puberty was 12 to 13, and around 14 for boys…
we find documentation of brides being as young as 8… It was not all together
uncommon for older men who had usually lost their wife to either death or
divorce to marry very young "women". Qenherkhepeshef, a scribe from Deir El
Medina for example married a 12 year old girl when he was 54.

(TourEgypt.com, Egypt: Marriage in Ancient Egypt)




Age of Marriage in India

Jack Goody is a fellow of St. John’s College in Cambridge. In his book The Oriental, the
Ancient, and the Primitive, we find that girls were married off very early in Indian
households:

Srinivas writes of the days in India when ‘pre-pubertal weddings were the rule’
(1984:11): a girl had to be married ‘before she came of age.’ The father of a girl
was obliged by Hindu law and by custom of the country to marry her before she
attained puberty, though cohabitation was often delayed, an average of three
years…

(The Oriental, the Ancient, and the Primitive, p.208.

The Oriental, the Ancient, and the ... - Google Book Search
tOggFs6yteb0Rks251bg-_k4#PPP1,M1)

And it is well-known that such early marriages remain prevalent in India today.




Age of Marriage in Russia

In Russia, girls were being married off during childhood just some one hundred years
ago. We read:

DeMause (1990)[8] pointed to “child marriage [being] widespread in Russia well into the nineteenth century.”

(G.U.S.: World Atlas, Huberlin.de - Studium Resources and Information.)



Age of Marriage in China

In Pre-Industrial China, girls were married around the age of puberty, or even before the onset of puberty. We read:

Prepubertal Betrothal / Marriage In the period till 771 BC, menarche indicated marriageable age…In 1855,Huc[10] commented that “[n]othing is more common than to arrange a marriageduring the infancies of the parties, or even before their birth”… According to Fei (1939:p40)[14], arrangements for marriage were made at age six or seven… The usual age for affiancing children [i.e. betrothal] was between seven and fourteen (Baber, 1934:p134)[15]. For an elaborate description of the custom of infant
betrothal as practised before 1911 in the conservative I-ch’ang districts, see Hanyi
and Shryock (1950)[16]… Most Lolo groups marry at puberty, although
“some Lolos marry quite early, even at the age of four to five years” (Siang-
Feng Ko, 1949:p491-2)[22], or are betrothed as infants (LeBar et al., 1964). In
general, “The age of puberty is a major juncture for youngsters of all
nationalities. However, many of the minority nationalities [of China] encourage
the marriage of their children before they mature, and thus follow the footsteps of
the older generations”[23].

…Among the turn-of-the-century Taiwanese, the practice of minor
marriage combined with a highly competitive marriage market drove the age of
the brides downward, below puberty (Ying-Chang and Wolf, 1995:p793)[24]
(G.U.S.: World Atlas, Huberlin.de - Studium Resources and Information.)




Age of Marriage in Mongolia
The ancient Mongols married off their daughters at a very young age. Even today, it is very common to see Mongol girls being wedded at the age of four or five years of age:

Among the Ordos Mongols, children are sometimes betrothed even before birth.
This custom, called eŭndege in swie (“Match-making before birth”), is thought by
the Mongols to be of very nacient origin. […] the actual age of marriage today
[1938] varies a great deal, from four or five years to sixteen or seventeen, the
average or ordinary age being fifteen (p66).
(G.U.S.: A World Atlas, Huberlin.de - Studium Resources and Information.)



Age of Marriage in Australia

The traditional Aborigines similarly married their daughters off during childhood:
In traditional Aboriginal society marriages are significant to the forging of
alliances, and often betrothal arrangements are made when the prospective bride
is very young, or possibly even unborn. A man may not marry until he has
undergone a significant part of the lengthy initiation process: thus, at marriage a
man will be in his twenties or even thirties. Often a man’s first wife is the widow
of an older man, and his subsequent wives may be much younger…
Among Yuwaaliyaay people, […] infant betrothal appears to have been the
norm”[28]. Among the aborigines of the Wheelman tribe a baby girl is betrothed
to a youth or man; he “grows” her, or supports her growing up (Hassell,
1936:p682)[29]…Calvert[32] mentions that “[…] a female child is betrothed, in
her infancy, to some native of another family, necessarily very many years older
than herself. He watches over her jealously, and she goes to live with him as soon
as she feels inclined”.

Spencer and Giller ([1927, II:p469-70) also mention betrothal of Aranda girls
“many years before the is born”. Radcliffe-Brown (1913:p184)[33] states that
“marriages are arranged before children are born”. Provis writes in Taplin
(1879:p93) of the Streaky Bay South aborigines that there can sometimes be
seen “the incongruous spectacle of a little child betrothed to a grown man. The
girl is called his Kur-det-thi (future wife). They sleep together, but no sexual
intercourse takes place till the girl arrives at the age of puberty”.
Schürmann writes in Woods (1879:p222)[34] of the Port Lincoln tribe that “long
before a young girl arrives at maturity, she is affianced by her parents, to some
friend of theirs, no matter whether young or old, married or single”. Howitt
(1904:p197) for the Wolgal tribe reports that “a girl is promised as a mere child to
some man of the proper class, he being then perhaps middle aged or even old”.

Betrothal occurred when “quite young”, states Bonney (1884:p129)[35]. Child
betrothal and marriage is noted for Arnhemland (Webb, 1944:p65)[36]. “A child
a year old will sometimes be betrothed to an old man, and it will be his duty to
protect and feed her, and (unless she is stolen by some one else) when she is old
enough she becomes his wife…The Yolngu practiced prenatal betrothal (Money
and Erhhardt, 1973 / 1996:p142)[43], and, together with eventual siblings, join
the husband at menarche, at age 12 or 13.
(G.U.S.: A World Atlas, http://www2.huberlin.
de/sexology/GESUND/ARCHIV/GUS/ABORIGINALAUSTRALIA.HTM
#_Toc82729383)



Age of Marriage amongst Native Americans

The practice of marrying girls at a young age was prevalent amongst Native American
populations as well, as we read in an article entitled “Living Arrangements Among
Native American Elders”:

Marriage was considered essential among all Navajos with polygamy, divorce,
levirate and sorarate being practiced. Marriages were traditionally not based on
romance but were arranged with the girls being married soon after puberty.
(Living Arrangements Among Native American Elders,

http://www.pop.psu.edu/general/pubs/...pri/wp9605.pdf.)

We read further:

A Delaware Native American girl who reached puberty may have had her
[marriage] union prearranged by her parents.

(WeddingDetails.com, Native American Traditions - WeddingDetails.com)


The first menstrual cycle was seen by the Native Americans as the coming of age, and after a ceremony, the young girl was ready for marriage:

This following are accounts for the coming of age rituals of first young women
followed by that of the young men. The first occurred when the girl had her first
menstrual cycle… When this celebration [i.e. the coming of age] was complete,
joy of being accepted as a woman remained with the young girl as well as five
vertical red and black stripes painted onto her cheek. These strips would be
eventually removed and when the last of them was gone the young girl would be
ready for marriage.

(Native Americans,http://edf3.gallaudet.edu/diversity/...e_american.htm)



The Aztecs married their daughters off “well before the age of puberty”:

“Most [Aztec] girls were married (cohabiting) well before the age of puberty”
(McCaa, 2003)[3]. Girls among the ancient Aztec (Nahua) married before age 15,
and in many cases before 12 (McCaa, 1997; cf. 1996, 1994)[4]: “Children became
adults upon marriage, and most children above the age of 10 years were married
(or widowed, separated or abandoned)”. Females married very young, according
to the narrative evidence from the Book of Tributes (Cline, 1993:p31-2)[5].
Quantitative analysis of these data places the average for females below the age of
thirteen (G.U.S.: A World Atlas, Huberlin.de - Studium Resources and Information.)

The various South American tribes practiced early marriage, and this practice continued well into the 1500s. It is sometimes referred to as a “rearing marriage”, i.e. the husband raises his wife from childhood. We read:

Sumner (1906:p382) [29] cited reports that of child marriage where “girls of ten
are mothers”[30]. Child betrothal is reported among the Guaraní of the Paraná
River. “In some cases little girls were given to grown men, who lived with their
child wives, probably in the house of their future parents-in-law” (Métraux,
1948)[31]. Child betrothal is also reported among the Cainguá, but the girls were
said to remain with their parents, who receive presents from their prospective
sons-in-law (ibid.)…

For the Samaraka, “[i]n the past, girls were formally betrothed (kiiá) well before
puberty, and “betrothal in the womb” was an accepted practice, while today mean
age at betrothal is only a year or two below age at marriage and child betrothal is
unknown” (Price, 1975)[33]. Among the Warao, “[t]here were boys who were
betrothed to little girls who had not yet reached puberty” (Heinen, [1988])[34].
Among the Brazilian Yanomamo, “[p]arents may also betroth their children
while they are still infants” (Early & Peters, 1990)[35]. Among the Cuna, the premarital four-day debut ceremony is even sometimes given before puberty in
the parents’ zeal to insure their daughter’s having it (Stout, 1947:p34). As for the
Asang, “[a] girl at a very early age, between eight and nine, is betrothed to a
young man, who at once takes up residence in the house of her parents, whom he
assists until […] [she] is old enough to be married, when, without ceremony, they
are recognized as man and wife (Pim and Seeman, 1869:p306-7)[36]…
The Aikaná practiced betrothal in childhood, marriage took place after menarche
(Becker-Donner, ?:p280)[38]. The same was formerly so in the Makurap (p290).
The Bororo practised rearing marriage (Levak, 1973:p77-8)[39].
(G.U.S.: A World Atlas, Huberlin.de - Studium Resources and Information.)



Age of Marriage in Africa
Amongst the various tribes of Africa, we find that the practice of marrying off girls at the age of puberty and even before that was very common. Rohlfs reported mothers of ten or twelve at fesan (cited by Sumner, 1906:p382)[156]. The Akan custom of “Asiwa”[157] (infant betrothal) had almost become the principal form of getting married until it was abolished, in 1918, by the Okyeman Council[158]… Among the Fanti, children could be betrothed before they were mature. The Masai practiced fetal and infant betrothal. Infant betrothal was further said to be practiced by the Azande, and Mbuti. Childhood betrothal was practised among the Dogon. Yao girls would be betrothed as infants or small children. Betrothal before birth or in early infancy was usual among the Kuranko. Among the Ewe, children would be betrothed in childhood or before birth. Among the Tshi-speaking people, a girl was publicly advertised for marriage at puberty (age 11-12) by being paraded through the streets decked out in ornaments. Lateral betrothals frequently took place before puberty and sometimes before birth.

Among the Yoruba-speaking peoples, girls of better class were almost always betrothed when children, frequently when infants, the husband in futuro being
sometimes an adult, sometimes a boy. Among the Konkomba, a girl was
betrothed to a man of more than twenty years of age, sometimes to an elder who
may give her away for marriage.

Among the Ethiopean Galla, marriages were often arranged by betrothal at a very
young age. In the Uganda protectorate, “[a]t any stage of its infant life a child
may be betrothed to some other infant or to one many years older than itself”.
Among the Somali, infant betrothal may have been common in the past. Among
the Mambwe / Amambwe (Zambia), betrothal was common in childhood. Among


the Yahgan, little girls were betrothed to adult men; sometimes parents agree to
unions between little boys and girls. The Ila child was sometimes betrothed at age
four, or even earlier. Among the Mouktélé (Northern Cameroon), children were
betrothed in infancy, somewhere around age six. Among the Bangwa (Western
Cameroon), a baby was betrothed at birth, or in infancy. Among the Bali (Western
Cameroon), betrothal, but not marriage, of children could take place before
menarche or puberty.

The Fang were sometimes married before birth. Koalib girls were betrothed at
eight or nine years of age, and at twelve or thirteen the marriage was
consummated. Nuba men begin courting at age twenty and generally get betrothed
to a girl child. Among the Azande, infant betrothal was the rule. As for the Tshidi
Barolong (South Africa), infant betrothal is practiced. Among the nomadic Fulani
children were betrothed at ages seven to ten in the case of girls, and from three to
ten in the case of boys. The Shuwalbe Fulani practiced infant betrothal between
boy and girl. Infant betrothal and adoption marriage among the Mbaise Igbo.
Traditionally, betrothal in infancy or childhood was customary in Benin Kingdom
and among the Northern Edo. In case of the Igbira of Northern Nigeria, betrothal
often took place in childhood. Among the Igala, betrothal could occur at age four
to five. Among the Utonkon-Effium Orri, betrothal of girls occurred at birth.
Among the Luo, child betrothal or marriage could take place. Childhood betrothal
was noted for the Shambala. The Nkundo girl could be betrothed in infancy. In
Tanzania, immature girls could also be betrothed, but infant betrothal occurred
only in mock fashion…

Among the African Marutze, the children “are often affianced at an early age, and
the marriage is consummated as soon as the girl arrives at maturity[162]. The
Negroes of the Gold Coast, according to Bosman, often arranged for the marriage
of infants directly after birth[163]; whilst among the Bushmans, Bechuanas, and
Ashantees, children are engaged when they are still in the womb, in the event of
their proving to be girls[164]…



In Ethiopia, marriage occurs between age 12 and 15. Hausa women were married
just before puberty (villages) or after (rural dwellers), to adolescents some seven
years older. A Tuareg girl may have been married by age seven or eight. Fang
children were sometimes married before birth. In pre-1900 Nubia, girls were
married at the age of from eight to ten years. G/wi girls were married at age 7-9,
boys at about 14-15. Among the Kung, eight and nine-year-old brides would be
married to teenaged husbands. Bela would have been married before puberty.
Among the Kabyles, a father could marry his daughter before she has reached
puberty. Among the Igala (Northern Nigeria), the marriageable age was eight to
ten for girls…

Today[167], “very little country data exist about marriages under the age of 14,
even less about those below age 10”. In Ethiopia and in parts of West Africa,
marriage at age seven or eight is not uncommon. In Kebbi State, Northern
Nigeria, the average age of marriage for girls is just over 11 years, against a
national average of 17[168]. A 1991 UN Population Cart indicates legal ages of
marriage of 9 in Morocco (males, with parental consent, compared to 21 for
females) and 6 for Ghana (both sexes, with or without consent)[169].
(G.U.S.: A World Atlas, Huberlin.de - Studium Resources and Information.)

In many parts of Africa, girls continue to get married upon the commencement of
puberty. UNICEF recently surveyed six African countries:

A recent study by UNICEF in six Western African countries showed that 44 per
cent of 20-24 year old women in Niger were married under the age of 15. The
need to follow tradition, reinforce ties among or between communities, and
protect girls from out-of-wedlock pregnancy were the main reasons given.
(UNICEF, http://www.unicef-icdc.org/publicati...f/digest7e.pdf)

[Qatada]

Historical Age of Marriage in Non-Western Countries


Age of Marriage in Egypt

In the article “Marriage in Ancient Egypt”, we read:

Marriage contracts do not generally tell the age of the parties, but we know from
other documents that marriage almost always occurred after sexual adulthood.
The average age for girls to enter puberty was 12 to 13, and around 14 for boys…
we find documentation of brides being as young as 8… It was not all together
uncommon for older men who had usually lost their wife to either death or
divorce to marry very young "women". Qenherkhepeshef, a scribe from Deir El
Medina for example married a 12 year old girl when he was 54.

(TourEgypt.com, Egypt: Marriage in Ancient Egypt)




Age of Marriage in India

Jack Goody is a fellow of St. John’s College in Cambridge. In his book The Oriental, the
Ancient, and the Primitive, we find that girls were married off very early in Indian
households:

Srinivas writes of the days in India when ‘pre-pubertal weddings were the rule’
(1984:11): a girl had to be married ‘before she came of age.’ The father of a girl
was obliged by Hindu law and by custom of the country to marry her before she
attained puberty, though cohabitation was often delayed, an average of three
years…

(The Oriental, the Ancient, and the Primitive, p.208.

The Oriental, the Ancient, and the ... - Google Book Search
tOggFs6yteb0Rks251bg-_k4#PPP1,M1)

And it is well-known that such early marriages remain prevalent in India today.




Age of Marriage in Russia

In Russia, girls were being married off during childhood just some one hundred years
ago. We read:

DeMause (1990)[8] pointed to “child marriage [being] widespread in Russia well into the nineteenth century.”

(G.U.S.: World Atlas, Huberlin.de - Studium Resources and Information.)



Age of Marriage in China

In Pre-Industrial China, girls were married around the age of puberty, or even before the onset of puberty. We read:

Prepubertal Betrothal / Marriage In the period till 771 BC, menarche indicated marriageable age…In 1855,Huc[10] commented that “[n]othing is more common than to arrange a marriageduring the infancies of the parties, or even before their birth”… According to Fei (1939:p40)[14], arrangements for marriage were made at age six or seven… The usual age for affiancing children [i.e. betrothal] was between seven and fourteen (Baber, 1934:p134)[15]. For an elaborate description of the custom of infant
betrothal as practised before 1911 in the conservative I-ch’ang districts, see Hanyi
and Shryock (1950)[16]… Most Lolo groups marry at puberty, although
“some Lolos marry quite early, even at the age of four to five years” (Siang-
Feng Ko, 1949:p491-2)[22], or are betrothed as infants (LeBar et al., 1964). In
general, “The age of puberty is a major juncture for youngsters of all
nationalities. However, many of the minority nationalities [of China] encourage
the marriage of their children before they mature, and thus follow the footsteps of
the older generations”[23].

…Among the turn-of-the-century Taiwanese, the practice of minor
marriage combined with a highly competitive marriage market drove the age of
the brides downward, below puberty (Ying-Chang and Wolf, 1995:p793)[24]
(G.U.S.: World Atlas, Huberlin.de - Studium Resources and Information.)




Age of Marriage in Mongolia
The ancient Mongols married off their daughters at a very young age. Even today, it is very common to see Mongol girls being wedded at the age of four or five years of age:

Among the Ordos Mongols, children are sometimes betrothed even before birth.
This custom, called eŭndege in swie (“Match-making before birth”), is thought by
the Mongols to be of very nacient origin. […] the actual age of marriage today
[1938] varies a great deal, from four or five years to sixteen or seventeen, the
average or ordinary age being fifteen (p66).
(G.U.S.: A World Atlas, Huberlin.de - Studium Resources and Information.)



Age of Marriage in Australia

The traditional Aborigines similarly married their daughters off during childhood:
In traditional Aboriginal society marriages are significant to the forging of
alliances, and often betrothal arrangements are made when the prospective bride
is very young, or possibly even unborn. A man may not marry until he has
undergone a significant part of the lengthy initiation process: thus, at marriage a
man will be in his twenties or even thirties. Often a man’s first wife is the widow
of an older man, and his subsequent wives may be much younger…
Among Yuwaaliyaay people, […] infant betrothal appears to have been the
norm”[28]. Among the aborigines of the Wheelman tribe a baby girl is betrothed
to a youth or man; he “grows” her, or supports her growing up (Hassell,
1936:p682)[29]…Calvert[32] mentions that “[…] a female child is betrothed, in
her infancy, to some native of another family, necessarily very many years older
than herself. He watches over her jealously, and she goes to live with him as soon
as she feels inclined”.

Spencer and Giller ([1927, II:p469-70) also mention betrothal of Aranda girls
“many years before the is born”. Radcliffe-Brown (1913:p184)[33] states that
“marriages are arranged before children are born”. Provis writes in Taplin
(1879:p93) of the Streaky Bay South aborigines that there can sometimes be
seen “the incongruous spectacle of a little child betrothed to a grown man. The
girl is called his Kur-det-thi (future wife). They sleep together, but no sexual
intercourse takes place till the girl arrives at the age of puberty”.
Schürmann writes in Woods (1879:p222)[34] of the Port Lincoln tribe that “long
before a young girl arrives at maturity, she is affianced by her parents, to some
friend of theirs, no matter whether young or old, married or single”. Howitt
(1904:p197) for the Wolgal tribe reports that “a girl is promised as a mere child to
some man of the proper class, he being then perhaps middle aged or even old”.

Betrothal occurred when “quite young”, states Bonney (1884:p129)[35]. Child
betrothal and marriage is noted for Arnhemland (Webb, 1944:p65)[36]. “A child
a year old will sometimes be betrothed to an old man, and it will be his duty to
protect and feed her, and (unless she is stolen by some one else) when she is old
enough she becomes his wife…The Yolngu practiced prenatal betrothal (Money
and Erhhardt, 1973 / 1996:p142)[43], and, together with eventual siblings, join
the husband at menarche, at age 12 or 13.
(G.U.S.: A World Atlas, http://www2.huberlin.
de/sexology/GESUND/ARCHIV/GUS/ABORIGINALAUSTRALIA.HTM
#_Toc82729383)



Age of Marriage amongst Native Americans

The practice of marrying girls at a young age was prevalent amongst Native American
populations as well, as we read in an article entitled “Living Arrangements Among
Native American Elders”:

Marriage was considered essential among all Navajos with polygamy, divorce,
levirate and sorarate being practiced. Marriages were traditionally not based on
romance but were arranged with the girls being married soon after puberty.
(Living Arrangements Among Native American Elders,

http://www.pop.psu.edu/general/pubs/...pri/wp9605.pdf.)

We read further:

A Delaware Native American girl who reached puberty may have had her
[marriage] union prearranged by her parents.

(WeddingDetails.com, Native American Traditions - WeddingDetails.com)


The first menstrual cycle was seen by the Native Americans as the coming of age, and after a ceremony, the young girl was ready for marriage:

This following are accounts for the coming of age rituals of first young women
followed by that of the young men. The first occurred when the girl had her first
menstrual cycle… When this celebration [i.e. the coming of age] was complete,
joy of being accepted as a woman remained with the young girl as well as five
vertical red and black stripes painted onto her cheek. These strips would be
eventually removed and when the last of them was gone the young girl would be
ready for marriage.

(Native Americans,http://edf3.gallaudet.edu/diversity/...e_american.htm)



The Aztecs married their daughters off “well before the age of puberty”:

“Most [Aztec] girls were married (cohabiting) well before the age of puberty”
(McCaa, 2003)[3]. Girls among the ancient Aztec (Nahua) married before age 15,
and in many cases before 12 (McCaa, 1997; cf. 1996, 1994)[4]: “Children became
adults upon marriage, and most children above the age of 10 years were married
(or widowed, separated or abandoned)”. Females married very young, according
to the narrative evidence from the Book of Tributes (Cline, 1993:p31-2)[5].
Quantitative analysis of these data places the average for females below the age of
thirteen (G.U.S.: A World Atlas, Huberlin.de - Studium Resources and Information.)

The various South American tribes practiced early marriage, and this practice continued well into the 1500s. It is sometimes referred to as a “rearing marriage”, i.e. the husband raises his wife from childhood. We read:

Sumner (1906:p382) [29] cited reports that of child marriage where “girls of ten
are mothers”[30]. Child betrothal is reported among the Guaraní of the Paraná
River. “In some cases little girls were given to grown men, who lived with their
child wives, probably in the house of their future parents-in-law” (Métraux,
1948)[31]. Child betrothal is also reported among the Cainguá, but the girls were
said to remain with their parents, who receive presents from their prospective
sons-in-law (ibid.)…

For the Samaraka, “[i]n the past, girls were formally betrothed (kiiá) well before
puberty, and “betrothal in the womb” was an accepted practice, while today mean
age at betrothal is only a year or two below age at marriage and child betrothal is
unknown” (Price, 1975)[33]. Among the Warao, “[t]here were boys who were
betrothed to little girls who had not yet reached puberty” (Heinen, [1988])[34].
Among the Brazilian Yanomamo, “[p]arents may also betroth their children
while they are still infants” (Early & Peters, 1990)[35]. Among the Cuna, the premarital four-day debut ceremony is even sometimes given before puberty in
the parents’ zeal to insure their daughter’s having it (Stout, 1947:p34). As for the
Asang, “[a] girl at a very early age, between eight and nine, is betrothed to a
young man, who at once takes up residence in the house of her parents, whom he
assists until […] [she] is old enough to be married, when, without ceremony, they
are recognized as man and wife (Pim and Seeman, 1869:p306-7)[36]…
The Aikaná practiced betrothal in childhood, marriage took place after menarche
(Becker-Donner, ?:p280)[38]. The same was formerly so in the Makurap (p290).
The Bororo practised rearing marriage (Levak, 1973:p77-8)[39].
(G.U.S.: A World Atlas, Huberlin.de - Studium Resources and Information.)



Age of Marriage in Africa
Amongst the various tribes of Africa, we find that the practice of marrying off girls at the age of puberty and even before that was very common. Rohlfs reported mothers of ten or twelve at fesan (cited by Sumner, 1906:p382)[156]. The Akan custom of “Asiwa”[157] (infant betrothal) had almost become the principal form of getting married until it was abolished, in 1918, by the Okyeman Council[158]… Among the Fanti, children could be betrothed before they were mature. The Masai practiced fetal and infant betrothal. Infant betrothal was further said to be practiced by the Azande, and Mbuti. Childhood betrothal was practised among the Dogon. Yao girls would be betrothed as infants or small children. Betrothal before birth or in early infancy was usual among the Kuranko. Among the Ewe, children would be betrothed in childhood or before birth. Among the Tshi-speaking people, a girl was publicly advertised for marriage at puberty (age 11-12) by being paraded through the streets decked out in ornaments. Lateral betrothals frequently took place before puberty and sometimes before birth.

Among the Yoruba-speaking peoples, girls of better class were almost always betrothed when children, frequently when infants, the husband in futuro being
sometimes an adult, sometimes a boy. Among the Konkomba, a girl was
betrothed to a man of more than twenty years of age, sometimes to an elder who
may give her away for marriage.

Among the Ethiopean Galla, marriages were often arranged by betrothal at a very
young age. In the Uganda protectorate, “[a]t any stage of its infant life a child
may be betrothed to some other infant or to one many years older than itself”.
Among the Somali, infant betrothal may have been common in the past. Among
the Mambwe / Amambwe (Zambia), betrothal was common in childhood. Among


the Yahgan, little girls were betrothed to adult men; sometimes parents agree to
unions between little boys and girls. The Ila child was sometimes betrothed at age
four, or even earlier. Among the Mouktélé (Northern Cameroon), children were
betrothed in infancy, somewhere around age six. Among the Bangwa (Western
Cameroon), a baby was betrothed at birth, or in infancy. Among the Bali (Western
Cameroon), betrothal, but not marriage, of children could take place before
menarche or puberty.

The Fang were sometimes married before birth. Koalib girls were betrothed at
eight or nine years of age, and at twelve or thirteen the marriage was
consummated. Nuba men begin courting at age twenty and generally get betrothed
to a girl child. Among the Azande, infant betrothal was the rule. As for the Tshidi
Barolong (South Africa), infant betrothal is practiced. Among the nomadic Fulani
children were betrothed at ages seven to ten in the case of girls, and from three to
ten in the case of boys. The Shuwalbe Fulani practiced infant betrothal between
boy and girl. Infant betrothal and adoption marriage among the Mbaise Igbo.
Traditionally, betrothal in infancy or childhood was customary in Benin Kingdom
and among the Northern Edo. In case of the Igbira of Northern Nigeria, betrothal
often took place in childhood. Among the Igala, betrothal could occur at age four
to five. Among the Utonkon-Effium Orri, betrothal of girls occurred at birth.
Among the Luo, child betrothal or marriage could take place. Childhood betrothal
was noted for the Shambala. The Nkundo girl could be betrothed in infancy. In
Tanzania, immature girls could also be betrothed, but infant betrothal occurred
only in mock fashion…

Among the African Marutze, the children “are often affianced at an early age, and
the marriage is consummated as soon as the girl arrives at maturity[162]. The
Negroes of the Gold Coast, according to Bosman, often arranged for the marriage
of infants directly after birth[163]; whilst among the Bushmans, Bechuanas, and
Ashantees, children are engaged when they are still in the womb, in the event of
their proving to be girls[164]…



In Ethiopia, marriage occurs between age 12 and 15. Hausa women were married
just before puberty (villages) or after (rural dwellers), to adolescents some seven
years older. A Tuareg girl may have been married by age seven or eight. Fang
children were sometimes married before birth. In pre-1900 Nubia, girls were
married at the age of from eight to ten years. G/wi girls were married at age 7-9,
boys at about 14-15. Among the Kung, eight and nine-year-old brides would be
married to teenaged husbands. Bela would have been married before puberty.
Among the Kabyles, a father could marry his daughter before she has reached
puberty. Among the Igala (Northern Nigeria), the marriageable age was eight to
ten for girls…

Today[167], “very little country data exist about marriages under the age of 14,
even less about those below age 10”. In Ethiopia and in parts of West Africa,
marriage at age seven or eight is not uncommon. In Kebbi State, Northern
Nigeria, the average age of marriage for girls is just over 11 years, against a
national average of 17[168]. A 1991 UN Population Cart indicates legal ages of
marriage of 9 in Morocco (males, with parental consent, compared to 21 for
females) and 6 for Ghana (both sexes, with or without consent)[169].
(G.U.S.: A World Atlas, Huberlin.de - Studium Resources and Information.)

In many parts of Africa, girls continue to get married upon the commencement of
puberty. UNICEF recently surveyed six African countries:

A recent study by UNICEF in six Western African countries showed that 44 per
cent of 20-24 year old women in Niger were married under the age of 15. The
need to follow tradition, reinforce ties among or between communities, and
protect girls from out-of-wedlock pregnancy were the main reasons given.
(UNICEF, http://www.unicef-icdc.org/publicati...f/digest7e.pdf)

[Qatada]

:


Age of Marriage Under Hindu Law


Due to the situation in Kashmir, many Hindus harbor ill will towards Muslims. As a consequence, some of them attack Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by accusing him of being a pedophile. Yet, a quick look at the Hindu religious texts is enough to refute them. In the Hindu religious scripture known as the Manu-smriti, we read:

Gautama (18-21).— A girl should be given in marriage before puberty.
Vashistha (17.70).— Out of fear of the appearance of the menses, let the father marry his daughter while she still runs about naked. For if she stays in the home after the age of puberty, sin falls on the father.

Bodhayana (4.1.11).— Let him give his daughter, while she still goes about
naked, to a man who has not broken the vow of chastity and who possesses good qualities, or even to one destitute of good qualities ; let him not keep the maiden in his house after she has reached the age of puberty.

(Manu IX (9), 88; Manu IX, 56 - 103)



In an article entitled “Child Marriage in Nepal”, we read:

In the ancient Hindu scriptures of 400 to 100 BC, there are strict moral laws that enjoin the father to marry off his daughter at a very young age. These religious texts indicate that the best age for a girl to get married is between is 8 and 10.

It has been also mentioned that a girl should not wait for marriage more than three years after attaining puberty, and if she is not given by then in marriage by her father, the texts even instruct her to get married on her own. Such religious texts (the Bishnu Sutra and Gautam Sutra) direct the father to marry his daughter within three weeks of attaining puberty, and no later.

By 200 BC, the rules for a daughter's marriage seems to have become even more strict. The religious texts of that time contain strict moral laws that enjoined the father to marry off his daughter before she reaches puberty. Sage Manu of that age has categorically written in his treatise, Manu Smriti, that if a girl remains unmarried after reaching the puberty, the father has failed in his duty towards her.

Similarly, another sage, Parasara, said that the parents or guardians of a girl in who reaches puberty before marriage will definitely go to hell. Such rules imposed by the "holy ones" had their effect upon the religious population, and the practice of child marriage was firmly established by 200 BC.

(Child Marriage in Nepal,)
http://www.cwin.org.np/resources/iss...d_marriage.htm)



The Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics says:

[It was considered] sinful on the part of the [Hindu] father to allow his daughter to attain puberty without being married and the girl herself fell to the condition of a Sudra [i.e. low caste], marriage with whom involved degradation on the part of the husband…the Smrti of Manu fixes the age of husband and wife at 30 and 12 or 24 and 8 respectively; the later work of Brhaspati and the didactic portion of the Mahabharata give the wife’s age in these cases as 10 and 7 respectively, while yet later texts give 4 to 6 as the lower and 8 as the upper limit. There is abundant evidence that these dates were not merely theoretical.

(Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, p.450,
Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics ... - Google Book Search)



The Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics says further:

We find the rule, almost universally valid in the Smritis, according to which the nagnika, i.e. a girl going naked and yet immature, is the best (wife). [6] ....Manu shortly afterwards (ix (4). 94) lays down that a man of thirty years shall marry a girl
of twelve, and a man of twenty-four a girl of eight years...in Baudhayana [1] it isstated: "To a virtuous, pure husband the girl should be given while she is still immature; even from an unworthy man she should not be withheld if she has
attained womanhood."

The strict injunction regarding marriage before the commencement of puberty gains additional force from the fact that disregard of it is represented as accompanied by evil consequences for the father. While Manu is content to
characterize the father as blameworthy [2] who does not give his daughter in marriage at the proper time, it is stated in Vasistha: "For fear of the commencement of puberty, let the father give his daughter in marriage while she is still going about naked. For if she remains at home after the marriageable age, sin falls upon the father." [3]

...Observance [of child marriage], at least among the Brahmans, became essential and fundamental for orthodox Hinduism.


(Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, pp.522-523,
http://books.google.com/books?id=INJ...QG_Y#PPA522,M1)

[Qatada]

Range of Puberty

I have firmly established the fact that marriage at or around puberty was the norm
amongst ancient (and not so ancient) civilizations. Yet, perhaps an Islamaphobic
polemicist might argue that the average age of puberty was twelve years of age, whereas Aisha (peace be upon her) was only nine or ten when she moved into Prophet Muhammad’s house. Yet, this argument could is weakened easily. Yes, the average may well have been twelve years, but surely the reader should know what the word “average” means! Both mean (average) and median indicate values which are in the middle of a range of numbers. Therefore, if some girls attain the age of puberty at twelve, then others are having their periods at nine and still others at fifteen.


LiveScience.com says:

There is a range, and this has been part of the problem of establishing the
"normal" age of puberty. Girls might enter full-blown puberty anytime between ages 9 and 15.
(LiveScience.com, The Truth Behind Early Puberty | LiveScience)

So, girls will go through “full-blown puberty” at various ages, anywhere from between
nine and fifteen years of age. HealthTouch.com says:

Puberty usually starts between ages 8 to 13 in girls (HealthTouch.com,
http://www.healthtouch.com/bin/ECont...sp?fname=07103&title=PUBERTY+IN+GIRLS+&cid=HTHLTH)


Even if we look simply at menarche, we can see that the age varies greatly. A medical journal on Cambridge.org says: The variable age at menarche was normally distributed with an age range of 7–24 years.

(Cambridge.org,
journals.cambridge.org/production/action/cjoGetFulltext?fulltextid=10260


HerWord.com says:

Don’t be surprised if your nine-year-old daughter will have her menarche that early.

(HerWord.com,http://www.herword.com/healthdesk/ot...s10.28.03.html)

Range of Puberty Varies With Location

It is well-known that the average age of puberty differs from one population to another and from one race to another. It is therefore likely that while girls living in European countries tend to enter “full blown puberty” at around age twelve, whereas Arabian girls living a thousand years ago most likely went through this same process at a much younger age. Climate and altitude may affect the average age of puberty.

It has been demonstrated in numerous studies that girls living near the equator have menarche earlier than those living farther away from it. Some scientists attribute this to the warmer climate, whereas others attribute this to additional factors such as exposure to light.


HerWord.com says:

There was a study conducted showing that girls who live in countries close to the equator started their menstruation earlier.

(HerWord.com,
http://www.herword.com/healthdesk/ot...s10.28.03.html)



The book Women and Health Psychology says:

Many factors have been reported to affect age at menarche and/or the regularity of menstruation—[such as] climate, altitude, race, height, weight, hereditary, stress/psychological factors, light, and nutrition.

(Women and Health Psychology,
Women and Health Psychology ... - Google Book Search)


This phenomenon is not limited to menarche, but also applies to the whole of puberty. In the book Women: An Historical, Gynecological, and Anthropological Compendium, we read:

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.

(Herman H. Ploss, Max Bartels and Paul Bartels; Woman: An Historical,
Gynecological, and Anthropological Compendium, Volume I, Lord & Bransby,
1988, p.563; Woman. An historical, gynaecological and anthropological compendium. Volume 3 only by PLOSS, Herman Heinrich, BARTELS, Max & BARTELS, Paul Find or Buy Book Now!)

Whether or not it is climate, latitude—or some other variable that affects menarche—is a hotly debated (and politicized) topic, but the point is that there are many factors which would contribute to an altered age of puberty. Therefore, it is not at all implausible that the average age was much younger in Arabia one thousand years ago. There is absolutely no way that anyone can disprove the idea that puberty began much earlier back then, since it is known that the average age fluctuates from one time to the other. In fact, the historical evidence supports our claim that the average age of puberty was much younger during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Just within the last one hundred years there has been a dramatic change in the average age of puberty, so one can only imagine the great change that could have taken place within the span of one thousand years! The historical literature does indeed suggest that the average age of puberty was much younger in Eastern countries. The Cambridge World History of Food says:

Albrecht von Haller (1775), for example, claimed that girls in the southerly
regions of Asia, where the climate was warm, were marriageable in their
eighth year and gave birth in their ninth or tenth year; conversely, women in
Arctic regions did not menstruate until age 23 or 24. This view was shared by
other eighteenth-century writers, most notably J.F. Freind (1738), Herman
Boerhaave (1744), and Montesquieu (1751).

(The Cambridge World History of Food, p.1455,
http://books.google.com/books?id=tAnsCn0A3rcC&pg=PA1455&lpg=PA1455&dq=aver age+age+of+puberty+climate&source=web&ots=MQwdFaB1 iY&sig=GwJ-pPjE3b0hrx8KYYNRKTuVxE#PPA1454,M1)



It is generally accepted that historically girls in Eastern civilizations reached puberty before their European counterparts, which was one of the reasons that marriage oftentimes took place a few years earlier in the Orient. The Southern Medical and Surgical Journal says:

It is allowable to infer that early marriage in oriental countries (which has generally, but without any proof, been ascribed to precocious puberty) ....
(The Southern Medical and Surgical Journal, p.41, The Southern Medical and Surgical ... - Google Book Search)

In any case, it is altogether unnecessary to prove the point that menstruation occurredearlier in ancient Arabia. We could even rely on the normal ranges provided for girls today in Europe, and we find that the ranges always include nine, and Aisha (peace be upon her) was either nine or ten when she moved into the Prophet’s house. We do not need to establish that the average age of puberty back then was nine, but rather we merely need to demonstrate that nine years old was within the normal range of puberty, which it most certainly was and still is.

[salman]

As-Salamu 'Alaykum

bro wouldn't it have been better to merge this with other on-going thread on this topic?

[Qatada]

:



Age of Sexual Maturity in Ancient Arabia

We have provided categorical proof that such early marriages took place in all ancient (and not so ancient) civilizations, including the Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Roman, Greek, Russian, African, Native American, Mongolian, Chinese, Indian, Egyptian, and Australian civilizations, among others.



But perhaps the most relevant is the seventh century Arabian civilization, so here we shall cite proof that sexual maturity took place
very early in the days of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Ustadh Ayman bin Khaled cited a number of examples in Bassam Zawadi’s article, as follows.

Imam al-Shafi’i said in Siyar A’lam al-Nubala’ (Vol.10, p.91):

During my stay in Yemen, I have come across girls at the age of nine whom
menstruated…


Imam al-Bayhaqi also narrated the words of Imam Shafi’i in Sunan al-Bayhaqi al-Kubra (Vol.1, p.319):

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 ten.


Ibn al-Jawzi narrated similar stories from Ibn U’qail and U’bad al-Mahlby in his Tahqeeq fi Ahadith al-Khilaf (Vol.2, p.267).


So the fact is that girls were sexually active at the age of nine, and they were turning into grandmothers before most people alive today would
have their own children! Therefore, because this was the cultural norm back then, no blame can be put on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is unacceptable to judge an ancient figure based on today’s standards; we must judge him based on what was the norm back then.

[Qatada]

Marriage of Immature Girls in Islam (this is on page 68 [click on the book for continued discussion on the issue on khula' (a woman asking for divorce)])


Islamic Law (Shari’ah) allows for a marriage contract (nikah) to be drafted years before the marriage itself is actually enacted. In other words, the marriage contract is drawn up, but the contract is not executed until a later date. So even though the marriage contract can be drafted, the girl will not be “handed over” to the husband until many yearsafterwards. In other words, a father can marry his immature daughter off to a man before she comes of age, but the husband may not consummate the marriage until after she attains maturity.

Under Islamic Law, there are certain shuroot an-nifaadh (conditions required for the execution of the contract): for consummation of marriage, one of these conditions is that both parties are mature enough for marriage. If this condition is not met, then the marriage contract remains mauqoof (suspended) and has no actual practical effect, i.e. the consummation of marriage is delayed until the girl becomes mature enough for that. In the example of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Aisha (peace be upon her), the marriage contract was signed when she was immature, but only took effect until after she attained maturity. This is why Aisha (peace be upon her) remained in her father’s house for three years after the marriage contract was drafted.

Shaykh Salih al-Munajjid said:

The fact that it is permissible to marry a young girl does not mean that it is permissible to have intercourse with her; rather that should not be done until she is able for it. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah) delayed the consummation of his marriage to ‘Aa’ishah…Al-Dawoodi said: ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) had reached physical maturity (at the time when her marriage was consummated).

[Sharh Muslim, 9/206]
(source: Islam Question and Answer - On acting; and the ruling on marrying young girls)

Marriage of Immature Girls is the Exception, Not the Rule [page 77-79. The pages after this discuss marriages of immature girls in other religions.]

Under Islamic Law, the general principle is that girls should not be married off whilst they are immature and under the age of accountability. This is because they are too young to make an informed decision by themselves. Marrying them without their consultation would be considered oppression.

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani declared:

Marrying her off like this would in almost every case be a major sin, because of the harm, contravention of law, etc.

(Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, **************)


However, there is an exception: fathers are allowed to marry their immature daughters off if they fear that delaying the marriage would mean losing out on a great opportunity. If the girl receives a very good marriage proposal—and the father fears that this proposal would be lost if the decision is delayed—then he is allowed to marry her off despite her young age. Because this is done with the intention of safeguarding the benefit of the girl, it is not seen as a form of oppression.

Imam an-Nawawi said:

They (the parents) should not marry her off before she reaches puberty if there is no obvious interest to be served that they fear will be missed out on if they delay it…In that case [if there is a benefit that would be lost with delay] it is preferable to go ahead with the marriage because the father is enjoined to take care of his child’s interests and not to let a good opportunity to slip away. In fact, in most instances in which young girls were married off before maturity, it was in order to ensure that the girl did not lose out on a marriage proposal from a powerful man. This situation may not be applicable to today’s society, but it used to be the case in ancient times that a king or prince would wish to marry a daughter of another king or
prince. Therefore, the marriages would be arranged when the girl was still immature. This practice was prevalent in Christian Europe for many hundreds of years. This may seem odd by today’s cultural mores, but it was the societal norm back in ancient (and not so ancient) civilizations. One king would ask to marry another king’s daughter; the girl’s father did not want to lose out on such a good marriage proposal, so the marriage would be solemnized even when she was a child. (Another added benefit of these marriages was to strike an alliance between the two kingdoms.) Similarly, Abu Bakr (peace be upon him) didn’t want to lose out on the Prophet’s proposal, since after all, who would be better for his daughter than God’s Prophet? (Furthermore, the Prophet
wished to seal an alliance through this marriage; delaying the alliance would mean putting the fledgling Muslim polity at risk.)

It should be kept in mind that although Islam allows for such a provision, this only applies to the situation where a father thinks that delaying the marriage would lead to the girl missing out on a great opportunity. Otherwise, Islam does not at all encourage marrying off daughters at such a young age. As Shaykh


Salih al-Munajjid said:

It is preferable for a guardian not to marry off his daughter when she is still young unless there is a valid reason for it.

If a 9yr old is too immature;

Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azîz ibn Ahmad Ad-Durayhim says:

As for the possible negative consequences of a man of such a mature age marrying such a young girl, it is patently obvious. The discrepancies in their capabilities, both physically and mentally, could bring about serious differences between the two of them that could lead to the failure of the marriage. This is something that has been seen and is well understood.

Therefore, I would not recommend such a marriage nor would I encourage it.

Moreover, with respect to what we have said about the legal validity of such a marriage, that refers to the validity of the contract itself. As for the effects of the marriage - such as privacy, intimacy and sexual relations - that is another matter entirely. Such things are permitted only if the girl is able to handle such a relationship without any harm whatsoever coming to. Otherwise, it is prohibited. This is because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "There shall be no harm nor the causing of harm."

It can also be seen in the very conduct of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He did not consummate his marriage with 'A’ishah for a number of years on account of her young age.

And from the fatwâ committee supervised by Shaykh 'Abdul-Wahhâb At-Turayrî we note:

The lawfulness of consummating a marriage at such an age is contingent on the maturity of the girl and that no harm would come to her.

So if any harm would come from it, then it is unlawful i.e. harâm.


Q: So why didn't Islam prohibit such practices that are harmful?

Actually, it did. It would be impossible for Islam to have an explicit prohibition on every dangerous behavior from jumping off a scyscraper to smoking, so Islam has provided a single broad injunction to cover all instances of harm:

The Prophet Muhammad (sal Allah alaihi wasalam) said,

لا ضرر ولا ضر

"There is to be no harming, nor reciprocating of harm." (Musnad Ahmad, authenticated by Al-Albânî)

[Qatada]

Consummation of Marriage p.84

Under Islamic Law (Shari’ah)—like Jewish and Christian Law—marriages are sealed after they are consummated (i.e. when the couple has sexual relations). Some Muslims think that the minimum age for marriage under Islamic Law is either nine years of age or menarche (onset of menses). But this is not correct; in fact, Islam sets no minimum age limit. Rather, Islamic Law follows this simple dictum:

A man may have sex with his wife when she becomes sexually mature enough such that she is not harmed from having sex in any way whatsoever.

This is actually the most beautiful and all-encompassing rule of all. The Islamic scholars
agree—by consensus (Ijma)—with the above stated dictum. In other words, the only hard-and-fast rule with marriage is that a man may have sex with his wife so long as she is sexually mature enough that it does not harm her in any way whatsoever.

The consequences of this simple dictum are profound. Let us take the example of a fourteen year old girl who has passed the age of menarche (i.e. she has had her menses); it might be, however, that she has matured slowly, and therefore, she is still not ready to have sex. If having sex would bring harm upon her (in any way whatsoever), then it is considered forbidden (haram) for any man to consummate with her, despite her postmenarchal age. A man can only have sex with a girl if she is ready for that. Under Jewish and Christian Law, the focus is on if the man can have sex with her. Under Islamic Law, however, the focus is on the female: can she have sex without any harm being brought upon her?


Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Ahmad ad-Durayhim, a well-renowned Islamic scholar, was asked about marriage to such a young girl. In response, he said:

With respect to what we have said about the legal validity of such a marriage, that refers [only] to the validity of the contract itself. As for the effects [i.e. execution]
of the marriage—such as privacy, intimacy, and sexual relations—that is another matter entirely. Such things are permitted only if the girl is able to handle such a relationship without any harm whatsoever coming to her. Otherwise, it is prohibited. This is because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There shall be
no harm nor the causing of the harm.” It can also be seen in the very conduct of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He did not consummate his marriage with
Aisha for a number of years on account of her young age.


Shaykh Abdul Wahhab at-Turayri wrote:

The lawfulness of consummating a marriage at such an age is contingent on the maturity of the girl and that no harm would come to her.


Imam an-Nawawi said:

With regard to the wedding-party of a young married girl at the time of consummating the marriage, if the husband and the guardian of the girl agree
upon something that will not cause harm to the young girl, then that may be done. The marriage contract between Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon her) and Aisha
(peace be upon her) was drawn up when she was only six or seven years old. But it was not executed until three years later at which point in time she had become sexually
mature such that she was capable of having sexual relations without any harm coming to her whatsoever.


Yes, Aisha (peace be upon her) was only nine or ten years old when she
consummated the marriage, but the reader should keep in mind that Prophet Muhammad married Aisha 1,400 years ago, which was a very, very, very long time ago. It may be
difficult for people today to associate nine or ten year olds with sex, but this is because the average human lifespan is now well into the eighties. Yet, as we know:
Human life expectancy was in the 20s a thousand years ago.

(Guardian, Ray Kurzweil: Bring on the nanobots, and we will live long and prosper | Comment is free | The Guardian)


It should be no surprise then that a woman who would die in her twenties would marry at a very young age. If people didn’t marry early, then they certainly would die early, and this would create a problem for the propagation and survival of the human species. Early marriage was necessary in order to counter incredibly high mortality rates. If women were not married at an early age, then they would not have enough years of child-bearing left, and slowly the human species would have died out.

Today, the average age of marriage in the West is around twenty-five. Yet, in the ancient world, people would die around this age. This is the problem with applying today’s situation and super-imposing it on olden times. It simply does not work. People today cannot fathom ten year old girls having sex, but people 1,000 years ago could notimagine a society in which everyone waits in their twenties to get married. It is hubris to judge all of humanity with our subjective—and ever changing—cultural norms.