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

[Qatada]

Last post;

The concept of Puberty (balaagah/maturity) P.86-94 [A MUST READ!]

Many well-meaning Muslim laypersons have furthered the idea that a man may not have sex with a pre-pubertal girl. This statement can be true or false, depending on what is meant by it. We must first define what is meant by the term “puberty”. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah warned the Muslims that when they debate about topics, they should first define the terms they use clearly; he further explained how sometimes two people will seem to be saying opposite things, even though the same thing is being said in different ways.

The confusion occurs because “puberty” is defined differently in the English language and in Islamic legal terminology. According to the English language, the definition of
puberty is:

The time when a child’s body becomes sexually mature (Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary)


If we use this English definition of puberty, then we agree that this is the precondition for consummating a marriage: according to Islamic Law (Shari’ah), a girl’s body must be sexually mature enough such that no harm will come to her from having sexual intercourse. However, Islamic legal terminology defines “puberty” (buloogh) in a different way: a girl is said to have attained the age of puberty when she has her first period (menarche), regardless of if she is sexually mature or not. Menarche is not a condition for marriage; sexually maturity is. Therefore, when Islamic scholars insist that it is not necessary for a girl to have reached the age of puberty, they merely mean to say that she does not have to be post-menarchal. However, all Islamic scholars agree that a girl’s body must be sexually mature. In other words, a girl must have reached puberty according to the English language, but not necessarily post-pubertal (baligh) according to the Islamic legal terminology.

Muslim laypersons should stop claiming that menarche (onset of periods) is the minimum age for the consummation of marriage; Islamic scholars do not agree to this, and such a belief would create huge problems. After all, there are some girls who menstruate way before they go through the other stages of puberty. In other words, just because a girl has had her first period, this does not mean that her body is sexually mature. Wikipedia, for example, says:

Menarche [onset of first period] may occur at an unusually early age, preceding thelarche [breast development] and other signs of puberty. This is termed isolated premature menarche. (Wikipedia, Menarche - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

To give an example, there may be an eight year old girl who menstruates but who has not developed any of the other signs of puberty; her body may remain sexually immature. According to Islamic legal parlance, such a girl—who menstruated at an early age before her body becomes sexually mature—would technically be considered post-pubertal (baligh). Yet, from an Islamic perspective, it would be strictly forbidden (haram) to have sex with her, since her body has not matured enough to handle sexual intercourse.

On the other hand, take the example of a fourteen year old girl who has gone through other stages of puberty, except for menstruation: she has developed large breasts, her sex organs are developed, etc. According to Islamic legal parlance, such a girl would not be considered post-pubertal (baligh), since she has not menstruated yet. Who then would be fitter for sexual intercourse: the eight year old girl with immature sex organs or the fourteen year old girl sexually mature sex organs? In fact, there are some girls who don’t get their first period until they enter their twenties! 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)

So if we demanded stubbornly that a girl must pass through menarche before consummation can take place, then this would create the unusual situation where we were allowing some post-menarchal seven year olds to be married, whereas forbidding some pre-menarchal twenty year olds from this! Therefore, the Islamic Law (Shari’ah) does not want this absurdity to occur, and that is the reason that menarche is not used as an indicator of a girl’s readiness for sex.

In fact, doctors would agree that a girl who menstruates is not necessarily ready for sex, whereas a girl whose body is sexually mature is ready for that. Once again, because Islamic scholars use menstruation as an indicator of the onset of puberty (buloogh), it is failing to uphold these religious duties. When Islamic scholars use the term “puberty” (buloogh), they are only referring to this second usage of the term.


It would be dangerous to use menarche (onset of periods) as a precondition for sex; as we have discussed, some girls who have their menses are not sexually mature, and some sexually mature girls do not have their menses until after many years. Therefore, the idea that puberty is a precondition for sexual intercourse can be true or false, depending on how we define “puberty”. If we use the English definition of the word, then it would be correct to say that puberty is a precondition for sexual intercourse. If we use the Islamic legal definition, however, then we should know that this is in reference to the age of accountability and has nothing to do with marriage.

The Islamaphobes paint the picture that Islam allows a grown man to pierce his penis like a lance into the underdeveloped vaginal opening of a sexually immature girl. Yet, this is a horribly inaccurate depiction. A girl’s body must be sexually mature such that she can withstand sexual intercourse without any harm coming to her whatsoever. For example;

the vagina cannot be small and improperly developed; otherwise, a man’s penis would damage it, creating lacerations and other vaginal injuries. According to Islamic Law, if a girl is sexually immature such that it would cause harm to her if she engaged in sexual intercourse, then it is forbidden (haram) to have sex with her. I noticed that an Islamaphobic site posted a fatwa (religious edict) from Shaykh Salih al-Munajjid in which at the beginning of his ruling he said: Marrying a young girl before she reaches the age of adolescence [puberty] is permitted in Sharee’ah; indeed it was narrated that there was scholarly consensus on this point. (a) Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those of your women as have passed the age of monthly courses, for them the 'Iddah (prescribed period), if you have doubt (about their periods), is three
months; and for those who have no courses [(i.e. they are still immature) their 'Iddah (prescribed period) is three months likewise” [al-Talaaq 65:4]

In this verse we see that Allaah has made the 'iddah in the case of divorce of a girl who does not have periods - because she is young and has not yet reached puberty
- three months. This clearly indicates that Allaah has made this a valid marriage. Yet, in the very same ruling, the Shaykh finished by saying:

Al-Dawoodi said: `Ai’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had reached physical maturity (at the time when her marriage was consummated).

From this, we can see the two usages of the word “puberty”. Shaykh Salih al-Munajjid is basically saying that it does not matter if a girl has had menarche [first usage of the word “puberty”], but it does matter if she has gone through the pubertal changes that cause sexual maturation [second usage of the word “puberty”]. We cannot know for sure whether not Aisha (peace be upon her) had her menses, but what we do know for a fact is that Aisha (peace be upon her) “had reached physical maturity (at the time when her marriage was consummated).” In other words, the legality of the marriage hinged not on the menses, but rather on the sexual development that came about as a result of puberty.


In effect, Islam does not prescribe any age limit for consummation of marriage. There my exist some girls who become sexually mature at the age of nine, whereas other girls are still sexually immature at the age of sixteen. (Yes, it would be completely forbidden under Islamic Law to have sex with a sixteen year old if she was sexually immature!)

When Islamic scholars clarify that menarche is not associated with the minimum age of consummation, this is not their way of encouraging pre-menarchal girls to be married off! Rather, it is to make it clear that menarche is just not the parameter we look for. To give an analogy, if some person were to claim that a girl must be four feet tall before she could be married off, then Islamic scholars would protest this, since height is not a determining factor. Yes, because Islamic scholars say that sexual maturity is a requirement for consummation of marriage, a consequence of this is that most girls who get married will be taller than four feet. After all, most girls shorter than four feet are sexually immature.

But nonetheless it would be wrong to say that height is the factor we look for to determine who is and who is not ready for sexual intercourse.


The emphasis then is on sexual maturity, not any specific age, since girls develop at different rates. Shaykh Salih al-Munajjid wrote:

There is nothing…that forbid(s) that [consummation] in the case of a girl who is able for it before the age of nine, or to allow it in the case of a girl who is not able
for it and has reached the age of nine.

In other words, age does not matter; all that matters is that the girl has undergone the pubertal changes that would allow her to endure sexual intercourse without bringing any harm to herself. Islamic Law (Shari’ah) is beautiful: all the emphasis is on the safety and well-being of the girl. If sex would be harmful to the girl in any way whatsoever, then it would be forbidden (haram) to have sex with her. In the words of Mufti Maulana Husain Kadodia:

This shows the paramount importance that the Shari’ah gives to the rights of the girl, by making her safety, health, and well-being the precondition for marriage.
This is in the spirit of Shari’ah to remove any harm that may come to the girl. (Maulana Mufti Husain Kadodia, Ask Imam.com with Mufti Ebrahim Desai)

By harm, we mean any harm whatsoever, physical as well as psychological. Islam recognizes psychiatry as a legitimate branch of medicine. The evidence for this is that it is permissible (halal) to use medicines containing forbidden (haram) ingredients in them for the purpose of treating clinical depression, a psychiatric disease. Of course, the psychological harm must be real, documented, and have proof in the medical sciences.



Most Westerners claim that marriage at such a young age is always harmful, and they look down on past civilizations who engaged in that. In their collective hubris, these Westerners judge all of humanity past and present based on their own society’s norms. Yet, they should have some humility and be more self-critical. In the words of Abdullah Squirres, the West has “been swallowed up (possibly unknowingly) by the ugly monster of ‘moral relativism.’” In the West, for example, homosexual relationships are now being considered normal, whereas large age gaps between man and wife are considered abnormal. Christians would gawk at a ninety year old man married to a twelve year old girl, but barely raise an eyebrow at Adam and Steve. Yet, their own Bible categorically condemns homosexuality; God was so outraged by this “abomination” that He sent “fire and brimstone” to destroy the society that engaged in it.


On the other hand, large age gaps are the norm in Biblical narratives. The Biblical Prophet Abraham was eighty-six years old when he married someone some sixty or
seventy years younger than him. The Biblical King David, the man who slew Goliath, was an old man on his deathbed when he married a young virgin. The Biblical Prophet
Isaac was forty years old when he married a three year old Rebecca! According to the Christian narrative, the ninety year old Joseph married the twelve year old Mary. Saint Augustine at the age of thirty-one betrothed a ten year old girl whom he married two years later. And other examples abound.

Yet, suddenly when it comes to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon), the disingenuous Christians are up in arms! Is their criticism honest or is it merely the result of their ignorance, arrogance, and Islamaphobia? Should we really judge all of humanity based on the West’s ideals? Somehow the Westerners cannot understand how a sixty year old man would find a fifteen year old girl to be attractive, yet they somehow understand how one man would be attracted to another man. This is merely a case of moral relativism, and based on Western society’s cultural mores. Yet, not every society feels the same way, and the Westerners should realize this! For example, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told his disciples about the story of Prophet Lot (peace be upon him) and how the people of Sodom engaged in the sin of homosexuality. Being attracted to another man was so unacceptable amongst the Arabs that many of the Prophet’s disciples were shocked and told him that they had previously thought it impossible for a man to be attracted to another man. Another example of the West’s selective bias is their scorning of cousin marriages; somehow it is considered biologically normal to be attracted to the same sex, yet it is backwards to be attracted to a cousin! Is it not possible, we ask these people, that not all cultures are alike? What is considered acceptable by you may not be acceptable to others and vice/versa. In the West, for example, fornication is considered acceptable, or at least normal. In the United States and parts of Europe, the average age at which girls engage in sexual foreplay (kissing, fondling, oral sex, etc.) is shockingly low; by the age of twelve, about half of American girls have become unchaste, and some have even lost their virginity. In fact, most Western readers will probably think that a girl having her first kiss on her junior prom is “cute”; few Westerners realize that this is fornication as condemned in their Bible. In fact, the Westerners are more accustomed to and okay with fornication than they are of marriage; so an American girl who has oral sex at fourteen gets only nominal criticism and is considered “more normal” than a Muslim girl who gets married at the same age! The idea that absolutely no girl is ready to be married at the age of nine, ten, or twelve is completely false. The proof against this claim is that many American girls are voluntarily becoming sexually active at those ages. But hey, reason the Westerners, that is okay so long as it is illegal fornication and not the lawful sexual intercourse of marriage! If a high school girl engages in lesbian activity with another girl, that’s okay they say, so long as her partner is around the same age! On the other hand, normal heterosexual sex between an older man and a young wife is considered atrocious. It becomes understandable for a girl to be attracted to another girl, but completely unacceptable for an elderly man to find a young girl attractive.

Ancient (and not so ancient) cultures used to prize virginity. That is why men used to marry girls as soon as they turned sexually capable, in order that they marry girls who have not been “defiled” by other men. On the other hand, girls favored socially well established males; this meant that girls tended to favor elderly men, instead of financially struggling younger ones. This is why there was a huge age gap back in those days.

Today, on the other hand, Western guys could care less about the virginity or chastity of their brides; in fact, most of them express interest in finding a (sexually) “experienced” girl. Furthermore, whereas once society had valued age in males, now the older you are, the more chance you have of being accused of senility! And thus the age gap disappears.But this should be understood as a cultural trend, and not a moral fact of life. Yes, girls today are disgusted by the thought of marrying old men, but was the Biblical Hagar insulted at marrying the eighty-six year old Abraham? Was the Biblical Mary, the mother of Jesus, disgusted by the thought of marrying a widower in his nineties? Was the ten year old girl fiancé of Saint Augustine disgusted by the thought of marrying a thirty plus male? Was the seven year old French princess disgusted by the thought of marrying a Christian King, Richard II? Far from it. All of these girls were very pleased with their marriages to such noble men, just as Aisha (peace be upon him) was pleased with her marriage to the Mercy of all the Worlds, the Seal of the Prophets, and the best human in the world.

Yes, today it seems difficult to believe that a nine or ten year old would be ready for consummation of marriage, but Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) married her
over a thousand years ago. Is it not conceivable that we judge him by the standard of his time and not the cultural norms of today? In any case, such a marriage is valid according to Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Law. As such, there is no issue.


Therefore not very productive to use the Islamic definition of puberty (buloogh) to delineate a girl’s readiness for sex. A girl may technically be post-pubertal (buloogh)
from an Islamic perspective, yet not be ready for sex. On the other hand, another girl may technically be pre-pubertal from an Islamic perspective, and yet be ready for sex; after all, some girls become sexually mature but have delayed menarche.

Mufti Maulana Husain Kadodia explained:

In reality, puberty has two usages. The first usage is with regards to physical development, whereas the second usage is with regards to menses. For (sexual)
intercourse, developmental puberty is a precondition. Whereas for other rulings—such as being ordered to pray—the menses usage applies. (Maulana Mufti Husain Kadodia, Ask Imam.com with Mufti Ebrahim Desai)

[Qatada]

Was Aisha mature for marriage?



There is a very strong proof we can use to show that Aisha (peace be upon her) had reached physical maturity before she moved into the Prophet’s house, and this is Aisha’s own statement in which she said:

When the girl reaches nine years of age, she is a woman.

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Nikah)



From this, we can see that Aisha (peace be upon her) had the body of a woman when she consummated her marriage with the Prophet (peace be upon him). She was mature, and not immature, as the Islamaphobes claim.


Imam Ibn kathir (May Allah have mercy on him) narrates a hadith in his Al-Bidayah wa-Nihayah:

"Imam Bukhari (May Allah have mercy on him) narrates another hadith which he heard from Farwa bin abi al-Mughria who heard from 'Ali bin Masher who heard from Hisham bin 'Urawh who heard from his father who reports from 'Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her), who said: 'When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was betrowth to me, I was six years old. Later, when we migrated from Makkah to Medina and stayed at bin harith bin khdhrj's place, I had grown up. My hair had got longer and I had physically matured; however, I still used to play with other girls...I was nine years old at that time."

Source Page 210-211

Aisha (peace be upon her) brought her dolls along when she moved into the Prophet’s
house. The Islamaphobes use this as a proof, as if Aisha (peace be upon her) bringing her dolls proves that she was an immature girl. However, this is not true. Aisha (peace be upon her) was a mature woman, as she stated in her own words. The fact that she brought along her dolls does not at all disprove this.

Many mature girls have dolls; we just call them “stuffed animals” nowadays. It is wellknown that sexually active young women in America love to receive stuffed animals—such as teddy bears—from their lovers. In fact, a recent survey carried out by Travelodge and published in Sky News showed that 15% of adult women sleep with their teddy bears. [13] I don’t think I really need to prove this, since everyone knows that young adult women love teddy bears and other stuffed animals. But just for the sake of being thorough, I cite the example of the surgeon at the University of California Irvine who would hand out teddy bears to women fighting breast cancer.

This same idea was adopted at many other hospitals; Wendy Mitchell, the former program manager for the Center for Women’s Health, commented about the patients: “Their eyes well up with tears of joy. They take the teddy bear and hold it to their chests hoping this teddy bear from their doctor, this power of touch, will get them through this.” [14]

The point is that Aisha (peace be upon her) bringing her dolls along—or even playing with them—does not prove anything at all, especially when we factor in that she lived over a thousand years ago. According to About.com, it was just a couple decades ago that girls used to play with Barbie dolls up until their teenage years. Denise Van Patten writes:

13 Ananova - Men love their teddies
14 Teddy Bear Gifts Bring Joy to Women With Cancer


It was with great reluctance that I packed up my Barbie dolls in their doll trunk
for the last time at 14. Back in Barbie's early heyday, in the 1960s and 1970s, my
story wasn't unusual—girls often played with Barbie until their early teens.
(About.com, Why Do Girls Outgrow Barbie Dolls At Such a Young Age?)
So we see that in the 1970s, girls as old as 14 were playing with Barbie dolls. And a
hundred years ago, the average age at which girls stopped playing with dolls was
substantially older. And a thousand years ago, girls—and even young women—had few
other ways to spend their free time, and thus, playing with dolls was routine. They had no other source of entertainment—no MTV, no shopping malls, no internet. Today, girls outgrow dolls very fast, because of all the other more catchy gizmos people have to entertain themselves with. One reference website states:

The toy dolls that existed before the 1700's served chiefly as playthings for adults
as well as for children…The first dolls specifically for children probably were
made in the 1700's.(How Stuff Works, HowStuffWorks "Doll")

So in ancient (and not so ancient times), it was not at all unusual to see young adult
women playing with dolls. As we can see, the fact that Aisha (peace be upon her) played with dolls does not in and of itself prove that she was an immature girl.


The reason why the doll wasn't forbidden was because it was like a 'sock puppet' and made out of wool. Ibn Hajar Al Asqalani says;

If the doll of Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) had clear features, then this was
before the prohibition of picture-making.
(Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari)

...

the dolls back then were just made of wool, so they were more like sock puppets than
intricately designed Barbie dolls. This is confirmed by the following hadeeth:
We used to make toys of wool for the boys, and if anyone of them cried, he was
given those toys until it was time of the breaking of the fast.
(Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 181)

Bassam Zawadi comments:

The above Hadeeth proves that dolls of children were nothing like what we know
as dolls nowadays, since they are nothing but stick wrapped with wool that take
no shape and if someone looked at it he won't be able to recognize what they
symbolize. Knowing that, we can explain why the Prophet (peace be upon him)
did not recognize the toy of Aisha (he didn't know that it was a horse), therefore
inquired about it to the extent that he could not tell the wings as it was just extra
piece of wool or sheet added to the toy.

Shaykh Salih al-Munajjid was asked about Aisha’s dolls to which he said:
Those toys which are made of wool are not considered to be [graven] images,
because they do not have a head apart from a piece of wool, and it does not have
the features of the faces such as eyes, nose, mouth, or ears. If an image does not
have a head or any [distinct] facial features, it is exempt from the ruling
prohibiting images.

[Qatada]

Noblewomen Married Early

Aisha (peace be upon her) was a noblewoman; her father, Abu Bakr, came from the
noblest of blood. As such, there is nothing peculiar about Aisha’s early marriage, as
historically noblewomen were married off very young. In S. Shahar’s The Fourth Estate:

A History of Women in the Middle Ages, we read:

It is clear, in any event, that daughters of the nobility married young...a relatively high age of marriage among women was non-existent among the medieval
nobility.

(The Fourth Estate: A History of Women in the Middle Ages, p.136,
The Fourth Estate: A History of ... - Google Book Search
dq=nobility+married+younger&source=web&ots=MBWZwoO YHK&sig=JY2qq
g8xErRMc4e0h4s0zDOC-x0)


In the article “Medieval Marriage and Childbirth”, we find that noblewomen of Europe
were routinely married off under the age of ten:

For many noble-born or royal women [of Europe], marriage could and often did
take place at a young age. There are many instances or very young girls being
betrothed and married under the age of 10 years old.
(Women of History, http://womenofhistory.blogspot.com/2...ievalmarriage-
childbirth.html)



Nothing Much Ado
Before she was betrothed to Prophet Muhammad, Aisha (peace be upon her) was first
engaged to another man, a Non-Muslim named Jubayr ibn Mut’im. Jubayr was a fervent enemy of Islam, and when Aisha’s father became a Muslim, Mut’im cancelled the marriage. From this, we can see that there was nothing much ado about Prophet
Muhammad’s proposal to Aisha, since she had other suitors as well. Aisha’s parents
certainly did not see this as pedophilia; otherwise, they would not have agreed to marry her off to Jubayr or Prophet Muhammad. In fact, Aisha’s parents were very pleased with the marriage, and Aisha herself would boast about it throughout her life.
Far from the victim of pedophilia, Aisha (peace be upon her) was a very possessive wife who used to talk with great pride about her close relationship with the Prophet of Islam.


It is narrated in Musnad Ahmad that the name of Aisha wasthe name of Aisha was first proposed to Prophet Muhammad by a woman named Khaulah. This proves two points: firstly, had the marriage been considered pedophilia, then certainly a woman would not have proposed the idea. Khaulah certainly saw nothing amiss about the marriage. The second point—of great importance here—is that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not himself bring up Aisha’s name, so there is no question about any pedophilic desires. Rather, someone else brought up her name, and most likely due to the fact that she had just lost her fiancé. What a loss Abu Bakr must have felt when his daughter’s betrothal was broken off. And so, Prophet Muhammad offered to marry Aisha himself, and how elated Abu Bakr must have been!



It is known that the Quraysh idolaters at the time left no stone unturned in their insults against Prophet Muhammad: they used to criticize each and every one of his actions, whenever and wherever they could. Yet, the Quraysh never
once mentioned his marriage to Aisha. And why should they when it was the cultural
norm? There are countless examples of young brides in those days, such as Umm
Kulthoom bint Ali, Fatima bint al-Mundhir, Bint `Izz al-Dawla Bakhtyar, and many
others! This was more than just a regional and cultural norm, but rather it was the
normative practice of humanity before the industrial era.

Interestingly, the Christian missionaries during the Middle Ages never used this polemic
against the Prophet. We find that they would oftentimes accuse Prophet Muhammad of being a polygamist but never did they refer to him as a pedophile or anything of that sort.


Aisha became one of the greatest scholars of Islam, and she is revered by Muslims as the Mother of the Believers. The Christians revere Mary as a matriarch of Christianity, who was only twelve years of age when she supposedly married Joseph. The Muslims
similarly revere Mary, as well as Aisha (peace be upon them both). What then is the
issue when both Christians and Muslims revere matriarchs who were young girls when
they married?

[Qatada]

About the Dolls argument,


My wife told me that in Pakistan, girls - even at the age of 15 play with dolls (i.e. holding them, dressing them up, and pretending they dolls are getting married etc).

Some carry on playing with them till they get married. And some who never are able to marry continue playing with them till they're even older than that. (because women naturally desire to care for children etc.)


That's a cultural norm somewhere else in the world, and it wouldn't be surprising if Aisha played with them while being mature too (may Allah be pleased with her.)

[amar_labedi]

Assalamalaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu


Thank you somuch for this post Indeed this was most needed may all of us benefit from this by spreading among our contacts Muslims and NonMuslims Inshallah

[Qatada]

ext:


i just like this statement, which is good to copy and paste;


"there were plenty of early christians married to what we NOW class as under aged girls as it was common back then for girls to be married off as soon as possable it was perfectly acceptable back then it is our modern morals that frown upon it happening now."

With emphasis on 'modern morals', since that is a subjective term.


Why were people married at earlier ages over 1000 years ago? Because people used to die early, in some countries it was the norms to die before the 30s (even within Europe!). So people married early, because if they married at 20, they'd die in around 5 years anyway. No point for that then is it?


Girls also tend to mature into mature young women alot more quicker in hotter climated countries, and this is well known if you travel around the world. They did not suffer any physical, emotional, or psychological effects by such a marriage, simply because they were healthy for marriage, it was the norms, and if it was harmful - it was forbidden for such a marriage to take place.

Aisha, she was the mature for her age, with her being a doctor (yes, she specialised in medicine!), aswell as narrating over 2000 sayings and events on who Prophet Muhammad was, and specialising as a teacher to females aswell as males. This shows that she was not harmed by such a marriage, and infact caused a great revolution so that women began to get rights which were unsurpassed before in history, and these rights were only given to women when the Suffragettes came in the 20th century!

So Muslim women got these rights over 1400 years before Europe did!

[Qatada]

Asalaam alaikum warahmatulah wabarakatuh


Really nice [with arabic texts and more specific sources];

Google Translate

original link in dutch; http://www.ontdekislam.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47876

[Qatada]

This is a translation [so some things might not make sense]:


Before we begin, we need a few things in mind:

Islam has no specific age limit in which a person can marry. A marriage is not concluded based on the menstrual period of a woman, because some girls may menstruate but not yet ready for sexual intercourse. Whether other women may have sexual intercourse but have not yet menstruating!

"The age at which girls first menstruate varies from 7 to 24 years".
"The variable age at menarche was Normally distributed with an age range of 7-24 years.

Google Translate

So we can say that a 24 years old woman should not marry because they are not menstruating?! Or we can say that sexual intercourse is permitted with a child of 7 years since they already menstruating?! No, Islam looks at physical maturity. Therefore the Prophet waited three years to Aishah physical age, and was only then perfected his marriage.

This age is in the Qur'an "Balaghun-Nikah" - these is the 'adl of Islam.




Sexual intercourse with children is harmful and therefore forbidden in Islam. Such a child is still not ready for sexual intercourse. That was why his marriage to Aishah, the Prophet not approach her until she had reached physical maturity.

We are not ashamed of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. We strive to satisfy Allah and not the disbelievers. They are people like us, We want them to clap for us? Is the izzah (honor) that some people search? We seek Allah's satisfaction or their satisfaction?

وَلَن تَرْضَى عَنكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلاَ النَّصَارَى حَتَّى تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَى

ولن ترضى عنك اليهود ولا النصارى حتى تتبع ملتهم قل إن هدى الله هو الهدى"" And the Jews and the Christians will never be satisfied with thee unless thou follow their creed..

Say: Allah's guidance is the (true) guidance {Qur'an 2:120}.

1.1 How old Aishah when she married?

Aishah says:

تزوجني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لتسع سنين وصحبته تسعا

تزوجني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لتسع سنين وصحبته تسعا

"I married the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him when I was 9 years old and I stayed with him after that nine years of life.

("Al-Mujam Al-Kabir, 53 - Hadith Sahih)

1.2: Aishah was adult body

Imam Al-Nawawi said:

فيه: حديث عائشة -رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا- قالت: (تَزَوَّجَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ- لِسِتِّ سِنِينَ، وَبَنَى بِي وَأَنَا بِنْتُ تِسْعِ سِنِينَ).

فيه: حديث عائشة - رضي الله عنها - قالت: (تزوجني رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - لست سنين, وبنى بي وأنا بنت تسع سنين).

وقال مالك والشَّافعيُّ وأبو حنيفة: حدُّ ذلك أن تطيق الجماع قال الدَّاوديُّ: وكانت عائشة قد شبَّت شباباً حسناً -رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا-

وقال مالك والشافعي وأبو حنيفة: حد ذلك أن تطيق الجماع قال الداودي: وكانت عائشة قد شبت شبابا حسنا - رضي الله عنها

'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 al-Nawawi", 9 / 207).




1.3 Aishah menstruated:

Aishah says:

أمرني رسول أن أناوله شيئاً من المسجد، فقلت: إني حائض، فقال: إن حيضتك ليست في يدك

أمرني رسول أن أناوله شيئا من المسجد, فقلت: إني حائض, فقال: إن حيضتك ليست في يدك

"The Messenger of Allah asked me to get something out of the mosque so I said," I'm menstruating. "He said:" It is not in your hands ".

("Sahih Muslim" 15 / 973).

حدثنا عثمان بن أبي شيبة أخبرنا جرير عن الشيباني عن عبدالرحمن بن الأسود عن أبيه عن عائشة قالت "كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يأمرنا في فوح حيضتنا أن نتزر ثم يباشرنا, وأيكم يملك إربه كما كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يملك إربه.
"The Prophet would say to us during our times to wear a cloth before we meet, and who among you can include cravings, such as the Messenger of Allah desires meant?"

("Sahih Al-Bukhaarie", 6 / 296).

1.4 Aishah said she was a woman.

Aishah says about himself:

إذا بلغت الجارية تسع سنين فهي امرأة

إذا بلغت الجارية تسع سنين فهي امرأة
"If a girl is 9 years old, she is a woman"

("Tirmidhi", Kitab al Nikah [Book on Marriage] 1027).


1.5 Aishah even played with dolls after her 14th!

Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:

وأخرج أبو داود والنسائي من وجه آخر عن عائشة قالت: " قدم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من غزوة تبوك أو خيبر "...

وأخرج أبو داود والنسائي من وجه آخر عن عائشة قالت "قدم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من غزوة تبوك أو خيبر" ...

فكشف ناحية الستر على بنات لعائشة لعب ...قال ما هذا يا عائشة، قالت: بناتي ...

فكشف ناحية الستر على بنات لعائشة لعب ... قال ما هذا يا عائشة, قالت: بناتي ...

لأن عائشة كانت في غزوة خيبر بنت أربع عشرة سنة إما أكملتها أو جاوزتها أو قاربتها.

لأن عائشة كانت في غزوة خيبر بنت أربع عشرة سنة إما أكملتها أو جاوزتها أو قاربتها.

وأما في غزوة تبوك فكانت قد بلغت قطعا فيترجح رواية من قال في خيبر، ويجمع بما قال الخطابي لأن ذلك أولى من التعارض.

وأما في غزوة تبوك فكانت قد بلغت قطعا فيترجح رواية من قال في خيبر, ويجمع بما قال الخطابي لأن ذلك أولى من التعارض.

"Abu Dawud and Nasaai have reported that Aishah said:" The Messenger of Allah came back from the battle of Tabuk or Khaybar and he looked into my doll cabinet and asked, "What are these oh 'Aaishah?" Aisha said: "These are my dolls. Aisha was at the battle of Khaybar about 14 years old and at the battle of Tabuk doubt over! "

("Fath al-Baree ', 2 / 09).



1.6 Jubair had before the Prophet asked for Aishah's hand

خطب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم عائشة إلى أبي بكر وكان أبو بكر قد زوجها جبير بن مطعم فخلعها منه فزوجها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهي ابنة ست سنين تركها .

خطب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم عائشة إلى أبي بكر وكان أبو بكر قد زوجها جبير بن مطعم فخلعها منه فزوجها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهي ابنة ست سنين تركها.

ثلاث سنين ثم بنى بها وهي بنت تسع سنين

ثلاث سنين ثم بنى بها وهي بنت تسع سنين

T

he Prophet asked Abu Bakr for the hand of Aishah, but Abu Bakr was his first word to Ibn Jubair Muta'm data. Then he pulled back his word (because Jubair still had not converted to Islam) and married her the Messenger of Allah. She was six years old, so the Prophet went three years and then wait until he perfected the marriage and she was nine years old.

{"Al-Mujam Al-Kabir", 62}.

1.7 Aishah was proud of her marriage

Aishah zei:

Aishah said:

عن عائشة قالت: أعطيت خلالاً ما أعطيتها امرأة ملكني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وأنا بنت سبع وأتاه الملك بصورتي في كفه لينظر إليها وبنى بي لتسع ورأيت جبرائيل وكنت أحب نسائه إليه ومرضته فقبض ولم يشهده غيري والملائكة

عن عائشة قالت: أعطيت خلالا ما أعطيتها امرأة ملكني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وأنا بنت سبع وأتاه الملك بصورتي في كفه لينظر إليها وبنى بي لتسع ورأيت جبرائيل وكنت أحب نسائه إليه ومرضته فقبض ولم يشهده غيري والملائكة
"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 ".

{"Fath al-Baree, by Ibn Hajar al Asqalani"}.

1.8 Young married was a custom in Arabia

Imam Ash-Shafi'e zegt:

Imam Ash-Shafi'e says:

رأيت باليمن بنات تسع يحضن كثيرا

رأيت باليمن بنات تسع يحضن كثيرا
"During my stay in Yemen I was 9 years old girls from so many menstruated.

{"Siyar A'lam Al-Nubala", 10/91}.

Imam Ash-Shafi'e also says:

أيت بصنعاء: جَدَّةٌ بنت إحدى وعشرين سنة!

أيت بصنعاء: جدة بنت إحدى وعشرين سنة!

حاضت ابنة تسع، وولدت ابنة عشر، وحاضت البنت ابنة تسع، وولدت ابنة عشر

حاضت ابنة تسع, وولدت ابنة عشر, وحاضت البنت ابنة تسع, وولدت ابنة عشر
"In the city of San'a I came from a 21 years old grandmother! She menstruated at its ninth and had children on her tenth.

{"Sunan Al-Bayhaqi Al-Kubra", 1/319}.

Ibn Al-Jawzi says:

عباد بن عباد المهلبي قال أدركت فينا يعني المهالبة امرأة صارت جدة وهي بنت ثمان عشرة سنة ولدت لتسع ". سنين ابنة فولدت ابنتها لتسع سنين ابنة فصارت هي جدة وهي ابنة ثماني عشر سنة

عباد بن عباد المهلبي قال أدركت فينا يعني المهالبة امرأة صارت جدة وهي بنت ثمان عشرة سنة ولدت لتسع. سنين ابنة فولدت ابنتها لتسع سنين ابنة فصارت هي جدة وهي ابنة ثماني عشر سنة

'Abbad ibn Al-Abbad Muhlabi said: "I'm a woman Muhlabah seen a grandmother while she was 18 years old! They had children when she was 9 years old daughter and her children when they were 9 years, so she became a grandmother on the 18th! "

("Tahqeeq Ahadeeth Fi Al-Khilaf", 2 / 267).




1.9 Others urged the Prophet to marry Aisha:

لما توفت خديجة قالت خولة بنت حكيم بن أمية امرأة عثمان بن مظعون وذلك بمكة يا رسول الله ألا تتزوج؟

لما توفت خديجة قالت خولة بنت حكيم بن أمية امرأة عثمان بن مظعون وذلك بمكة يا رسول الله ألا تتزوج?

فقال من؟

فقال من?

فقالت إن شئت بكرا وان شئت ثيبا قال فمن البكر قالت ابنة احب خلق الله إليك عائشة بنت أبي بكر قال ومن الثيب؟

فقالت إن شئت بكرا وان شئت ثيبا قال فمن البكر قالت ابنة احب خلق الله إليك عائشة بنت أبي بكر قال ومن الثيب?

قالت سودة بنت زمعة من قيس قد أمنت بك واتبعتك على ما أنت عليه قال فاذهبي فاذكريهما عليّ

قالت سودة بنت زمعة من قيس قد أمنت بك واتبعتك على ما أنت عليه قال فاذهبي فاذكريهما علي
"When Khadijah died, Khawlah Bin Hakiem came and said," Why not marry you, O Messenger of Allah? "He said," Who? "She said:" There are virgins and there are already married. "He asked," Who The virgin? "She said:" The daughter of your most beloved friend - Aishah, the daughter of Abu Bakr. "He asked:" Who is the previously married? "She said:" Sawda bint Zama, they believed in you and You followed. The Prophet said, "Just do not you come to them and bring them know (I will marry).

("Tabarani, Al-Hakim & Mustadrak").




2.0 Abu Bakr insisted that he would marry his daughter

Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:

وأخرج الطبراني من وجه آخر عن عائشة قالت : لما هاجر رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - وأبو بكر خلفنا بمكة ، فلما استقر بالمدينة بعث زيد بن حارثة وأبا رافع ، وبعث أبو بكر عبد الله بن أريقط وكتب إلى عبد الله بن أبي بكر أن يحمل معه أم رومان وأم أبي بكر وأنا وأختي أسماء ، فخرج بنا ، وخرج زيد وأبو رافع بفاطمة وأم كلثوم وسودة بنت زمعة ، وأخذ زيد امرأته أم أيمن وولديها أيمن وأسامة ، واصطحبنا ، حتى قدمنا المدينة فنزلت في عيال أبي بكر ، ونزل آل النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - : عنده ، وهو يومئذ يبني المسجد وبيوته ، فأدخل سودة بنت زمعة أحد تلك البيوت ، وكان يكون عندها ، فقال له أبو بكر : ما يمنعك أن تبني بأهلك ؟

وأخرج الطبراني من وجه آخر عن عائشة قالت: لما هاجر رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - وأبو بكر خلفنا بمكة, فلما استقر بالمدينة بعث زيد بن حارثة وأبا رافع, وبعث أبو بكر عبد الله بن أريقط وكتب إلى عبد الله بن أبي بكر أن يحمل معه أم رومان وأم أبي بكر وأنا وأختي أسماء, فخرج بنا, وخرج زيد وأبو رافع بفاطمة وأم كلثوم وسودة بنت زمعة, وأخذ زيد امرأته أم أيمن وولديها أيمن وأسامة, واصطحبنا, حتى قدمنا المدينة فنزلت في عيال أبي بكر, ونزل آل النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم -: عنده, وهو يومئذ يبني المسجد وبيوته, فأدخل سودة بنت زمعة أحد تلك البيوت, وكان يكون عندها, فقال له أبو بكر: ما يمنعك أن تبني بأهلك?

فبنى بي

فبنى بي
Aishah said: "Until we reached Madinah . I stayed even with Abu Bakr's family ... So (my father) Abu Bakr said to him: "What keeps you still perfecting your marriage with your wife?" When he perfected his marriage to me. "

http://www.islamweb.net/newlibrary/disp ...

http://www.islamweb.net/newlibrary/disp ...

&startno=2

= 2 & startno

When Abu Bakr asked, "Am I not your brother?" He wanted the hukm shar'i (Islamic opinion) known. He had no objection to the marriage, as we clearly read above.

1. 2.1 Abu Bakr was een liefdevolle vader
   2.1 Abu Bakr was a loving father

al-Qurtubi said:

وكان أبو بكر الصديق رضي الله عنه يسمى الواه لشفقته ورأفته

وكان أبو بكر الصديق رضي الله عنه يسمى الواه لشفقته ورأفته

"Abu Bakr al-Sidiq may Allah be pleased with him was known as" Alawah "(the weeper), because of its gentleness and charity."

http://www.islamweb.net/newlibrary/disp ...

http://www.islamweb.net/newlibrary/disp ...

48&ID=1671

48 & ID = 1671




2.2 The wives of the Prophet

Khadija bint Khawilad .......... .......... WIDOW 40 Year old
Sauda Bint Zama .......... .......... WIDOW 50 Years old

Hafsa Bint Umar bin Khattab..........

WIDOW 22 Years old

Zainab Bint Khuzaima..........

WIDOW 30 Year old

Marya Qibtiya Bint shamun..........

17 Year old

Umm Salma..........

WIDOW 26 Year old

Zainab Bint Jahash..........

WIDOW 38 Year old

Raihana bint Umru bin Hanafa..........

Raihana bint Umru bin Hanafa .......... (?)

Juwaeria Bint Harith..........

WIDOW 20 years old

Aisha Bint Abu Bakr..........

9 year old ..........

Maimuna Bint Harith..........

. WIDOW 36 Year old

Safia Bint Hayi bin Akhtab.........

WIDOW ...... 17 Year old

Umm Habiba..........

WIDOW 36 Year old



CONCLUSION: 75% of his wives were widows!

The marriages of the Prophet were all for certain reasons and not because of his lust to play! The Arabs were unbelievably tied together by their qabaail (tribes). The Prophet married often contacts between Islam and other tribes/qabaail.


There was a great wisdom behind each of his marriage, refer to the books of Seerah ...



2.3 Child marriages are "discouraged

Imam Al-Nawawi said:

يستحب أن لا يزوِّج الأب والجد البكر حتى تبلغ ويستأذنها لئلا يوقعها في أسر الزوج وهي كارهة

يستحب أن لا يزوج الأب والجد البكر حتى تبلغ ويستأذنها لئلا يوقعها في أسر الزوج وهي كارهة

"It's great mustahab/recommended for the fathers and fathers to a virgin not to marry until they reached puberty and they could ask her permission, otherwise they could end up in a marriage where they do not feel comfortable in".

("Sharh al-Nawawi", 9 / 206).





The Shariat has no specific age limit in which a person can marry. If the parents find a good man and they fear that if they are not using their daughters to give him, that they will never get that chance, they may have seen their daughters Islamic hand to him. The perfection of marriage and the rest but instead found only after bodily adult like Aishah happened wallaahu A'alam. Oppression and abuse are Haram. When the girl later still uncomfortable with the marriage, it may ask to divide the Qadhi.

[Qatada]

2.5 Compulsory marriages are prohibited

Allah zegt:

Allah says:

يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ أَن تَرِثُواْ النِّسَآءَ كَرْهاً

يأيها الذين ءامنوا لا يحل لكم أن ترثوا النسآء كرها
"O you who believe! It is not permissible for you women against their own will to inherit." (Quran, Surah Nisa 4, Verse 19).

عن ابن عباس - رضي الله عنهما - : أن جارية بكرا أتت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فذكرت أن أباها زوجها وهي كارهة ، فخيرها النبي.

عن ابن عباس - رضي الله عنهما -: أن جارية بكرا أتت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم, فذكرت أن أباها زوجها وهي كارهة, فخيرها النبي.

رواه أبو داود و قال ابن القطان: حديث ابن عباس هذا صحيح

رواه أبو داود و قال ابن القطان: حديث ابن عباس هذا صحيح
Ibn Abbas said: "A young virgin girl came to the Prophet and told that her father had married her against her will, so the Prophet gave her a choice (to remain married or divorce). Ibn al-Qattaan says: "This hadith of Ibn Abbas is authentic.

{"Abu Dawud", 2096}.

2.6 Sexual intercourse before puberty is physically and psychologically harmful to children and therefore Haram

لا ضرر ولا ضرار

لا ضرر ولا ضرار

"No one may harm another person!

{"Fayd al-Qadir", 6/9899}.

("Fayd al-Qadir, 6 / 9899).

لا يكلف الله نفسا إلا وسعها

لا يكلف الله نفسا إلا وسعها
"Allah charge not any soul beyond its capacity.

{Qur'an 2:226, 6:152, 7:42, 23:62, 2:286}.

مَا يُرِيدُ اللّهُ لِيَجْعَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّنْ حَرَجٍ

ما يريد الله ليجعل عليكم من حرج

"Allah does not wish to place on you problems.

{Qur'an 5:6}.

(Qur'an 5:6).

هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ

هو اجتباكم وما جعل عليكم في الدين من حرج
He has chosen you and He has imposed no difficulties in your religion."
(Qur'an 22:78).

من ضار ضار الله به، ومن شاق شاق الله عليه

من ضار ضار الله به, ومن شاق شاق الله عليه"He who injures another person will be punished by Allah and for those things difficult for others, Allah will make things difficult."

{"Abu Dawud", 3635}.

("Abu Dawud", 3635).

[Qatada]

1. 3.4 What is menstruation?

"In this way is a girl on to its next phase - namely femininity. This is the period when they begin menstruating, and her reproductive cycle begins.

"In this way a girl starts her next phase of woman hood. It is this period when menstruation starts and marks the beginning of the reproduction cycle in her life".

"In this way a girl starts next phase of re womanhood. It is this periodic When menstruation starts and marks the beginning of the reproduction cycle in Her Life".

http://ayushveda.com/homeremedies/menstruation.htm

http://ayushveda.com/homeremedies/menstruation.htm

"If someone's menstrual cycle begins to say that her body is mature and is willing to bear children."

"On reaching menstruation cycle a woman's body becomes mature and capable of bearing a child."

"On overreaching menstruation cycle of a Woman's Body Becomes mature and capable of bearing a child."

http://www.evemedic.com/menstruation.html

http://www.evemedic.com/menstruation.html


Getting the time is an indication for young girls that they enter the stage of womanhood.

"Getting your period" marks a rite of passage for young girls entering womanhood”.

"Getting your period" marks a rite of passage for young girls boarding womanhood.

http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/aishamarriage.pdf

"Do not be surprised if your 9 year old daughter so early starts to menstruate.

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

"Do not Be Surprised if your nine-year-old daughter re Will Have That early menarche.

http://www.herword.com/healthdesk/other ...

http://www.herword.com/healthdesk/other ...

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