𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭 𝐌𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐝 ﷺ 𝐀𝐧𝐝 ‘𝐀𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐡 رضي الله عنها
Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR
By Online Islamic Comparative Religions Study
𝐖𝐡𝐨’𝐬 𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞?
“It is a person who is sexually attracted to children.” The prophet Muhammad pbuh was never sexually attracted to children. If you claim Aisha was CHILDREN, either you still need to redefine the word pedophile or you need to know more about Aisha or you are a brainwashed frustrated f00l.
Biblical sources say Mary was about 11-12 years when she married Joseph at 90. If you compare the age difference between Mary and Joseph to that of prophet Muhammad pbuh and Aisha, you’d see the great difference
The definition of the age of ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did the marriage contract with her as being six years, and of the age when he consummated the marriage with her as being nine years, is not a matter of ijtihad (individual opinion) on the part of the scholars, such that we could argue whether it is right or wrong; rather this is a historical narration which is proven by evidence that confirms its soundness and the necessity of accepting it.
Aisha was already engaged to a non-Muslim, Jubayr ibn Mut’im. It would have been socially unacceptable for Abu Bakr to have broken the engagement. However, with the will of Allah, the engagement was repudiated by the potential groom’s family on account of their disbelief in Islam, enabling Aishah to be engaged to the Prophet SAW.
However, if we look at the historical accounts of the social structure of the time, Aisha was already engaged to another man prior to her marriage to the Prophet SAW, indicating that it was socially acceptable for marital alliances between families to be forged at an early age.
Also, women during that time reached maturity relatively quickly – psychologically, emotionally, and physically – due to their upbringing and surroundings. In the case of Aisha, she attained intellectual, physical, and emotional maturity exceptionally fast compared to her peers.
If we look at the various claims made against the Prophet SAW during his lifetime and after – he was called a madman, a liar, a magician, possessed by the devil – yet not one of these claims, even by his own worst enemies, touched upon his marriage to Aisha.
Had the marriage been controversial, his enemies would have scandalized and sensationalized the event. Yet no claims of this sort were raised for hundreds and hundreds of years, whether by the pagan Arabs, the Romans, or any of the subsequent societies, until very recently.
If allegations were made against the Prophet SAW in respect of abuse or impropriety during the marriage, then one would expect all these claims to surface after his death when Aisha was free to speak without fear of repercussion from the Prophet SAW. Yet, even after his death, there is not a single recorded account of any complaint or statement about their marriage, save that the Prophet SAW was the best of husbands and that the marriage was an extremely happy and harmonious one.
In today’s society, very few, if any, women would describe their husbands in such unequivocal terms. Aisha was nineteen when the Prophet SAW passed away, and until her own death over forty-five years later, she spoke of him lovingly. The aspersion cast upon the marriage by the modern media is totally unsubstantiated, as there is not a single recorded statement to support any of these claims.
Although the engagement took place while Aisha was six or seven, they were only married around three years later, shortly after she migrated to Medina, by which time she had reached puberty.
𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 & 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐥
During the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the Arab pagans were his enemies and were looking for any means to destroy him or assassinate him.
They even went ahead calling him a madman, a sorcerer, etc and they never said he was lusting after children.
When he married Aishah, no one among his enemies like Abu Lahab, Abu Jahl, Abu Sufyan, etc ever said it was wrong. Do you know why? Because it was culturally correct.
Secondly, it’s proven that women mature very fast and differently in different areas, climates, and conditions. So, it’s obviously clear maturity differs from place to place, time to time and it’s an injustice to use our current situation to judge the past without having been in that past time.
Lina Marcela Medina de Jurado born 23 September 1933 is a Peruvian woman who became the youngest confirmed mother in history when she gave birth aged five years, seven months, and 21 days; why not talk about her?
𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐥
Psychologists say the Sexualization of children negatively impacts a girl’s cognitive functioning as well as their physical and mental health.
Doctor of adolescent medicine Meg Meeker writes, “Teenage sexual activity routinely leads to emotional turmoil and psychological distress.
Psychologists also say it affects the brain from functioning properly, causes depression, anxiety, memory problem, and being unable to retain information for long, etc
If the above is the psychological problems attributed to a girl when she has multiple sexual intercourses when not mature, then our mother Aishah the wife of our beloved prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was mature for marriage, why? Because she did what people suffering from the aforementioned can’t do. She was able to memorize more than 2000 ahadith, etc
𝐅𝐞𝐰 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭 𝐌𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐝 ﷺ 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 ‘𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐡
Apart being Allah’s decree and command, below are a few;
The characteristics of intelligence and smartness that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had noticed in ‘Aa’ishah even as a small child, so he wanted to marry her so that she would be more able than others to transmit reports of what he did and said.
The love of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for her father Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him), and the persecution that Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) had suffered for the sake of the call of truth, which he bore with patience.
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐚 𝐢𝐛𝐧 𝐀𝐛𝐮 𝐁𝐚𝐤𝐫?
Out of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, two have received prominence above the others. The first was Khadija, and the second was Aisha. Aisha was the favorite daughter of one of the Prophet’s favorite companions, Abu Bakr, and was the most beloved wife of the Prophet SAW after Khadijah.
Sawdah, the Prophet’s SAW second wife, and Aisha entered the life of the Prophet’s SAW household after the death of Khadijah. If we recall, the Messenger of Allah SAW never had another wife for over two decades during the time he was married to Khadijah. He was deeply grieved by her death, and it is acknowledged that he still felt sorrow at her passing years later.
Those around the Prophet SAW understood the sadness that he faced, not just for the loss of his lifetime companion, but also for the other turbulent events that happened in what we now call the Year of Sadness. While many were concerned and offered their support in their own individual ways, Khawlah bint Hakeem was the one who took the initiative and broached the subject of marriage with the Prophet SAW.
Khawlah was the wife of `Uthmaan ibn Math`oon, both of them being among the first persons to embrace Islam. It was Khawlah who originally suggested that Abu Bakr should offer his daughter Aisha for marriage to the Prophet SAW. For the sake of completeness, it is worth mentioning that it was also Khawlah who initiated the marriage of Sawdah to the Prophet SAW, however, we shall not be covering this aspect in this article.
The suggestion to marry Aisha, while well received, proved to be diplomatically delicate for Abu Bakr, for the six-year-old Aisha was already engaged to a non-Muslim, Jubayr ibn Mut’im. It would have been socially unacceptable for Abu Bakr to have broken the engagement. However, with the will of Allah, the engagement was repudiated by the potential groom’s family on account of their disbelief in Islam, enabling Aisha to be engaged to the Prophet SAW.
𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞
We pause at this juncture to deal with a sensitive topic, which is the age of Aisha during the marriage. Of late, this has created an unnecessary controversy. However, if we look at the historical accounts of the social structure of the time, Aisha was already engaged to another man prior to her marriage to the Prophet SAW, indicating that it was socially acceptable for marital alliances between families to be forged at an early age.
Also, women during that time reached maturity relatively quickly – psychologically, emotionally, and physically – due to their upbringing and surroundings. In the case of Aisha, she attained intellectual, physical, and emotional maturity exceptionally fast compared to her peers.
If we look at the various claims made against the Prophet SAW during his lifetime and after – he was called a madman, a liar, a magician, possessed by the devil – yet not one of these claims, even by his own worst enemies, touched upon his marriage to Aisha. Had the marriage been controversial, his enemies would have scandalized and sensationalized the event. Yet no claims of this sort were raised for hundreds and hundreds of years, whether by the pagan Arabs, the Romans, or any of the subsequent societies, until very recently.
If allegations were made against the Prophet SAW in respect of abuse or impropriety during the marriage, then one would expect all these claims to surface after his death when Aisha was free to speak without fear of repercussion from the Prophet SAW. Yet, even after his death, there is not a single recorded account of any complaint or statement about their marriage, save that the Prophet SAW was the best of husbands and that the marriage was an extremely happy and harmonious one.
In today’s society, very few, if any, women would describe their husbands in such unequivocal terms. Aisha was nineteen when the Prophet SAW passed away, and until her own death over forty-five years later, she spoke of him lovingly. The aspersion cast upon the marriage by the modern media is totally unsubstantiated, as there is not a single recorded statement to support any of these claims.
𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞
Although the engagement took place while Aisha was six or seven, they were only married around three years later, shortly after she migrated to Medina, by which time she had reached puberty. She moved into the household of the Prophet SAW. It was not luxurious by any means, the room was barely six feet wide, built beside the mosque out of clay and palm trees.
The ceiling was so low that a person standing upright could touch the roof. The room was sparsely furnished with a mattress of palm leaves that lay on a mat. It was not a room of worldly wealth, but it was rich in spiritual treasures.
The Messenger of Allah SAW later told Aisha, “You have been shown to me in (my) dreams on three nights. An angel was carrying you in a silken cloth and said to me, `This is your wife.’ And when I uncovered it; behold, it was you. I then said: `If this dream is from Allah, He will cause it to come true.’” [Bukhari and Muslim].
Aisha said “I have been given nine (virtues) that were not given to any woman after Maryam bint Imran (the mother of Nabi Isa AS): Jibril AS descended with my picture in his sleep until Allah’s Messenger SAW was commanded to marry me; he had married me when I was a virgin and he never married any virgin besides me; his soul was taken while his head was on my lap and he was buried in my house.
The angels had surrounded my house, I am the daughter of his Khalifah and his Siddiq; my excuse was revealed from heaven. I was created pure. I have been promised forgiveness (of sins) and noble provision.”
Thus, this was a marriage between two exceptional people – the last of the Prophets who was nearing the end of his life, and a woman still at the beginning of hers. Aisha was a very intelligent and observant young girl with an extremely sharp memory.
Due to her proximity to the Prophet Muhammad SAW, she was able to recount and educate the ummah on intimate details regarding marital relationships, personal grooming, medical prescriptions, and behavior within the household.
Aisha spent approximately nine or ten years of her life with the Prophet SAW. Her greatest asset was not her youth or beauty, but her piety, extraordinary generosity, ability to record the sayings and behavior of the Prophet SAW, her accurate memory, and her intimate knowledge of the Qur’an. She absorbed knowledge like a sponge and this ability made her the educator and transmitter of sacred knowledge to men and women. A great deal of the knowledge that we still have today, about how our beloved Prophet SAW lived and behaved, was first remembered and then taught to others by Aisha.
Aisha became so wise that one of her contemporaries used to say that if her knowledge of Aisha was placed on one side of the scale and that of all other women on the other, Aisha’s side would outweigh the other. She used to sit with the other women and transmit the knowledge that she had received from the Prophet SAW long after he had died.
As long as she lived, she was a source of knowledge and wisdom for both women and men. Abu Musa once said, “Whenever a report appeared doubtful to us, the Companions of the Prophet SAW, and we asked Aisha about it, we always learned something from her about it.”
As the prophetic guidance continued to be revealed through Prophet Muhammad SAW during the years of their marriage, Aisha’s way of life – along with that of all the Muslims – was gradually reshaped and refined. It was during this time that Islamic jurisprudence was established and when the rites of worship in Islam were finalized and clarified. In other words, it was during their marriage that the teachings of the religion of Islam were perfected.
Aisha was once asked to describe the Prophet SAW, and she replied that he was ‘the Qur’an walking’, meaning that his behavior was the Qur’an translated into action. She did all that she could to do likewise. Thus she not only knew and embodied the Sunnah.
But also she memorized the Qur’an by heart, understood it, and lived it. Such knowledge was eventually compiled in various Islamic literature, providing an encyclopedia for generations to come, supporting the Muslims and even the Caliphs of the later generations.
It was during the course of their marriage that, amongst others, the battles of Badr, Uhud, and Al-Khandaq (the Ditch) were fought. These were the three major battles against the Quraish, that shifted the balance of power out of the hands of the disbelievers and into the hands of the Muslims.
Although she was still very young, Aisha participated in them all, bringing water for the Muslim warriors, and helping to look after the wounded. She witnessed the life, and she witnessed death – both in the way of Allah and in the way of the disbelievers – and she understood both. Indeed one of the meanings of her name, Aisha, is ‘life’.
Aisha’s knowledge was like a beacon that illuminated the hearts and minds of Muslims for generations to come. This is not surprising, for she is one of the four people who have transmitted more than two thousand hadiths, the others being Abu Huraira, Abdullah ibn Umar, and Anas ibn Malik RA. Al-Haakim said in his book, Al-Mustadrak. “One-fourth of the rule of Sharee`ah was narrated on the authority of Aisha.”
Umar Ibn Al Khattab, during his own Caliphate, said that without Aisha, he would be lost and destroyed, in every small and big issue, he used to ask her for advice and consultation. How many Muslim men today seek consultation from a woman if she has more piety and knowledge than them? How many Muslim men today respect their wives, spouses, daughters, or anyone in society for their knowledge and caliber, regardless of their gender? How many Muslim women today are authorities on religious knowledge and texts?
Allah knows Best