Prophet Mohammad, Peace Be Upon Him, Married Aisha Peace be upon her, at the Age of 19, Not 9:
مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ “Whoever tells a lie against me (intentionally), then (surely) let him occupy his seat in Hell-fire.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 110)
Refuting the Allegation: The allegation that Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, married Aisha (pbuh) when she was 9 years old is false and a very harsh accusation against our beloved Prophet. This is never proven by the Holy Quran and not even by unintentional historical facts.
Historical Facts: Asma bint Abi Bakr (pbuh), the older sister of Aisha (pbuh), passed away in the year 73 AH (692 CE) at the age of approximately 100 years. She was about ten years older than her sister Aisha (pbuh). This information is corroborated by various early Islamic historical sources.
References from Early Islamic Books:
- “Siyar A’lam an-Nubala” (سير أعلام النبلاء) by Imam adh-Dhahabi: This book provides a biography of notable figures in Islamic history, including Asma bint Abi Bakr(pbuh). It states that she lived to be around 100 years old and died in 73 AH.
- “Al-Isti’ab fi Ma’rifat al-Ashab” (الاستيعاب في معرفة الأصحاب) by Ibn Abd al-Barr: This comprehensive work on the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) includes details about Asma’s (pbuh) life and age at her death.
- “Al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya” (البداية والنهاية) by Ibn Kathir: Ibn Kathir mentions Asma’s (pbuh) age and the year of her death, confirming that she was about 100 years old when she passed away in 73 AH.
Conclusion: If Asma Peace be upon her died at the age of 100 years in 73 AH, then she was 27 years old at the time of the Hijrah (100 – 73 = 27). Aisha Peace be upon her was 10 years younger than Asma (pbuh), Aisha (pbuh) would have been 17 years old at the time of the Hijrah. Two years latter Aisha (pbuh) married Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in 2 AH, which means (17+2=19) she was 19 years old at the time of her marriage, not 9 years old. This is undeniable fact about the age of Aisha (pbuh) at the time of her marriage she was 19 years old.
Proof from the Holy Quran:
in Surah An-Nisa (4:6): “وَٱبۡتَلُواْ ٱلۡيَتَـٰمَىٰ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغُواْ ٱلنِّكَاحَ” (Sahih International: “And test the orphans [in their abilities] until they reach marriageable age.“)
Most people think it means the starting of a girl’s periods, so when it starts, it means the age of marriage is reached. Not at all. You do not need to do any test ٱبۡتَلُواْ to know about a woman’s periods. When a girl gets her period, she tells simply her mom, and then everything is okay. It is an apparent thing need not to be tested with differents methods.
The word “ٱبۡتَلُواْ” is to search and test to know about an unknown hidden thing, and that is in this case, the ability and the maturity of a person able to make a marriage covenant by him/herself to be tested. Imam Raghib (died AH 502), one of the pioneer Arabic grammarians, wrote about it, and the Arabic–English dictionary by Edward William Lane (died 1876) has quoted it too: “The learning the state, or condition, of the object, and becoming acquainted with what was unknown of the case thereof.” (Er-Rághib, TA).
“ٱبۡتَلُواْ” means test orphan whether they are mature for a marriage covenant and its responsibilities. It’s the same as: You don’t need a test to know when a child starts walking. You just see it. On the other hand, “ٱبۡتَلُواْ” is a complicated way to test
someone with different methods and discovering a person’s hidden abilities. Allah uses oft this word in the Holy Quran to test people in good or bad situations to see if they are doing what Allah wills.
what Quran says about Marriage:
- (4:21) “مِّيثَـٰقًا غَلِيظً۬ا” Sahih International: a solemn covenant. In this ayat, Allah describes marriage as a firm covenant. How can a child make such a covenant?
- (4:24) “مُّحۡصِنِينَ غَيۡرَ مُسَـٰفِحِينَۚ” Mufti Tariq Usman: Binding yourself (in marriage) and not only for lust. In this ayat, Allah tells us the purpose of marriage, not only for lust but for binding yourself to the responsibilities of marriage. A child cannot be made responsible for that.
- زَوْج: The Noble Quran uses the word “زَوْج” for marriage, which means a pair. A pair implies mutual compatibility, compensation, and equality. How can a child be a pair for a mature adult man?
- (65:4) “لَمۡ يَحِضۡنَۚ” Sahih International translates this as “those who have not menstruated.” It is commonly assumed that this refers to girls who have not started menstruating and she is married, and it is written in Quran. This cannot be accurate because “يَحِضۡنَ” is an imperfect verb in the jussive mood (فعل مضارع مجزوم). It cannot be used for a common habitual process of menstruation. The jussive mood implies that these women should have menstruated but have not, both in the past and continuing to the present. This could refer to a known illness called secondary Amenorrhea in adult women, where they should normally menstruate but do not due to an underlying systemic illness or other unknown reasons. “لَمۡ يَحِضۡنَۚ” is used to count the ‘iddah for such women.
- لَمۡ is very strongly denial. even Allah use it for himself (sūrat l-ikhlāṣ)(112:3): Sahih International: He neither begets nor is born. How we can use it for habitual menstruation in girl that can start menstruating at any time.
Any assumption that “لَمۡ يَحِضۡنَۚ” mean, women who do not menstruate are child-women is incorrect because it contradicts all three verses above, and the Holy Quran has no contradictions. - The Quran Almighty says in many places about Muhammad, peace be upon him: he says, “I only follow what is revealed to me.”
- Surah Al-Ahqaf (46:9)
- Surah Al-An’am (6:50)
- Surah Yunus (10:15)
Muhammad (peace be upon him), every bit of his life was according to the Noble Quran, and Almighty Quran acknowledge that. How could he marry a child girl when the Quran Almighty has not allowed it?