Ayesha's (ra) age?

[KhyberKhan]

and khayberkhan what do you mean "who cares"? obviously we do. not just so we can explain it to non muslims but for ourselves too.

What is there to explain? The marriage of the greatest man to walk this earth was divinely blessed, it wasn't something out of choice. Allah (swt) wanted this to happen, and the fruits of this marriage are reflected in the 2210 hadith she narrated -more than Umar ibn khattab or Ali ibn abi talib. She was undoubtedly one of the best ever scholars of Islam. They used to say that there was not one Islamic issue that people would talk about, except that Aisha (radi Allahu `anha) would have something to say about it. Whoever said Islam had no female scholars, huh?

we can't just say he was a prophet and he did it so it must be alright for the rest of us to do so too. there has to be more to it and i am sure there is.

You know when someone wants very bad to hide something they themselves are insecure about its always best to find a scapegoat. The Talmud gives rules for marriage of infant girls, much less 9 year old girls. The Epistles of Paul malign women to a level far beneath what the Romans and Greeks he was writing to were used to.

These people will praise Gandhi, yet insult the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). However, it is very well established that not only did Gandhi himself have a child marriage, they ignore the fact that he was recorded to have slept naked with women "to test his self control". Yet, they will complain about the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) marrying a young girl well within the norms of his society. She was not down-trodden and locked up. She (radi Allahu `anha) became the Mother of Qur'anic Exegesis (Tafseer).

The bottom line is that if the Aisha (radi Allahu `anha) was 40 when she got married, then they would just find something else to complain about. The reality is that they don't care about women's rights or anything else for that matter.

[KhyberKhan]

What a non-sense. A religion that claims to be the highest moral code and true till eternity should not set such bad precedence and should not sanctify abhorrent social practices of the time. Simply putting the label of Islam on existing traditions doesn't change things on the ground. No sane person today can justify marrying babies 6 years old.

DMG, the 7th Century CE and hundreds of years before it have been heavily documented by the Greeks. Josephus, Herodotus, etc. Have you never heard of these people?

There is rather copious documentation of the ways of the different nations that lived under the yoke of the Roman Empire which included Arabian lands.

So, you have no choice but to admit that there was no society in the 7th Century CE wherein women were not married as young as 5. Once you acknowledge this, then you are forced to admit that there is no basis for objecting to a perfectly normal marriage for that time period to a young woman who lived long after her husband's demise only to praise him incessantly and long to be with him again.

[KhyberKhan]

My main objection is that the Qur'an gives men and women the right to marry whom they want as long as they are muslims (jews and christians included for men). Before getting married a woman has to be mature enough to undrestand her rights and her husband's rights and conditions regarding divorce. How can a 6 year old know her rights and responsibilities at such an age?

In Islam, it is unlawful to force someone to marry someone that they do not want to marry. The evidence shows that Aisha (radi Allahu `anha) marriage to the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) was one which both parties and their families agreed upon. Based on the culture at that time, no one saw anything wrong with it. On the contrary, they were all happy about it.

None of the Muslim sources report that anyone from the society at that time criticized this marriage due to Aisha (radi Allahu `anha) young age. On the contrary, the marriage of Aisha (radi Allahu `anha) to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) was encouraged by Aishas (radi Allahu `anha) father, Abu Bakr(radi Allahu `anhum) , and was welcomed by the community at large. It is reported that women who wanted to help the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), such as Khawlah bint al-Hakeem(radi Allahu `anha) , encouraged him to marry the Aisha (radi Allahu `anha). Due
to the Semitic culture in which they lived, they certainly saw nothing wrong with such a marriage.

[Alchemist]

+16 imo

I didn't ask for your opinion. The question was addressed to someone else.

Still, it was a trick question to begin with. You are 16+, I presume, but you are not married I suppose.

Its a choice regardless, and I don't think a person should be restricted by his or her age to make a decision as to how they want to live their life...Isn't that what "freedom of choice" is based upon anyway?

So your opinion is groundless.

[Wahe Guru]

What a non-sense. A religion that claims to be the highest moral code and true till eternity should not set such bad precedence and should not sanctify abhorrent social practices of the time. Simply putting the label of Islam on existing traditions doesn't change things on the ground. No sane person today can justify marrying babies 6 years old.

Apparently young girls aged 5 or 6 years are still sometimes married to much older men in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The tradition is not totally dead.

YEMEN GIRLS MARRIED TO OLDER MEN 2.jpg
"Whenever I saw him, I hid. I hated to see him," Tahani (in pink) recalls of the early days of her marriage to Majed, when she was 6 and he was 25. The young wife posed for this portrait with former classmate Ghada, also a child bride, outside their mountain home in Hajjah"

""What happened in this village has given me strong feelings," he said. "There was a girl here. Ayesha is her name." The Prophet Muhammad's youngest wife was also named Ayesha, but this was not of interest to our Mohammed just now. He was extremely angry. "She is 10 years old," he said. "Very tiny. The man she married is 50 years old, with a big belly, like so." Spreading his arm around him, he indicated massive girth. "Like a rat getting married to an elephant."

Mohammed described the arrangement called shighar, in which two men provide each other with new brides by exchanging female relatives. "These men married each other's daughters," Mohammed said. "If the ages had been proper between the husbands and new wives, I don't think anyone would have reported it. But girls should not marry when they are 9 or 10. Maybe 15 or 16."

[Talib Jan]

SubhanAllah! What a beautiful relationship!

The Untold Story - Prophet Muhammad & Lady Aishah

Normally, we associate these ideas of love with couples who meet, date, and fall head over heels for each other. Very rarely do we relate these images to married couples.

Moreover, we almost never connect this perception to Muslim couples, who marry according to purely Islamic customs. Although this link is quite rare, there actually exists an example in Islam's own history, which not only depicts this kind of love but goes far beyond it.

This is the pure, married love between the Prophet Muhammad and his beloved, Lady Aishah.

The two came together in circumstances that are a stark contrast to today's conventional love story. He was a devoted Messenger of God, embarking on the third year of prophethood; she was the daughter of his best friend and companion, Abu Bakr.

Infusing Romance

The compassionate nature of the Prophet made a tremendous impact on the strong woman Aisha went on to become.
The early years of their marriage began quite innocently. Although Aishah was a young bride, she was in the standard marriageable age that the Arabian culture approved of and encourages at that time.

The clear evidence is that Aishah had already been engaged to another man before her engagement to the Prophet.

Though Aishah was ready for marriage life, the Prophet preferred to grant her extra support in her transition to life as a married woman. She carried on with the many joys of childhood and fortunate for her, as she had a husband gentle and kind enough to understand this.

Rather than throwing all the responsibilities of a wife on her at once, the Prophet made the marriage and its duties a gradual process for Aishah and ensured that she made a smooth transition into her new life. The compassionate nature with which he nurtured Aishah in her early years as a wife made a tremendous impact on the strong woman she went on to become.

Aisha fondly recalls memories of racing with the Prophet

As the so called "honeymoon period" between the couple came to an end, many challenges and trying moments began to arise. In the midst of all the mayhem, this blessed couple still took time out for simple fun and laughter.

Aishah fondly recalls memories of racing with the Prophet and even winning the race when she was young and fit (Ibn Al Jawzy 68).

They enjoyed these races so much that the couple even raced to the Battle of Badr which was one of the most important battles in the Islamic history.

Aishah would take a sip and then the Prophet would do so from the same spot her lips touched.

The romance in this marriage was not limited to just fun and games. As their marriage continued, intimacy was ultimately inter-woven in their daily affairs.

They would sit and eat together and Aishah would take a sip and then the Prophet would do so from the same spot her lips touched.

She would have some meat or chicken, and then he would eat from the same spot she ate from. This is just one of many ways they infused romance and affection in even the simplest of acts. These small gestures show that in this marriage, romance was not a superficial bouquet of roses. Rather, it was natural and existed in their everyday life.

Love has several expressions. However, it is known to all and sundry that for a woman, nothing expresses love like the words a man simply speaks from his heart.

The Prophet was most forthcoming in expressing his love for Aishah and this is evident in multiple sayings (hadith) in which he publicly declares that Aishah is the most beloved to him.

Such profound love he held for his wife that he referred to her as one with the complete qualities of a believing woman. This is a clear sign of the kind of respect he held for his wife.

This respect was possible because he actually put forth the time and effort in getting to know and understand his wife enough to recommend her as an example for other women to follow.

Brilliant Student & Great Teacher

A crucial dimension to their equation was the student-teacher relationship they shared. Aishah's enthusiastic and inquisitive nature made her one of the foremost students of the Prophet.


Aishah was a woman of substance who was never afraid to stand up for truth and justice.
Sent as a teacher to mankind, the Prophet implemented this role most effectively in his very own home. The Islamic virtues and way of life Aishah learned and carried out were essentially through watching the Prophet and keenly observing his behavior and mannerisms.

He led by example and his beloved wife testifies to this in stating that the manners of the prophet were a living example of the Quran. (At-Tirmidhi)


Far from being meek and oppressed, Aishah was a woman of substance who was never afraid to stand up for truth and justice — whether that meant defending herself or her beloved husband. She participated in battles when she was able to and played whatever role she could in supporting the Prophet in his endeavors.


Surviving Hardships

There was something quite distinct about Aishah which drew the Prophet so close to her.

Her quality of being content regardless of circumstances helped her overcome many challenges she faced as the Prophet's wife.

There was a time in the Prophet's home, when they had no fire or food for cooking and they simply lived off of dates and water. Yet Aishah went through this hardship and showed the mark of a true companion — one who can offer unrelenting support even under the most trying circumstances.

A truly dynamic woman, complete with the qualities of virtue, intelligence and even possessiveness over her husband — there was something quite distinct about Aishah which drew the Prophet so close to her.

Passing On Her Husband's Legacy

The Prophet and his beloved connected as soul mates, as he received divine revelations often when he was with her. The fact that God blessed and ordained this marriage is evident in that the Prophet confessed to Aishah that before marrying her, he saw her twice in his dreams.

Both times, Angel Gabriel carried her to him in a silk cloth and said to him, that Aishah would be his wife in this world and in the Hereafter (Al-Bukhari). Their blessed companionship came to a peaceful end after nine years, when the Prophet drew his last breath in Aishah's arms.

Upon the Prophet's demise, Aishah's youth gave her the capacity to continue to preach Islam's messsage

The Prophet's demise may have ended their companionship in this world. However, it did not put a stop to his mission nor did it end Aishah's role in carrying out her beloved's message.


It was after the Prophet's demise that one can truly see the divine purpose behind this marriage. Because she spent the most formative years of her life with the Prophet, she was able to learn and imbibe all of his teachings.

This became a tremendous asset after the Messenger passed away and was only possible because of Aishah's age. Upon his demise, Aishah's youth gave her the capacity to continue to preach Islam's message for the many years she lived thereafter.

Many companions of the Prophet and new followers of Islam would come to Lady Aishah for advice on various Islamic matters. Her contribution in relating numerous sayings of the Prophet and providing clarification on questions related to faith soon catapulted her to the status of a prominent Islamic scholar.

The love story between the Prophet Muhammad and Lady Aishah provides a realistic perception of how true love can be found within a marriage.

Aishah's role in this marriage was one that God destined in order to ensure that the teachings of Islam will be successfully transmitted to coming generations even after the Prophet passed away.


The love story between the Prophet Muhammad and Lady Aishah may not be what epic romances are made of, but it certainly provides a more realistic perception of how true love can be found within a marriage


The sole purpose of marriage in Islam is to fulfill an individual's need for companionship and true love. Islam emphasizes and encourages this fulfillment but only within the bond of marriage.

The Prophet's marriage to Aishah shows that intimacy and romance is not necessarily limited to rosy-eyed young dating couples. This blessed couple exemplified that the true love and companionship we all seek, is entirely possible within marriage and moreover, within the Islamic way of life.

Today, this is a marriage which many may choose to slander or demean. Yet one needs only to take a look at the evidence Prophet Muhammad and Lady Aishah left behind, in the form of numerous sayings they related, which testify so dearly to the love and intimacy they shared.

The most famous love stories in this world are those that were a figment of someone's imagination. Yet this is a love which actually existed. It was a love created and destined by God himself.

[BarakzaiAbdali]

Here is an excellent polemic article about the subject:

http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Polemics/aishah.html

[sunni]

ok i will just copy ma post in the other forums :D

---------
the universal declaration of humen rights say:
Article 16.
• (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
• (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
• (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

does this Conditions work on the prophet saw & aisha ra marriage?

lets start with: Item • (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
is there the free and full consent between the prophet saw and aisha ra to the marriage!!

did the prophet saw loved aisha ra?
In a hadith narrated by 'Umar ibn Al-'Aas (May Allah be pleased with him) who said that the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him sent him as the leader of the army that fought in the battle of As-Sulaasil. He (the narrator of the hadith) said: "I went to him (the Messenger of Allah r) and asked: 'Who do you love the most?' He peace be upon him replied: 'Aisha.' I said: '(Who do you love the most) from amongst the men?' He peace be upon him replied: 'Her father.' I asked: '(Who do you love the most) after him?' He peace be upon him replied: 'Umar ibn Al-Khattaab.' And then he peace be upon him named some other men as well."

did aisha ra loved the prophet saw?
In Sahih Bukhari Hadith: 5.166 Ayesha herself narrates:
"I did not feel jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet as much as I did of Khadija though I did not see her, but the Prophet used to mention her very often, and whenever he slaughtered a sheep, he would cut its parts and send them to the women friends of Khadija. When I sometimes said to him, "(You treat Khadija in such a way) as if there is no woman on earth except Khadija," he would say, "Khadija was such-and-such, and from her I had children."

here we proved the free and full consent and the love between the prophet saw and aisha ra and its agree with the second Item.

did the prophet and aisha reached the age of majority/the age of consent??
Item • (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.

you should notice the diffrence between the age of marriage and the age of majority/the age of consent!!
here is what wiki says:
Marriageable age (or marriage age) is the age at which a person is allowed to marry, either as of right or subject to parental or other forms of consent. The age and other requirements vary between countries. The marriage age should not be confused with the age of majority or the age of consent. The marriage age in a country may be below the age of majority and the age of consent that applies in that country. Additionally, the age at which a person is legally permitted to engage in sexual activity may be below the marriage age.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriageable_age

the universal declaration of humen rights talked about the age of marriage and there is a big differnce between the Concept of the universal declaration of humen rights about the age of marriage and the age of marriage that the western gov accepet it.
you should take a look at what the universal declaration of humen rights Issued ''recommendation on consent to marriage, minimum age for marriage and regisitration of marriages (1 nov 1965) (item 59)''
link: http://www.google.com.sa/url?sa=t&rc...J9K7JCQXUjY7_Q


they accepted the age of marriage is 15 and they didnt Set the age of allowing having sex becuase having sex is allowed without marriage and marriage is only for Stability and sharing life.
and it also say any country can Excludes any persons for serious reasons to marry under the age 15 and this was in nov 1965.

examples:
the Penal Code of japan set 13 as the age of majority/the age of consent


link: http://www.cas.go.jp/jp/seisaku/hourei/data/PC.pdf
we talk about japan In the twentieth century........how it was in japan before 500 years ago?

im gona bring you something of this near history from wiki
The Age of Consent Act, 1891, also Act X of 1891, was a legislation enacted in British India on 19 March 1891 which raised the age of consent for sexual intercourse for all girls, married or unmarried, from ten to twelve years in all jurisdictions, its violation subject to criminal prosecution as rape.[1][nb 1] The act was an amendment of the Indian Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure, Section 375, 1882, ("Of Rape"),[nb 2] and was introduced as a bill on 9 January 1891 by Sir Andrew Scoble in the Legislative Council of the Governor-General of India in Calcutta.[2] It was debated the same day and opposed by council member Sir Romesh Chunder Mitter (from Bengal) on the grounds that it interfered with orthodox Hindu code, but supported by council member Rao Bahadur Krishnaji Lakshman Nulkar (from Bombay) and by the President of the council, the Governor-General Lord Lansdowne.[
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1891_Age_of_Consent_Act
so it was allowing girls of 10 years to have sex before 1891!! so let me remind you the prophet saw marry aisha ra at the age 6 and he saw slept with her when she was 9 year old.....so whats the difference between 9 and 10 only one year!! and this was at 1891!!

okey lets take a look at canada :D
In Canada, the age of consent is 16. There is a close-in-age exemption for people aged 12-15. People aged 14-15 are allowed to have sex with people up to 5 years older than themself, and people aged 12-13 are allowed to have sex with people up to 2 years older than themself.
http://www.youthrights.net/index.php...Age_of_consent

thats a prove a girl can have sex in her 12 age in the 21 century LOL so what about before our time 1000 years ago or 1400 years ago? :D
here its proved the age 9 is a possible age for a girl to for marriage.

ok im gona stop here and im sure its clear like the sun in the sky.
i wont bring how was the arab Community at this time and if it was something normal for girls to marry at this age.....im sure you know her family and father were happy about this marriage so no need to post proves for that.
im sure you hate jews religions too so i wont bring to you about they saying the age of majority for girls is 3.

[Afghanistan2010]

It an ethical question,some people like at young age and some at old.