http://sudjanamihardja.blog.friendster.com/2008/11/what-was-ayesha %E2%80%99s-ra-age-at-the-time-of-her-marriage/#comments In my opinion, the age of Ayesha (ra) has been grossly mis-reported in the ahadith.

Not only that, I think that the narratives reporting this event are not only highly unreliable but also that on the basis of other historical data, the event reported, is quite an unlikely happening. Let us look at the issue from an objective stand point. My reservations in accepting the narratives, on the basis of which, Ayeshas (ra) age at the time of her marriage with the Prophet (pbuh) is held to be nine years are:

Most of these narratives are reported only by Hisham ibn `urwah reporting on the authority of his father. An event as well known as the one being reported, should logically have been reported by more people than just one, two or three. It is quite strange that no one from Medinah, where Hisham ibn `urwah lived the first seventy one years of his life has narrated the event, even though in Medinah his pupils included people as well known as Malik ibn Anas. All the narratives of this event have been reported by narrators from Iraq, where Hisham is reported to have had shifted after living in Medinah for seventy one years. Tehzibul-tehzib, one of the most well known books on the life and reliability of the narrators of the traditions of the Prophet (pbuh) reports that according to Yaqub ibn Shaibah: narratives reported by Hisham are reliable except those that are reported through the people of Iraq. It further states that Malik ibn Anas objected on those narratives of Hisham which were reported through people of Iraq. (vol 11, pg 48 - 51) Mizanul-ai`tidal, another book on the narrators of the traditions of the Prophet (pbuh) reports that when he was old, Hishams memory suffered quite badly. (vol 4, pg 301 - 302) According to the generally accepted tradition, Ayesha (ra) was born about eight years before Hijrah. But according to another narrative in Bukhari (kitabul-tafseer) Ayesha (ra) is reported to have said that at the time Surah Al-Qamar, the 54th chapter of the Quran, was revealed, I was a young girl. The 54th surah of the Quran was revealed nine years before Hijrah. According to this tradition, Ayesha (ra) had not only been born before the revelation of the referred surah, but was actually a young girl (jariyah), not an infant (sibyah) at that time. Obviously, if this narrative is held to be true, it is in clear contradiction with the narratives reported by Hisham ibn `urwah. I see absolutely no reason that after the comments of the experts on the narratives of Hisham ibn `urwah, why we should not accept this narrative to be more accurate. According to a number of narratives, Ayesha (ra) accompanied the Muslims in the battle of Badr and Uhud. Furthermore, it is also reported in books of hadith and history that no one under the age of 15 years was

allowed to take part in the battle of Uhud. All the boys below 15 years of age were sent back. Ayeshas (ra) participation in the battle of Badr and Uhud clearly indicate that she was not nine or ten years old at that time. After all, women used to accompany men to the battle fields to help them, not to be a burden on them.

According to almost all the historians Asma (ra), the elder sister of Ayesha (ra) was ten years older than Ayesha (ra). It is reported in Taqribul-tehzib as well as Al-bidayah wal-nihayah that Asma (ra) died in 73 hijrah when she was 100 years old. Now, obviously if Asma (ra) was 100 years old in 73 hijrah she should have been 27 or 28 years old at the time of hijrah. If Asma (ra) was 27 or 28 years old at the time of hijrah, Ayesha (ra) should have been 17 or 18 years old at that time. Thus, Ayesha (ra), if she got married in 1 AH (after hijrah) or 2 AH, was between 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage. Tabari in his treatise on Islamic history, while mentioning Abu Bakr (ra) reports that Abu Bakr had four children and all four were born during the Jahiliyyah the pre Islamic period. Obviously, if Ayesha (ra) was born in the period of jahiliyyah, she could not have been less than 14 years in 1 AH the time she most likely got married. According to Ibn Hisham, the historian, Ayesha (ra) accepted Islam quite some time before Umar ibn Khattab (ra). This shows that Ayesha (ra) accepted Islam during the first year of Islam. While, if the narrative of Ayeshas (ra) marriage at seven years of age is held to be true, Ayesha (ra) should not have been born during the first year of Islam. Tabari has also reported that at the time Abu Bakr planned on migrating to Habshah (8 years before Hijrah), he went to Mut`am with whose son Ayesha (ra) was engaged and asked him to take Ayesha (ra) in his house as his sons wife. Mut`am refused, because Abu Bakr had embraced Islam, and subsequently his son divorced Ayesha (ra). Now, if Ayesha (ra) was only seven years old at the time of her marriage, she could not have been born at the time Abu Bakr decided on migrating to Habshah. On the basis of this report it seems only reasonable to assume that Ayesha (ra) had not only been born 8 years before hijrah, but was also a young lady, quite prepared for marriage. According to a narrative reported by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, after the death of Khadijah (ra), when Khaulah (ra) came to the Prophet (pbuh) advising him to marry again, the Prophet (pbuh) asked her regarding the choices she had in her mind. Khaulah said: You can marry a virgin (bikr) or a woman who has already been married (thayyib). When the Prophet (pbuh) asked about who the virgin was, Khaulah proposed Ayeshas (ra) name. All those who know the Arabic language, are aware that the word bikr in the Arabic language is not used for an immature nine year old girl. The correct word for a young playful girl, as stated earlier is Jariyah. Bikr on the other hand, is used for an unmarried lady, and obviously a nine year old is not a lady.

According to Ibn Hajar, Fatimah (ra) was five years older than Ayesha (ra). Fatimah (ra) is reported to have been born when the Prophet (pbuh) was 35 years old. Thus, even if this information is taken to be correct, Ayesha (ra) could by no means be less than 14 years old at the time of hijrah, and 15 or 16 years old at the time of her marriage.

These are some of the major points that go against accepting the commonly known narrative regarding Ayeshas (ra) age at the time of her marriage. In my opinion, neither was it an Arab tradition to give away girls in marriage at an age as young as nine or ten years, nor did the Prophet (pbuh) marry Ayesha (ra) at such a young age. The people of Arabia did not object to this marriage, because it never happened in the manner it has been narrated. I hope I have been of some help. Best Regards The Learner

Reply
My answer was for your satisfaction, not for a debate, and I therefore avoided all the actual quotes. I am extremely sorry for that. In any case, I provide below my references as well as my answers to the comments of your Christian friend:

The First Argument

My first argument was: Most of these narratives are reported only by Hisham ibn `urwah reporting on the authority of his father. An event as well known as the one being reported, should logically have been reported by more people than just one, two or three. I am sure your Christian friend can see that this argument does not need any reference. It is a simple fact.

The Second Argument

My second argument was: It is quite strange that no one from Medinah, where Hisham ibn `urwah lived the first seventy one years of his life has narrated the event [from him], even though in Medinah his pupils included people as well known as Malik ibn Anas. All the narratives of this event have been reported by

narrators from Iraq, where Hisham is reported to have had shifted after living in Medinah for seventy one years. Again, the argument that all those who heard this narrative from Hisham ibn `urwah were Iraqis, is a simple statement of fact. This can be checked in the biographical sketches of these narrators in any of the books written on the narrators.

The Third Argument

My third argument was: Tehzibul-tehzib, one of the most well known books on the life and reliability of the narrators of the traditions of the Prophet (pbuh) reports that according to Yaqub ibn Shaibah: narratives reported by Hisham are reliable except those that are reported through the people of Iraq. It further states that Malik ibn Anas objected on those narratives of Hisham which were reported through people of Iraq. (vol 11, pg 48 - 51) The actual statements, their translations and their complete references are given below: i.e. Yaqub ibn Shaibah says: He [Hisham] is highly reliable, his narratives are acceptable, except what he narrated after moving over to Iraq. (Tehzibultehzib, Ibn Hajar Al-`asqalani, Arabic, Dar Ihya al-turath al-Islami, Vol 11, pg 50) i.e. I have been told that Malik [ibn Anas] objected on those narratives of Hisham which were reported through people of Iraq. (Tehzibul-tehzib, Ibn Hajar Al-`asqalani, Arabic, Dar Ihya al-turath al-Islami, Vol 11, pg 50)

The Fourth Argument

My fourth argument was: Mizanul-ai`tidal, another book on the [life sketches of the] narrators of the traditions of the Prophet (pbuh) reports that when he was old, Hishams memory suffered quite badly. (vol 4, pg 301 - 302) The actual statement, its translation and its complete references is given below: i.e. when he was old, Hishams memory suffered quite badly (Mizanul-ai`tidal, Al-Zahbi, Arabic, Al-Maktabatul-athriyyah, Sheikhupura, Pakistan, Vol 4, pg 301)

The Fifth Argument

My fifth argument was:

According to the generally accepted tradition, Ayesha (ra) was born about eight years before Hijrah. But according to another narrative in Bukhari (kitabul-tafseer) Ayesha (ra) is reported to have said that at the time Surah Al-Qamar, the 54th chapter of the Quran, was revealed, I was a young girl. The 54th surah of the Quran was revealed nine years before Hijrah. According to this tradition, Ayesha (ra) had not only been born before the revelation of the referred surah, but was actually a young girl (jariyah), not an infant (sibyah) at that time. Obviously, if this narrative is held to be true, it is in clear contradiction with the narratives reported by Hisham ibn `urwah. I see absolutely no reason that after the comments of the experts on the narratives of Hisham ibn `urwah, why we should not accept this narrative to be more accurate. The actual statements referred to in the above paragraph, their translations and their complete references are given below: i.e. Ayesha (ra) said: I was a young girl, when verse 46 of Surah Al-Qamar, [the 54th chapter of the Qur'an], was revealed. (Sahih Bukhari, kitabul-tafsir, Arabic, Bab Qaulihi Bal al-sa`atu Maw`iduhum wal-sa`atu adha wa amarr)

The Sixth Argument

My sixth argument was: According to a number of narratives, Ayesha (ra) accompanied the Muslims in the battle of Badr and Uhud. Furthermore, it is also reported in books of hadith and history that no one under the age of 15 years was allowed to take part in the battle of Uhud. All the boys below 15 years of age were sent back. Ayeshas (ra) participation in the battle of Badr and Uhud clearly indicate that she was not nine or ten years old at that time. After all, women used to accompany men to the battle fields to help them, not to be a burden on them. A narrative regarding Ayeshas (ra) participation in Badr is given in Muslim, Kitabul-jihad wal-siyar, Arabic, Bab karahiyatil-isti`anah fil-ghazwi bikafir. Ayesha (ra) while narrating the journey to Badr and one of the important events that took place in that journey, says: i.e. when we reached Shajarah. It is quite obvious from these words that Ayesha (ra) was with the group travelling towards Badr. A narrative regarding Ayeshas (ra) participation in the battle of `uhud is given in Bukhari, Kitabul-jihad wal-siyar, Arabic, Bab Ghazwil-nisa wa qitalihinna ma`alrijal. i.e. Anas reports that On the day of Uhud, people could not stand their ground around the Prophet (pbuh). [On that day,] I saw Ayesha (ra) and Umm-i-Sulaim (ra), they had pulled their dress up from their feet [to avoid any hinderance in their movement].

As far as the fact that children below 15 years were sent back and were not allowed to particpate in the battle of `uhud, it is narrated in Bukhari, Kitabulmaghazi, Bab ghazwatil-khandaq wa hiyal-ahzab, Arabic.i.e. Ibn `umar (ra) states that the Prophet (pbuh) did not permit me to participate in Uhud, as at that time, I was fourteen years old. But on the day of Khandaq, when I was fifteen years old, the Prophet (pbuh) permitted my participation.

The Seventh Argument

My seventh argument was: According to almost all the historians Asma (ra), the elder sister of Ayesha (ra) was ten years older than Ayesha (ra). It is reported in Taqribul-tehzib as well as Al-bidayah wal-nihayah that Asma (ra) died in 73 hijrah when she was 100 years old. Now, obviously if Asma (ra) was 100 years old in 73 hijrah she should have been 27 or 28 years old at the time of hijrah. If Asma (ra) was 27 or 28 years old at the time of hijrah, Ayesha (ra) should have been 17 or 18 years old at that time. Thus, Ayesha (ra), if she got married in 1 AH (after hijrah) or 2 AH, was between 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage. The relevant references required in this argument are provided below:

For the Difference of Ayeshas (ra) and Asmas (ra) Age According to Abdal-Rahman ibn abi zannad: i.e. Asma (ra) was ten years older than Ayesha. (Siyar A`lamal-nubala, Al-Zahabi, Vol 2, Pg 289, Arabic, Muassasatul-risalah, Beirut, 1992) According to Ibn Kathir: i.e. she [Asma] was elder to her sister [Ayesha] by ten years. (AlBidayah wal-nihayah, Ibn Kathir, Vol 8, Pg 371, Arabic, Dar al-fikr al`arabi, Al-jizah, 1933)

For Asmas (ra) Age at Her Death in 73 AH According to Ibn Kathir: i.e. She [Asma] saw the killing of her son during that year [i.e. 73 AH], as we have already mentioned, five days later she herself died, according to other narratives her death was not five but ten or twenty or a few days over twenty or a hundred days later. The most well known narrative is that of hundred days later. At the time of her death, she was 100 years old. (Al-Bidayah wal-nihayah, Ibn Kathir, Vol 8, Pg 372, Arabic, Dar alfikr al-`arabi, Al-jizah, 1933) According to Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani:

i.e. She [Asma (ra)] lived a hundred years and died in 73 or 74 AH. (Taqribul-tehzib, Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani, Pg 654, Arabic, Bab fil-nisa, alharful-alif, Lucknow)

The Eighth Argument

My eighth argument was: Tabari in his treatise on Islamic history, while mentioning Abu Bakr (ra) reports that Abu Bakr had four children and all four were born during the Jahiliyyah the pre Islamic period. Obviously, if Ayesha (ra) was born in the period of jahiliyyah, she could not have been less than 14 years in 1 AH the time she most likely got married. The original statement in Tabari, its translation and reference follows:i.e. All four of his [Abu Bakr's] children were born of his two wives the names of whom we have already mentioned during the pre-Islamic period.(Tarikhulumam wal-mamluk, Al-Tabari, Vol 4, Pg 50, Arabic, Daral-fikr, Beirut, 1979)

The Ninth Argument

My ninth argument was: According to Ibn Hisham, the historian, Ayesha (ra) accepted Islam quite some time before `umar ibn al-Khattab (ra). This shows that Ayesha (ra) accepted Islam during the first year of Islam. While, if the narrative of Ayeshas (ra) marriage at seven years of age is held to be true, Ayesha (ra) should not have been born during the first year of Islam. According to Ibn Hisham, Ayesha (ra) was the 20th or the 21st person to enter into the folds of Islam (Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Ibn Hisham, Vol 1, Pg 227 - 234, Arabic, Maktabah al-Riyadh al-hadithah, Al-Riyadh) While `umar ibn al-khattab was preceded by forty individuals (Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Ibn Hisham, Vol 1, Pg 295, Arabic, Maktabah al-Riyadh al-hadithah, Al-Riyadh).The Tenth

Argument
My tenth argument was: Tabari has also reported that at the time Abu Bakr planned on migrating to Habshah (8 years before Hijrah), he went to Mut`am with whose son Ayesha (ra) was engaged and asked him to take Ayesha (ra) in his house as his sons wife. Mut`am refused, because Abu Bakr had embraced Islam, and subsequently his son divorced Ayesha (ra). Now, if Ayesha (ra) was only seven years old at the time of her marriage, she could not have been born at the time Abu Bakr decided on migrating to Habshah. On the basis of this report it seems only reasonable to assume that Ayesha (ra) had not only been born 8 years before hijrah, but was also a young lady, quite prepared for marriage.

Unfortunately, I do not have the primary reference to this argument at the moment. The secondary reference for this argument is: Tehqiq e umar e Siddiqah e Kainat, Habib ur Rahman Kandhalwi,Urdu, Pg 38, Anjuman Uswa e hasanah, Karachi, Pakistan

The Eleventh Argument

My eleventh argument was: According to a narrative reported by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, after the death of Khadijah (ra), when Khaulah (ra) came to the Prophet (pbuh) advising him to marry again, the Prophet (pbuh) asked her regarding the choices she had in her mind. Khaulah said: You can marry a virgin (bikr) or a woman who has already been married (thayyib). When the Prophet (pbuh) asked about who the virgin was, Khaulah proposed Ayeshas (ra) name. All those who know the Arabic language, are aware that the word bikr in the Arabic language is not used for an immature nine year old girl. The correct word for a young playful girl, as stated earlier is Jariyah. Bikr on the other hand, is used for an unmarried lady, and obviously a nine year old is not a lady. The complete reference for this reporting of Ahmad ibn Hanbal is: Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Vol 6, Pg 210, Arabic, Dar Ihya al-turath al-`arabi, Beirut.

The Twelfth Argument

My twelfth argument was: According to Ibn Hajar, Fatimah (ra) was five years older than Ayesha (ra). Fatimah (ra) is reported to have been born when the Prophet (pbuh) was 35 years old. Thus, even if this information is taken to be correct, Ayesha (ra) could by no means be less than 14 years old at the time of hijrah, and 15 or 16 years old at the time of her marriage. Ibn Hajars original statement, its translation and reference follows:i.e. Fatimah (ra) was born at the time the Ka`bah was rebuilt, when the Prophet (pbuh) was 35 years old she (Fatimah) was five years older that Ayesha (ra). (Al-isabah fi tamyizil-sahabah, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Vol 4, Pg 377, Arabic, MaktabatulRiyadh al-haditha, al-Riyadh, 1978) These are all the references for the material I provided in my initial response. Your Christian friend, besides asking for these references has also briefly commented on my reply, he writes: And, the man which the paper was quoting from refers to Tabari. Well, Tabari also says Aisha was 9 did your learned one miss that? If you need the reference, check my paper.

Further, I also quote from Bukhari, and there are many quotes concerning Aishas age in that. Bukhari is the most highly respected hadith, so, youre going to have to do better then conjecture and assumptions. Finally, there is Abu Dawuds quote as well. all exclusively saying Aisha was 9. It seems that your friend has missed out on my point on Hisham ibn `urwah. He seems to be unaware of the fact that each one of his quoted statement, whether it is from Tabari, Bukhari, Muslim or Abu Dawud, is either narrated by Hisham ibn `urwah or is reported to the respective author by or through an Iraqi. Not even a single narrative is free from either of the two problems. I have quoted Tabari, Bukhari and Muslim to show that even their own information contradicts with the narrative regarding Ayeshas (ra) age. Thus, when the narrative of Ayeshas (ra) age is not reliable and when there is information in the same books that contradicts the narrative of Ayeshas age, I see absolutely no reason to believe that the information on Ayeshas (ra) age is accepted (when there are adequate grounds to reject it) and other (contradictory) information is rejected (when there is no ground to reject it). Regards, The Learner

Determination of the true age of Aisha

It appears that Maulana Muhammad Ali was the first Islamic scholar directly to challenge the notion that Aisha was aged six and nine, respectively, at the time of her nikah and consummation of marriage. This he did in, at least, the following writings: his English booklet Prophet of Islam, his larger English book Muhammad, the Prophet, and in the footnotes in his voluminous Urdu translation and commentary of Sahih Bukhari entitled Fadl-ul-Bari, these three writings being published in the 1920s and 1930s. In the booklet Prophet of Islam, which was later incorporated in 1948 as the first chapter of his book Living Thoughts of the Prophet Muhammad, he writes in a lengthy footnote as follows: A great misconception prevails as to the age at which Aisha was taken in marriage by the Prophet. Ibn Sad has stated in the Tabaqat that when Abu Bakr [father of Aisha] was approached on behalf of the Holy Prophet, he replied that the girl had already been betrothed to Jubair, and that he would have to settle the matter first with him. This shows that Aisha must have been approaching majority at the time. Again, the Isaba, speaking of the Prophets daughter Fatima, says that she was born five years before the Call and was about five years older than Aisha. This shows that Aisha must have been about ten years at the time of her betrothal to the Prophet, and not six years as she is generally supposed to be. This is further borne out by the fact that Aisha herself is reported to have stated that when the chapter [of the

Holy Quran] entitled The Moon, the fifty-fourth chapter, was revealed, she was a girl playing about and remembered certain verses then revealed. Now the fifty-fourth chapter was undoubtedly revealed before the sixth year of the Call. All these considerations point to but one conclusion, viz., that Aisha could not have been less than ten years of age at the time of her nikah, which was virtually only a betrothal. And there is one report in the Tabaqat that Aisha was nine years of age at the time of nikah. Again it is a fact admitted on all hands that the nikah of Aisha took place in the tenth year of the Call in the month of Shawwal, while there is also preponderance of evidence as to the consummation of her marriage taking place in the second year of Hijra in the same month, which shows that full five years had elapsed between the nikah and the consummation. Hence there is not the least doubt that Aisha was at least nine or ten years of age at the time of betrothal, and fourteen or fifteen years at the time of marriage. [4] (Bolding is mine.) To facilitate understanding dates of these events, please note that it was in the tenth year of the Call, i.e. the tenth year after the Holy Prophet Muhammad received his calling from God to his mission of prophethood, that his wife Khadija passed away, and the approach was made to Abu Bakr for the hand of his daughter Aisha. The hijra or emigration of the Holy Prophet to Madina took place three years later, and Aisha came to the household of the Holy Prophet in the second year after hijra. So if Aisha was born in the year of the Call, she would be ten years old at the time of the nikah and fifteen years old at the time of the consummation of the marriage.

Later research
Research subsequent to the time of Maulana Muhammad Ali has shown that she was older than this. An excellent short work presenting such evidence is the Urdu pamphlet Rukhsati kai waqt Sayyida Aisha Siddiqa ki umar (The age of Lady Aisha at the time of the start of her married life) by Abu Tahir Irfani.[4a] Points 1 to 3 below have been brought to light in this pamphlet. 1. The famous classical historian of Islam, Ibn Jarir Tabari, wrote in his History: In the time before Islam, Abu Bakr married two women. The first was Fatila daughter of Abdul Uzza, from whom Abdullah and Asma were born. Then he married Umm Ruman, from whom Abdur Rahman and Aisha were born. These four were born before Islam. [5] Being born before Islam means being born before the Call. 2. The compiler of the famous Hadith collection Mishkat al-Masabih, Imam Wali-udDin Muhammad ibn Abdullah Al-Khatib, who died 700 years ago, has also written brief biographical notes on the narrators of Hadith reports. He writes under Asma, the older daughter of Abu Bakr:

She was the sister of Aisha Siddiqa, wife of the Holy Prophet, and was ten years older than her. In 73 A.H. Asma died at the age of one hundred years. [6]
(Go here to see an image of the full entry in Urdu.)

This would make Asma 28 years of age in 1 A.H., the year of the Hijra, thus making Aisha 18 years old in 1 A.H. So Aisha would be 19 years old at the time of the consummation of her marriage, and 14 or 15 years old at the time of her nikah. It would place her year of birth at four or five years before the Call. 3. The same statement is made by the famous classical commentator of the Holy Quran, Ibn Kathir, in his book Al-bidayya wal-nihaya: Asma died in 73 A.H. at the age of one hundred years. She was ten years older than her sister Aisha. [7] Apart from these three evidences, which are presented in the Urdu pamphlet referred to above, we also note that the birth of Aisha being a little before the Call is consistent with the opening words of a statement by her which is recorded four times in Bukhari. Those words are as follows: Ever since I can remember (or understand things) my parents were following the religion of Islam. [8] This is tantamount to saying that she was born sometime before her parents accepted Islam but she can only remember them practising Islam. No doubt she and her parents knew well whether she was born before or after they accepted Islam, as their acceptance of Islam was such a landmark event in their life which took place just after the Holy Prophet received his mission from God. If she had been born after they accepted Islam it would make no sense for her to say that she always remembered them as following Islam. Only if she was born before they accepted Islam, would it make sense for her to say that she can only remember them being Muslims, as she was too young to remember things before their conversion. This is consistent with her being born before the Call, and being perhaps four or five years old at the time of the Call, which was also almost the time when her parents accepted Islam.

Two further evidences cited by Maulana Muhammad Ali

In the footnotes of his Urdu translation and commentary of Sahih Bukhari, entitled Fadl-ul-Bari, Maulana Muhammad Ali had pointed out reports of two events which show that Aisha could not have been born later than the year of the Call. These are as follows. 1. The above mentioned statement by Aisha in Bukhari, about her earliest memory of her parents being that they were followers of Islam, begins with the following words in its version in Bukharis Kitab-ul-Kafalat. We quote this from the English translation of Bukhari by M. Muhsin Khan:

Since I reached the age when I could remember things, I have seen my parents worshipping according to the right faith of Islam. Not a single day passed but Allahs Apostle visited us both in the morning and in the evening. When the Muslims were persecuted, Abu Bakr set out for Ethiopia as an emigrant. [9] Commenting on this report, Maulana Muhammad Ali writes: This report sheds some light on the question of the age of Aisha. The mention of the persecution of Muslims along with the emigration to Ethiopia clearly shows that this refers to the fifth or the sixth year of the Call. At that time Aisha was of an age to discern things, and so her birth could not have been later than the first year of the Call. [10] Again, this would make her more than fourteen at the time of the consummation of her marriage. 2. There is a report in Sahih Bukhari as follows: On the day (of the battle) of Uhud when (some) people retreated and left the Prophet, I saw Aisha daughter of Abu Bakr and Umm Sulaim, with their robes tucked up so that the bangles around their ankles were visible hurrying with their water skins (in another narration it is said, carrying the water skins on their backs). Then they would pour the water in the mouths of the people, and return to fill the water skins again and came back again to pour water in the mouths of the people. [11] Maulana Muhammad Ali writes in a footnote under this report: It should also be noted that Aisha joined the Holy Prophets household only one year before the battle of Uhud. According to the common view she would be only ten years of age at this time, which is certainly not a suitable age for the work she did on this occasion. This also shows that she was not so young at this time. [12] If, as shown in the previous section above, Aisha was nineteen at the time of the consummation of her marriage, then she would be twenty years old at the time of the battle of Uhud. It may be added that on the earlier occasion of the battle of Badr when some Muslim youths tried, out of eagerness, to go along with the Muslim army to the field of battle, the Holy Prophet Muhammad sent them back on account of their young age (allowing only one such youngster, Umair ibn Abi Waqqas, to accompany his older brother the famous Companion Sad ibn Abi Waqqas). It seems, therefore, highly unlikely that if Aisha was ten years old the Holy Prophet would have allowed her to accompany the army to the field of battle. We conclude from all the evidence cited above that Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was nineteen years old when she joined the Holy Prophet as his wife in the year 2 A.H., the nikah or betrothal having taken place five years previously.

The Bible on marriage of young girls with much older men

As it is Christian evangelists and other believers in the Bible who have been bitterly reviling the Holy Prophet Muhammad on account of his marriage with Aisha, we put to them the practices of the great patriarchs and prophets that are recorded in the Bible itself in this connection. The main accusations regarding the marriage of Aisha are that she was too young in age while the Holy Prophet was a much older man, being fifty years of age, and that consent to marriage was either not obtained from her or she was not capable of giving it.

Abraham
In the book of Genesis in the Bible it is recorded about Abraham: Now Sarai, Abrams wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her. Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael. (Genesis, chapter 16, verses 14, and 1516, New International Version. Bolding is mine.) Firstly, it is evident that as Abraham (who then had the name Abram) was 86 years old, Hagar must have been some fifty years younger than him, and probably even younger, to bear a child. Secondly, the Bible speaks of Sarai giving her maidservant Hagar to Abraham. So Hagars consent was not obtained but rather she was commanded by Sarai to go and become Abrahams wife.

David
The first book of Kings in the Bible begins as follows: When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. So his servants said to him, Let us look for a young virgin to attend the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm. Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. The girl was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no intimate relations with her. (1 Kings, chapter 1, verses 14, New International Version. Bolding is mine.) So there seems nothing wrong, according to the Bible, in procuring a young virgin, again apparently without her consent, whose duties include lying with the elderly king

in bed. The intention was certainly for sexual enjoyment, otherwise there was no necessity of looking for a young, beautiful virgin. A much older woman, perhaps a widow, could have performed all these duties, including lying with the king to keep him warm.

Mary and Joseph

The most famous marriage in Christianity is no doubt that of Mary, Jesus mother, with Joseph. While the following details are not in the canonical Gospels in the Bible, it appears from other early Christian writings (known as apocryphal writings) that Mary was twelve years old when the temple elders decided to find a husband for her. They selected the husband by drawing lots, and Joseph whom they chose was an elderly man, being according to some accounts ninety years old. The husband was selected and Mary was handed over to him, and she played no part in his selection. These accounts are summed up in the Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913 edition, which is available online, as follows: It will not be without interest to recall here, unreliable though they are, the lengthy stories concerning St. Josephs marriage contained in the apocryphal writings. When forty years of age, Joseph married a woman called Melcha or Escha by some, Salome by others; they lived forty-nine years together and had six children A year after his wifes death, as the priests announced through Judea that they wished to find in the tribe of Juda a respectable man to espouse Mary, then twelve to fourteen years of age, Joseph, who was at the time ninety years old, went up to Jerusalem among the candidates; a miracle manifested the choice God had made of Joseph [13] (Bolding is mine.) Although these apocryphal accounts are not now accepted by many Christians, and the Catholic Encyclopedia says that they are void of authority, yet it also speaks of their influence as follows: they nevertheless acquired in the course of ages some popularity; in them some ecclesiastical writers sought the answer to the well-known difficulty arising from the mention in the Gospel of the Lords brothers; from them also popular credulity has, contrary to all probability, as well as to the tradition witnessed by old works of art, retained the belief that St. Joseph was an old man at the time of marriage with the Mother of God. However, these accounts are accepted by the Eastern churches. The website of the Ukrainian Orthodoxy has an article on this subject entitled An Elderly Joseph which agrees with the presentation in the apocryphal writings of Joseph as an elderly man, a widower with adult children. It concludes: The Christian Easts picture of Joseph as a courageous, faithful, Godcentred elderly widower rings true. [14]

We give below, as Appendix, a quotation from one of these apocryphal books, The Infancy Gospel of James, describing how Marys husband was selected. While the Western Christian churches may not accept these accounts as authentic, the Eastern churches in Europe do accept that Mary was 12 years old and Joseph a widower 90 years old when they married. Moreover, there is nothing in the Gospels of the New Testament to contradict these accounts, and the Gospel stories are not at all inconsistent with these ages for Mary and Joseph.

References [1]. Tirmidhi, Abwab-ul-Manaqib, i.e. Chapters on Excellences, under Virtues of Aisha. [2]. Muslim Saints and Mystics, abridged English translation of Tadhkirat-ul-Auliya, by A.J. Arberry, p. 40. [3]. Bukhari, Book of Qualities of the Ansar, chapter: The Holy Prophets marriage with Aisha, and his coming to Madina and the consummation of marriage with her. For Muhsin Khans translation, see this link and go down to reports listed as Volume 5, Book 58, Number 234 and 236. [4]. Living Thoughts of the Prophet Muhammad, 1992 U.S.A. edition, p. 30, note 40. [4a]. This Urdu pamphlet was published by the Ahmadiyya Anjuman Ishaat Islam, Bombay, India. A partial English translation is available at this Lahore Ahmadiyya website. [5]. Tarikh Tabari, vol. 4, p. 50. [6]. Mishkat al-Masabih, Edition with Urdu translation published in Lahore, 1986, vol. 3, p. 300301. (Go here to see an image of the full entry in Urdu.) [7]. Vol. 8, p. 346. [8]. Those four places in Sahih Bukhari are the following: Kitab-us-Salat, ch. A mosque which is in the way but does not inconvenience people; Kitab-ul-Kafalat, ch. Abu Bakr under the protection of a non-Muslim in the time of the Holy Prophet and his pact with him; Kitab Manaqib-ul-Ansar, ch. Emigration of the Holy Prophet and his Companions to Madina; and Kitab-ul-Adab, ch. Should a person visit everyday, or morning and evening. [9]. Muhsin Khans English translation of Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 37, Number 494. See this link. [10]. Fadl-ul-Bari, vol. 1, p. 501, footnote 1. [11]. Sahih Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Jihad wal-Siyar, Chapter: Women in war and their fighting alongside men. See this link in Muhsin Khans translation and go down to report listed as Volume 4, Book 52, Number 131. [12]. Fadl-ul-Bari, vol. 1, p. 651. [13]. In article St. Joseph, under letter J. Here is a link to this article in the online Catholic Encyclopedia. [14]. Here is a link to this article An Elderly Joseph.

Appendix: The Infancy Gospel of James, Chapter 8 verse 2 to Chapter 9 verse 11 When she [Mary] turned twelve, a group of priests took counsel together, saying, Look, Mary has been in the temple of the Lord twelve years. What should we do about her now, so that she does not defile the sanctuary of the Lord our God? And they said to the high priest, You have stood at the altar of the Lord. Go in and pray about her. And if the Lord God reveals anything to you, we will do it. And the priest went in taking the vestment with twelve bells into the holy of holies and prayed about her. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord stood before him, saying, Zachariah, Zachariah, depart from here and gather the widowers of the people and let each one carry a staff. And the one whom the Lord God points out with a sign, she will be his wife. So the heralds went out to the whole surrounding area of Judea and the trumpet of the Lord rang out and all the men rushed in. Throwing down his axe, Joseph went out to meet them. And after they had gathered together with their rods, they went to the high priest. After receiving everyones rod, the high priest went into the temple and prayed. When he was finished with the prayer, he took the rods and went out and gave them to each man, but there was no sign among them. Finally, Joseph took his rod. Suddenly, a dove came out of the rod and stood on Josephs head. And the high priest said, Joseph! Joseph! You have been chosen by lot to take the virgin into your own keeping. And Joseph replied, saying, I have sons and am old, while she is young. I will not be ridiculed among the children of Israel. And the high priest said, Joseph, fear the Lord your God and remember what God did to Dathan and Abiron and Kore, how the earth split open and swallowed them because of their rebellion. Now fear God, Joseph, so that these things do not happen in your house. Fearing God, Joseph took her into his own possession. Translation by Shelly Matthews, available at this link. For other translations of this gospel see this