In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially

Merciful.
Indeed, all Praises is due to Allah, we praise Him, seek His Help and Forgiveness and we
seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own souls and the evil consequences of our
actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, no-one can lead him astray and whomsoever He
leaves astray, none can guide him. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship
except Allah, the Most High and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and final
Messenger – sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam.

Through the centuries, orientalists have advance numerous accusations and far-
fetched theories to discredit Islam and its last Prophet, Muhammad (peace be
upon him). Praise be to Allah alone, all such accusations have been successfully
refuted by the Muslims Ummah. Currently, one of the ‘reinvented’ accusations
against the noble character of the Prophet is about his marriage to young Aisha
Siddiqa (may Allah be pleased with her).
Let’s probe some of the orientalists’ charges in detail in the light of modern
research, historic evidence and the Islamic sources of the Quran and the Sunnah
to separate truth from falsehood, and display to the world that Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is indeed an exemplary for all of mankind.
Two main theories are often advance by orientalists to attack the pure character
of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on his marriage to Aisha (may Allah be pleased
with her) at her young age.

Therefore, I have created this note to answer those who accuse Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) of marrying a 9-year old and also calling him
a “Pedophile”.

I would like to bring the following points to their notice and then they are free to decide.

A). First of all, it is important to know:

Aisha's parents were the ones who married her to our Prophet, and that no
Muslim or even pagan objected to the marriage because it was widely practiced.
And even until today in 3rd world countries (Muslims and non-Muslims), little girls
as young as 9 or 10 do get married. Anyway, the reason no one objected was to
the Prophet's marriage was:

1. People used to have very short life-spans in Arabia. They used to live
between 40 to 60 years maximum. So it was only normal and natural
for girls to be married off at ages 9 or 10 or similar to men of old ages.
2. Marriage for young girls was widely practiced among Arabs back then,
and even today in many third-world non-Muslim and Muslim countries.

B). The maturity of women in that era was much earlier than men
physically as well as mentally:
It is important to know that girls during the Biblical and Islamic days used to be married
off at young ages when they either had their first periods, or their breasts start showing
off. In other words, when they turn into "women", then they get married off. It was
quite different for men on the other hand, because physical power and the ability
of living an independent life had always been and will always be a mandatory
requirement for men to have in life. So men waited much longer than women in terms of
getting married. The guy had to develop both his body and mind before he was ready for
marriage.
That is why you see girls as young as 9 or 10 were married to men as old as 30 or even
older. The culture back then and in many third world countries today (NON-MUSLIM
ONES TOO) is quite different than what you live in today.

So to call Prophet Muhammad a pedophile for marrying a girl that was OFFERED TO
HIM by her parents and was accepted by all of the people back then including the
enemies of Islam, the pagans, is quite absurd.

Now to come on the main allegations:

C). He was a Pedophile.
D). He was involved in child abuse.
Let’s analyze each theory to dig out the truth, through the Guidance of Allah (may He be
Exalted and Glorified).

C). Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) married Aisha (may Allah be pleased with
her) because he was a pedophile?

Definition of a Pedophile:
“Pedophile: also spelled PEDOPHILIA, psychosexual disorder in which an adult’s
arousal and sexual gratification occur primarily through sexual contact with prepubescent
children. The typical pedophile is unable to find satisfaction in an adult sexual
relationship and may have low self-esteem, seeing sexual activity with a child as less
threatening than that with an adult.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 1998 “pe.do.phil.ian [NL]
(1906 sexual perversion in which children are the preferred sexual object —
pe.do.phil.i.ac or pe.do.phil.ic adj.” Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary

The diagnostic criteria for pedophilia according to American Psychiatric

Association:
# Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent intense sexual urges and sexual arousing
fantasies involving sexual activity with a prepubescent child or children.
# The person has acted on these urges, or is markedly distressed by them.
# The person is at least 16 years old and at least 5 years older than the child or children in
C.

DSM-III-R Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, ed 3, revised,

copyright American Psychiatric Association.
“In addition to their pedophilia, a significant number of pedophiles are concomitantly or
have previously been involved in exhibitionism, voyeurism, or rape”. (Voyeurism’s the
recurrent preoccupation with fantasized or acts that involve seeking out or observing
people who are naked, or are engaged in grooming or in sexual activity”. Synopsis of
psychiatry, Harold I. Kaplan et al., 5th ed., pg360, Publishers: Williams and Wilkens,
1988

Does the Prophet fit the above criteria of a pedophile?

With the above criteria of a pedophile in mind, lets analyze the lifestyle of the prophet
and his marriages.

Name of Bride Bride’s age at Comments

marriage
Khadija bint khawilad 40 Twice widowed before
Sauda Bint Zama 50 Widow
Aisha bint Abu Bakr 9 Started living with the
prophet at the age of 9.
Hafsa Bint Umar bin 22 Widow
Khattab
Zainab bint Khuzaima 30
Umm-I-Salma bint 26 Widow
Abu Umayia
Zainab Bint Jahash 38 Widow
Juwaeria Bint Harith 20 Widow
Umm-I-Habiba bint 36 Widow
Abu Sufyan
Marya Qibtiya bint 17 Virgin, Egyptian
shamun
Safia bint Hayi bin 17 Widow
Akhtab
Raihana bint umru bin Not available
hanafa
Maimuna bint harith 36 Widow

Source: The Prophet of Islam, the Ideal Husband, by Syed Abu Zafar Zain, Kazi
Publications, Lahore, Ist Ed., pg. 10-12

Statistics from the above table:

Percentage of his wives who were 17years and older = 91 %
Percentage of his wives who were widows = 75%
Comment: The statistics show that the prophet’s marriage to Aisha at her young age was
an exception and not a norm of his other marriages. Furthermore ‘a pedophile’s main
mode of sexual satisfaction is with prepubescent girls’, which is contradictory to the 91%
of prophet’s marriage to women 17 years and over. Also as I have stated above that in
those times women used to get mature early and therefore it can be said that Aisha (May
Allah be pleased with her) was also matured i.e. attained puberty and therefore not a
‘prepubescent girl’. An unbiased examination of Prophet’s life and his marriages to his
wives blatantly rejects the notion of his lifestyle fitting that of a pedophile. All his brides
were aged widows (except Aisha and Marium).
Moreover, according to the criteria in the references cited above in ‘Synopsis of
Psychiatry’, a vast majority of pedophiles possess a history of exhibitionism, voyeurism,
or rape. Again, there is no single reference from either religious or secular sources that
the noble Prophet ever indulged in such sadistic behavior (God forbid). This truth is
observed and accepted by both Muslims and unbiased non-Muslims scholars.
“It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of
Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for
that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I
put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel
whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that
mighty Arabian teacher.” – Annie Besant, THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF
MUHAMMAD, Madras, 1932, p. 4.

D. Others claim that the noble Prophet (peace be upon him) indulged in child-abuse
when he married Aisha at her young age.

Let scrutinize this allegation…

Definition of Child Abuse:

Child Abuse, also called CRUELTY TO CHILDREN, the willful and unjustifiable
infliction of pain and suffering on children. The term can denote the use of inordinate
physical violence; unjustifiable verbal abuse; the failure to furnish proper shelter,
nourishment, medical treatment, or emotional support; incest; other cases of sexual
molestation or rape; and the making of child pornography. Frequently described by the
medical profession as the “battered-child syndrome,” abusive treatment of children is
almost universally proscribed by criminal statutes. Child abuse can have serious future
consequences for the victims involved. Delays in physical growth, impaired language and
cognitive abilities, and problems in personality development, learning, and behavior are
common following instances of child abuse or neglect. Encyclopedia Britannica, 1998
Comment: None of the criteria of child-abuse applies to the noble life of the Prophet
(pbuh). There is no single incident of any infliction of pain and suffering by the prophet
on Aisha or any other human being for that matter. Neither any instance of verbal or
sexual abuse can be concluded from the relationship of the prophet with Aisha (may
Allah be pleased with her) or any of his wives.
An abused child can have serious future consequences…delayed physical growth,
impaired language. learning and behavior…etc (above definition). As one examines the
chaste life of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), her personality, physical, mental
and spiritual development are all contrary to that of an abused child. In fact through the
Prophet’s marriage and his guidance to Aisha, history testifies that she should be labeled
not as an abused child but as a ‘blessed child’.

After analyzing and refuting the accusations against the noble character of Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him), the only viable alternative left with us is:
E. The Prophet married Aisha for the benefit of Islam and Humanity.

Lets analyze…

The Prophet married Aisha primarily for three reasons:

# To educate and train Aisha so she may serve the purposes of Islam.
# To teach her to utilize her capabilities for the sake of Islam.
# To reinforce the friendly relations already existing with Abu Bakr (his closest
companion).

# Her Marriage with the prophet was a Wahi (Divine Revelation). She, herself relates
from the Prophet, ‘He said, “I saw you in dreams three times. The angel brought you to
me and you were clad in white silk. He (the angel) said that it was your consort and he
(angel) showed me by opening your face. You are just like that…” Sahih Muslim, Vol.2,
p.285.
# Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was born after her parents had embraced Islam.
Therefore, she was free from the defilement of polytheism right from her birth.
# In her youth, already known for her striking beauty and her formidable memory, she
came under the loving care and attention of the Prophet himself. As his wife and close
companion she acquired from him knowledge and insight such as no woman has ever
acquired.
Aishah lived on almost fifty years after the passing away of the Prophet. She had been his
wife for a decade. Much of this time was spent in learning and acquiring knowledge of
the two most important sources of God’s guidance, the Quran and the Sunnah of His
Prophet. Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was one of the three wives [the other
two being Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with her) and Umm Salamah (may Allah be
pleased with her)] who memorized the Revelation. Like Hafsa (may Allah be pleased
with her), she had her own script of the Quran written after the Prophet had died.
# So far as the Hadith or sayings of the Prophet is concerned, Aishah (may Allah be
pleased with her) is one of four persons (the others being Abu Hurrah, Abdullah ibn
Umar, and Ana ibn Malik) who transmitted more than two thousand sayings. From her,
2210 Hadith have come, out of which 174 Hadith are commonly agreed upon by both
Bukhari and Muslim. Many of her transmissions pertain to some of the most intimate
aspects of personal behavior which only someone in Aisha’s position could have learnt.
What is most important is that her knowledge of Hadith was passed on in written form by
at least three persons including her nephew Urwah who became one of the greatest
scholars among the generation after the Companions. It is the claim of the Scholars of
Islam that without her, half of the Ilm-I-Hadith [knowledge, understanding of the Hadith
(and Islam)] would have perished.
# Many of the learned companions of the Prophet and their followers benefited from
Aishah’s knowledge. Abu Musa al-Ashari once said: “If we companions of the
Messenger of God had any difficulty on a matter, we asked Aisha about it.”

“Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Said ibn al-Musayyab that
Abu Musa al-Ashari came to Aishah, the wife of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, and said to her, “The disagreement of the companions in a matter which
I hate to bring before you has distressed me.” She said, “What is that? You did not ask
your mother about it, so ask me.” He said, “A man penetrates his wife, but becomes
listless and does not ejaculate. “She said, “When the circumcised part passes the
circumcised part ghusl is obligatory.” Abu Musa added, “I shall never ask anyone about
this after you.” Al-Muwatta of Imam Malik Hadith 2.75

Arwa Bin Zubair says, “I did not find anyone more proficient (than Aisha (may Allah be
pleased with her)) in the knowledge of the Holy Quran, the Commandments of Halal
(lawful) and Haram (prohibited), Ilmul-Ansab and Arabic poetry. That is why, even
senior companions of the Prophet used to consult Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her)
in resolving intricate issued“.Jala-ul-Afham by Ibn Qaiyem and Ibn Sa’ad, Vol.2, p.26

Abu Musa al-Ashari says: “Never had we (the companions) had any difficulty for the
solution of which we approached Aisha and did not get some useful information from
her“.Sirat-I-Aisha, on the authority of Trimidhi, pg. 163

# As a teacher she had a clear and persuasive manner of speech and her power of oratory
has been described in superlative terms by al-Ahnaf who said: “I have heard speeches of
Abu Bakr and Umar, Uthman and Ali and the Khulafa up to this day, but I have not heard
speech more persuasive and more beautiful from the mouth of any person than from the
mouth of Aishah.”
The Prophet said, “The superiority of ‘Aisha to other ladies is like the superiority of
Tharid (i.e. meat and bread dish) to other meals. Many men reached the level of
perfection, but no woman reached such a level except Mary, the daughter of Imran and
Asia, the wife of Pharaoh.” Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith, Narrated by Abu Musa Al Ashari
Hadith 4.643
Musa Ibn Talha (may Allah be pleased with her) says, “I did not see anyone more
eloquent than Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her)” Mustadrak of Hakim, Vol.4, p.11
# Men and women came from far and wide to benefit from her knowledge.
Aisha’s great interest in the study of the Qur’an is understandable. She was an eye-
witness to a number of revelations and had therefore a clear idea of the circumstances in
which they were revealed. It was on her bed alone (and no other consort’s) that the
Prophet received Wahi (Divine Revelations) several times. This helped her in interpreting
the verses.
# At the time of the Prophet’s death, the Prophet’s head was on her lap. It was in her
quarters that the Prophet was buried.
The life of Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) is a proof that a woman can be far
more learned than men and that she can be the teacher of scholars and experts. Her life is
also a proof that a woman can exert influence over men and women and provide them
with inspiration and leadership. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) is a continuing
inspiration and role model to today’s youth who are diligently searching for an example
amongst the pop stars, movie actresses and sports stars. May the memory of her’s live
forever in the heart of the Muslim Ummah and may Allah grant her the highest abode in
Paradise…Aameen.

F). The Middle East and other Cultures:

If you take the time to study a little bit about the history of the tribes in South America,
Middle East, Africa, India and the far eastern Oriental countries 1400 years ago, you
would find that many tribes even until today allow the marriage of females at a very
young age.

Do you think it is fair for you to come today and attack our beloved Prophet and call him
a child molester when nobody 1400 years ago from his tribe had objected to his
marriage? Not even the Pagans of Mecca, nor the Jews and Christians of Medina ever
objected to it or used it as a point against Islam as anti-Islamic do today.

We all need to understand the culture that we are talking about. Life in the Middle East is
a very simple one. It is a lot simpler than what our brain can imagine, because the
simplest to us here in America may be a very difficult or complicated thing to them in the
Middle East especially for those folks who live in tribes in the rural areas where they
don't have TV, electricity, or any electrical equipment. They live on natural water and
survive on what they have available from fruits, vegetables and animals as food.

Parents look at the girl's physical appearance when they prepare her for marriage. They
don't care about her age. She could be 9 or 13, it doesn't matter.

Whereas in today’s world, any girl or boy is considered as child till under 18 years of
age. This was not the case 14 centuries ago.

G). Conclusion:

It was the aforementioned qualities of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) and the
Prophet’s guidance in molding these capabilities for the service of Islam, were the main
reasons, why the Prophet Married young Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), and not
the perverted reasons brought forth by misguided orientalists.
Muslims invite all sincere humans to study the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon) in the light of the authentic sources of the Quran and the Sunnah (exemplary
sayings and deeds of the Prophet) and judge for themselves where the truth lies. Indeed,
by recognizing the truth of Islam as the final and complete Guidance sent by our Creator
can humanity find lasting peace in this world and a means of salvation from the hell fire
in the hereafter.

Source of Points A, B & E: http://www.answering-christianity.com/aisha.htm

Source of Points C, D, F & G: http://islamgreatreligion.wordpress.com/2009/05/31/was-
muhammad-a-pedophile-an-examination-of-muhammads-relationship-with-a-nine-year-
old-girl/

From here things are from me taken randomly from net as well as
offline:
H). A little more info on the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him):

A lot of non-Muslims who know something about Islam as a religious practice are
nonetheless in the dark when it comes to real knowledge of Muhammad (Be peace and
blessings upon him). This, despite the fact that Muhammad (Be peace and blessings upon
him) is the guiding, human spirit of the religion.

Alphonse De La Martine, a historian, wrote in his book, History of the Turks, “If
greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results are the three criteria for
judging a human genius, who dare to compare any man in modern history with
Muhammad?” (Be peace and blessings upon him)

This is because he was true Messenger of God and was the last and the greatest of all the
prophets sent to provide guidance to all classes, ranks and grades in every age, time and
clime.

"A model which can serve for every class of the people acting under different
circumstances and states of human emotions will be found in the life of Muhammad
peace be upon him. If you are rich, there is the example of the tradesman of Mecca and
the master of Bahrain's treasure; if you are poor, you can follow the internees of Sha`b
Abi Talib and the emigree of Medina; if you are a king, watch the actions of the Ruler of
Arabia; if you are a conqueror, lay your eyes on the victor of Badr and Hunayn; if you
have suffered a defeat, take a lesson from the one discomfited at Uhad; if you are a
teacher, learn from the holy mentor of the school of Suffah, if you are a sermoner, direct
your eyes to the discourser delivering lectures in the mosque of Medina; if you have
brought your enemy to his knees, look at the conqueror of Mecca; if you want to
administer your lands and properties, discover how the lands and groves of Bani an-
Nadir, Khaybar and Fadak were managed; if you are an orphan, do not forget the child of
Amina and 'Abdullah left to the tender mercy of Halima; if you are young, see the
character of Mecca's young man; if you have a travelling business, cast a glance at the
leader of the caravan under way to Busra ; if you are a judge or arbiter, look at the umpire
entering the holy sanctuary before the peep of dawn and installing Hajr Aswad in the
K'aba, or the justice of peace in whose eyes the poor and the rich were alike; if you are a
husband, study the behaviour of the husband of Khadija and 'Aisha; if you are a father, go
through the biography of Fatima's father and the grandfather of Hassan and Hussain; in
short, whoever and whatever you may be, you would find a shining example in the life of
the Prophet to illuminate your behaviour. If you have the life of the Prophet before you,
you can find the examples of all the prophets, Noah and Abraham, John and Jonah and
Moses and Jesus. If the life and character of each prophet of God were deemed to be a
shop selling the wares of one commodity, that of Muhammad (peace be upon him) would
verily be a variety store where goods of every description can be had to suit the tastes and
needs of all.''
--------with minor alteration from Syed Sulaiman Nadwi in "Muhammad, Thc Ideal
Prophet", (Be peace and blessings upon him)

Michael Hart , author of 'The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History'
said: "My choice of Mohammed (saw) to lead the list of the world's most influential
persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only
man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level."

“I have studied him – the wonderful man and in my opinion far from being an anti-Christ,
he must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume
the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way
that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness: I have prophesied about the
faith of Muhammad that it would be acceptable to the Europe of tomorrow as it is
beginning to be acceptable to the Europe of today.” George Bernard Shaw, THE
GENUINE ISLAM, Vol. 1, No. 81936.

Though, the Prophet is not among us in his flesh, but his exemplary life has been
preserved for all humanity to follow.
When Truth comes Falsehood disappears.

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Thanks for reading the note.

May Allah guide all the Right Path of Islam and make all Muslims steadfast on his
religion. Ameen.