Muhammad’s Marriage to Aisha

Sunan of Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 4915: Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu’minin: The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) married me when I was seven or six. When we came to Medina, some women came. according to Bishr’s version: Umm Ruman came to me when I was swinging. They took me, made me prepared and decorated me. I was then brought to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), and he took up cohabitation with me when I was nine. She halted me at the door, and I burst into laughter.

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/abudawud/041.sat.html#041.4915

* They took her as she was playing on a swing, and brought her to Muhammad to live with him (and to consummate the marriage). Her laughter is due to shyness. Her laughter does not imply that she is content with beginning a sexual relationship at 9 years old with Muhammad (who was 53 at the time), but it does indicate that this was culturally accepted. In other words, they did not drag her off kicking and screaming according to Muslim sources. She knew that this was expected of her.

It is sad to imagine what it must be like for a child to enter such a situation. What is even more sad is that since Islam claims that its teachings are valid until the end of time, Muhammad’s marriage to Aisha sets a precedent for child marriages amongst Muslims which continue to this very day. These child marriages are akin to a sort of slavery, as these young girls are often throughly dominated and are made to live at the pleasure of their husbands. Many of them are physically abused (hitting your wife is allowed in Islam), and if they refuse to have sex at 9 years old they are raped anyhow. It is really just a horrible practice and I don’t believe ancient societies were justified in coming up with this practice.

Sunan of Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 4917: Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu’minin: When we came to Medina, the women came to me when I was playing on the swing, and my hair were up to my ears. They brought me, prepared me, and decorated me. Then they brought me to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and he took up cohabitation with me, when I was nine.

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/abudawud/041.sat.html#041.4917

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 151: Narrated ‘Aisha: I used to play with the dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my girl friends also used to play with me. When Allah’s Apostle used to enter (my dwelling place) they used to hide themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me. (The playing with the dolls and similar images is forbidden, but it was allowed for ‘Aisha at that time, as she was a little girl, not yet reached the age of puberty.) (Fateh-al-Bari page 143, Vol.13)

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/073.sbt.html#008.073.151

* Aisha is living with Muhammad, they are sexually active, and she still plays with dolls. This is pretty disturbing.

Sahih Muslim, Book 008, Number 3311: ‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) married her when she was seven years old, and he was taken to his house as a bride when she was nine, and her dolls were with her; and when he (the Holy Prophet) died she was eighteen years old.

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/008.smt.html#008.3311

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 57, Number 119: Narrated Hisham’s father: The people used to send presents to the Prophet on the day of ‘Aisha’s turn. ‘Aisha said, “My companions (i.e. the other wives of the Prophet) gathered in the house of Um Salama and said, “O Um Salama! By Allah, the people choose to send presents on the day of ‘Aisha’s turn and we too, love the good (i.e. presents etc.) as ‘Aisha does. You should tell Allah’s Apostle to tell the people to send their presents to him wherever he may be, or wherever his turn may be.” Um Salama said that to the Prophet and he turned away from her, and when the Prophet returned to her (i.e. Um Salama), she repeated the same, and the Prophet again turned away, and when she told him the same for the third time, the Prophet said, “O Um Salama! Don’t trouble me by harming ‘Aisha, for by Allah, the Divine Inspiration never came to me while I was under the blanket of any woman amongst you except her.”

http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/057.sbt.html#005.057.119

* It seems that the people understood how stressful it is to be a young child who is in a sexually active marriage with a 53 year old man. They thus send her presents to comfort her.

* Aisha is Muhammad’s favorite wife, and it is only while in bed with her that he feels creative and inspired to come up with additional ideas for the Quran. She excites him very much and invokes life in him. Normally a young, attractive woman would be very stimulating for a man, but how stimulating could a 9 year old be? Aisha would not have even filled out as a young woman until about 14 years of age, and Muhammad dies when she is about 18. It is just very troubling to think that a Prophet of God – the greatest Prophet and greatest human being ever created – is rushing home to sleep with a child every night. I mean, is he really enjoying being with Aisha between the ages of 9 and 14 or 15? 

16th-century version of a 14th-century original painting showing Fatima (foreground), on her way to a Jewish wedding party, receiving a parcel of the green cloak brought by the Angel Gabriel from Paradise, in the presence of Mohammed (on the right), his young wife Aisha (next to him), and family members. Currently in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin. 

Fiqh Rulings on Child Marriage

The Jafari School (Shia):

2519. A wife who is under nine and who is in her menopause will not be required to observe any waiting period. It means that, even if the husband has had sexual intercourse with her, she can remarry immediately after being divorced.

2520. If a wife who has completed nine years of her age and is not in menopause, is divorced by her husband after sexual intercourse, it is necessary for her to observe the waiting period of divorce. The waiting period of a free woman is that after her husband divorces her during her Pak period, she should wait till she sees Haidh twice and becomes Pak. Thereafter, as soon as she sees Haidh for the third time, her waiting period will be over and she can marry again. 

If, however, a husband divorces his wife before having sexual intercourse with her, there is no waiting period for her and she can marry another man immediately after being divorced, except if she finds traces of her husband’s semen in her private part, then she should observe Iddah.

2524. If a woman who has completed nine years of age, and is not in menopause, contracts a temporary marriage, for example, if she marries a man for a period of one month or a year and the period of her marriage comes to an end, or her husband exempts her from the remaining period, she should observe Iddah. If she sees Haidh, she should observe Iddah for two periods of Haidh, and cannot marry again during that period. 

But if she does not see Haidh, then she should refrain from marrying another man for forty five days. And if she is pregnant, she should observe Iddah till the birth or miscarriage of the child, or for forty five days and as a recommended precaution, she should wait for whichever period is longer.

http://majalla.org/books/law/244.html

* By menopause they mean that she does not menstruate yet. The wrong English word was used in translation.

* Sunni schools of law carry the same types of rulings (Shi’i schools of law are actually derived from the Sunnis) with the exception of temporary marriage, which the Sunnis do not allow for anyone any longer.