Aisha's Age

of Marriage
Moe married a six year old girl, and claimed divine sanction for the act. She was still playing with dolls
when he took er to bed three years later. You are about to see muttawir ahadith (from several narrators) all
but one of which confirm her age as years when Moe married her.
http://www.muslimaccess.com/sunnah/hadeeth/muslim/008.html#008.33
09
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
married me when I was six years old, and I was admitted to his house at the age of nine.
She further said: We went to Medina and I had an attac of fe!er for a month" and my hair
had come down to the earlobes. #mm $uman (my mother) came to me and I was at that
time on a swing along with my playmates. She called me loudly and I went to her and I did
not now what she had wanted of me. She too hold of my hand and too me to the door"
and I was saying: %a" ha (as if I was gasping)" until the agitation of my heart was o!er. She
too me to a house" where had gathered the women of the Ansar. &hey all blessed me and
wished me good luc and said: May you ha!e share in good. She (my mother) entrusted me
to them. &hey washed my head and embellished me and nothing frightened me. Allah's
Messenger (" may peace be upon him) came there in the morning" and I was entrusted to
him.
Book 008, Number 3310:
'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him)
married me when I was six years old, and I was admitted to his house when I was nine years
old.
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 se!en years old" and he was taen to his house as a bride when
she was nine" and her dolls were with her' and when he (the %oly (rophet) died she was
eighteen years old.
Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 62, Number 64 :
)arrated 'Aisha:
that the (rophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage
when she was nine years old" and then she remained with him for nine years (i.e." till his
death).
Volume 7, Book 62, Number 65:
)arrated 'Aisha:
that the (rophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage
when she was nine years old. %isham said: I ha!e been informed that 'Aisha remained with
the (rophet for nine years (i.e. till his death).* what you now of the +uran (by heart)'
Volume 7, Book 62, Number 88:
)arrated '#rsa:
&he (rophet wrote the (marriage contract) with 'Aisha while she was six years old and
consummated his marriage with her while she was nine years old and she remained with
him for nine years (i.e. till his death).
Volume 5, Book 58, Number 236:
)arrated %isham's father:
,hadi-a died three years before the (rophet departed to Medina. %e stayed there for two
years or so and then he married 'Aisha when she was a girl of si. years of age" and he
consumed that marriage when she was nine years old.
Sunan Abu Dawud Book 41, Number 4915 :
!arrated "isha, #mmul Mu$minin%
&he "postle of "llah (peace'be'upon'him) married me when ( was seven or six. )hen we came
to Medina, some women came. according to *ishr$s version% #mm +uman came to me when (
was swinging. &hey took me, made me prepared and decorated me. ( was then brought to the
"postle of "llah (peace'be'upon'him), and he took up cohabitation with me when ( was nine.
She halted me at the door, and ( burst into laughter.
Book 41, Number 4917:
!arrated "isha, #mmul Mu$minin%
)hen we came to Medina, the women came to me when ( was playing on the swing, and my hair
were up to my ears. &hey brought me, prepared me, and decorated me. &hen they brought me to
the "postle of "llah (peace'be'upon'him) and he took up cohabitation with me, when ( was
nine.
Volume 9, Book 87, Number 139:
)arrated 'Aisha:
Allah's Apostle said (to me)" */ou were shown to me twice in (my) dream. 0ehold" a man was
carrying you in a silen piece of cloth and said to me" *She is your wife" so unco!er her"' and
behold" it was you. I would then say (to myself)" 'If this is from Allah" then it must happen.'
*
Volume 9, Book 87, Number 140:
)arrated 'Aisha:
Allah's Apostle said to me" */ou were shown to me twice (in my dream) before I married you.
I saw an angel carrying you in a silen piece of cloth" and I said to him" '#nco!er (her)"' and
behold" it was you. I said (to myself)" 'If this is from Allah" then it must happen.' &hen you
were shown to me" the angel carrying you in a silen piece of cloth" and I said (to him)"
'#nco!er (her)" and behold" it was you. I said (to myself)" 'If this is from Allah" then it must
happen.' *
Volume 7, Book 62, Number 15:
)arrated 'Aisha:
Allah's Apostle said (to me)" */ou ha!e been shown to me twice in (my) dreams. A man was
carrying you in a silen cloth and said to me" '&his is your wife.' I unco!ered it' and behold"
it was you. I said to myself" 'If this dream is from Allah" %e will cause it to come true.' *
Volume 7, Book 62, Number 57:
)arrated 'Aisha:
Allah's Apostle said (to me)" */ou were shown to me in a dream. An angel brought you to
me" wrapped in a piece of silen cloth" and said to me" '&his is your wife.' I remo!ed the
piece of cloth from your face" and there you were. I said to myself. 'If it is from Allah" then it
will surely be.' *
Volume 7, Book 62, Number 18:
)arrated '#rsa:
&he (rophet ased Abu 0ar for 'Aisha's hand in marriage. Abu 0ar said *0ut I am your
brother.* &he (rophet said" */ou are my brother in Allah's religion and %is 0oo" but she
(Aisha) is lawful for me to marry.*
Asha's Marriage
Effect on Shari'ah
)hy does "llah set forth a post divorce waiting period for girls who have not reached puberty, (ddah only
applies to a consummated marriage. &his ayeh assumes that Muslims will marry, have intercourse with and
divorce pre-pubescent girls. ( .uote the !oble /ur$an trans. Hilali & Khan
65:4. "nd those of your women as have passed the age of monthly courses, for them the $(ddah
(prescribed period), if you have doubts (about their periods), is three months, and for those who have
no courses 0(i.e. they are still immature) their $(ddah (prescribed period) is three months likewise,
except in case of death1 . "nd for those who are pregnant (whether they are divorced or their husbands
are dead), their $(ddah (prescribed period) is until they deliver (their burdens), and whosoever fears
"ll2h and keeps his duty to 3im, 3e will make his matter easy for him.
)hy does Shari$ah codify provisions for divorcing pre-pubescent girls, 4+eliance of the &raveller1
5hapter !6.7% " )oman$s 8ostmarital )aiting 8eriod (9(dda)
(:% Meaning the period in which a woman waits (!% before she may remarry) to verify that she is not
pregnant, or out of mourning for her deceased husband.)
(!% (f the waiting period finishes after a once-or twice-pronounced divorce, the wife is free to marry
another man or to remarry the husband with a new contract-returning to the latter with the number of
times left (one or two) needed to enact a threefold, finali;ed divorce (dis% n<.<)= while if the waiting
period of a less-than-thrice-pronounced divorce has not yet expired, the husband may take her back
(def% n<) without a new contract.)
(n% &he husband$s obligation to support her during the waiting period is discussed at m>>.>7 above.)
!6.>
&here is no waiting period for a woman divorced before having had sexual intercourse with her
husband.
!6.?
" waiting period is obligatory for a woman divorced after intercourse, whether the husband and wife
are prepubescent, have reached puberty, or one has and the other has not.
(ntercourse means copulation (def% n<.<). (f the husband was alone with her but did not copulate with
her, and then divorced her, there is no waiting period.
Yes, it is in 3edaya as well, @olume 9, page >?A, column ?.
4Beware of possible O! errors in He"a#a $%otes& '# (ision is not sharp eno%gh.!ote archaic
language B typefaceCC Ddit really is the wordCE
"nd of one not subFect to courses, three
months= and of one who is pregnont, the
term of her travail.-&3D Ddit of a )oman
who, on amount of extreme youth or age,
is not subFect to the menstrual discharge,
is three months, because God has so ordained
in the sacred writings.-&he Ddit of a preg-
nant woman is accomplished by her dehvery,
whether she be a slave or fre, because God,
in the sacred writings, has so ordained re-
specting woman in that situatan.
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123*
(t is obvious that those provisions flow directly from Moe$s marriage to "isha because his sunna is half of
Shari$ah.
)hy does (slamic law set provide for a father to marry off his pre-pubescent daughter without her
consent,
',-2, Guardians are of two types, those who
may compel their female charges to marry someone,
and those who may not.
(>) &he only guardians who may compel
their charge to marry are a virgin bride$s father or
father$s father, compel meaning to marry her to a
suitable match (def% mH) without her consent.
(?) &hose who may not compel her are not
entitled to marry her to someone unless she
accepts and gives her permission.
)henever the bride is a virgin, the father or
father$s father may marry her to someone without
her permission, though it is recommended to ask
her permission if she has reached puberty. " virgin$s
silence is considered as permission.
"s for the nonvirgin of sound mind, no one
may marry her to another after she has reached
puberty without her express permission, no matter
whether the guardian is the father, father$s
father, or someone else.
+isaala differs slightly.
I?.?a. " father arranging the marriage of a virgin daughter
" father can arrange the marriage of his virgin daughter without her permission even if she is
beyond the age of puberty. (t is up to him whether he consults her or not.
0&o whomever he wants for the dowry he wishes, even for less than a suitable dowry. 3e can give her
choice, and it states in al-Jawahir and elsewhere that it is recommended that he ask her permission.1
http:))www-ba#t%lisla'-org)4oc%'ents)fi$h)i'a''ali5)6he7!isala7A76reatise7on7Mali5i7
8i$h-p"f0page1,+.
3edaya is not so direct, it discusses the case of the adult daughter, touching this issue tangentially.
"n adult virgin cannot be married against
her will.-(& is not lawful for a guardian to
force into marriage an adult virgin against
her consent.-&his is contrary to the
doctrine of Shafei, who accountis an adult virgin
the same as an infant, with respeet to marK
riage, since the former cannot be ac.uaintted
with the nature of marriage any more than
the latter, as being e.ually uninformed with
respect to the matrimonial state whence it
is that the father of such an one is em-
powered to make sei;in of her dower without
her consent.-&he argument of our doctor
is that the woman, in this case, is free and
a Mokhatiba (that is, subFect to all the obli-
gatory observances of the law, such as fasti
ing, prayer, and so forth), wherefore no peri
son is endowed with any absolute authority
of guardianship over her % contrary to the
case of infants, over whom others are needsK
sarily endowed with this authority, the
understanding of such being defective,
whereas that of an adult is held complete,
in conse.uence of her having attained to
years of discretion = for, if it were otherwise,
she would not be subFect to the ...
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1/,