Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) married Hazrat Ayesha Razi Allahu Anha when she was almost 9 years of age, and this marriage was done by the guidance of Almighty Allah. No decision of Allah is devoid of wisdom. Indeed, He knows the best reason behind this marriage but Islamic scholars agreed that Aisha Razi Allahu Anha had so many virtues that her intellectual erudition and marvelous memory served her well in disseminating the large prophetic heritage. Her young aged brain was more competent to comprehend and store the whole life of the great Prophet(sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Her childhood was spent under her father who was the best companion of Rasool Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and later her adolescence happened to be spent with the finest man among mankind!

In short, her life revolved around the two strongest personalities of Islam which flourished her a true asset to Muslims. She lived for fifty years after the death of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and the companions used to seek her juristic opinion on issues that seemed intricate to them. The renowned historian Al Zuhri said that if all the knowledge of the Prophet’s wives were measured along with the knowledge of all women, the knowledge of ‘Aisha Razi Allahu Anha would weigh more. Many ill-intentioned orientalists raised heinous accusations regarding the young age of lady ‘Aisha Razi Allahu Anha at the time of her marriage to Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) but they failed to comprehend that it was 1400 years ago. In fact, Bibi Ayesha Razi Allahu Anha was engaged to another man before the prophet’s proposal. This was a customary practice and not a source of shame or denigration of morality as early marriages were so well-known in that era. And what about Aisha Razi Allahu Anha? Was she a minor when she agreed to marry Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam)?

First, it is very important to note that in Islam, it is strictly prohibited to marry before the age of puberty (Quran 4:6). It is to be noted that the age of puberty differs at various times and places. Girls can enter puberty anytime between the ages of 9-15 and, it is a scientific fact. Also, the average temperature of a country is considered the main factor concerning menstruation and sexual puberty. When Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) proclaimed his prophecy, many people who refused his message tried every method and tactic to push him (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and discredit Him. They were always looking for possibilities to criticize him verbally or even physically. Some of these verbal abuses consisted of calling him a Magician, Soothsayer, or Crazy and many other things (Nauzubillah) that had hurt him (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) a lot. However, they never considered pointing out or protest to his marriage to Ayesha Razi Allahu Anha. The question that arises here is why? Why did they let this chance to criticize him? Because this was the norm of society, and early marriages were completely normal. Early marriages were not only the norm for Arabs but all over the world in that era. It is a fact that girls from the ages of 9-14 were married off in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.

  • Saint Augustine ~350AD married a 10-year-old girl.
  • King Richard II ~1400AD married a 7-year-old.
  • Henry VIII ~1500AD married a 6-year-old.

Before 1929, the Church of English ministers could marry 7-year-olds in Britain. Before 1983, Catholic canon law permitted priests to marry off brides at the age of 12. In the United States, in the country of Delaware in 1880, the minimum age for marriage was 7 years old and in California was 10 years of age and many people do not know this fact. So, you see, it wasn’t very surprising for men to marry girls of such a young age till very recent times.

Moreover, did you know, that Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), had only one wife, Khadijah, throughout the first 54 years of his (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) life? Did you know that she was a widow? Did you know that she was 15 years older than him? He (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) spent his entire youth with her. He (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) was committed to her until and after her death by keeping bonds with her friends. Prophet’s (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) marriage to Aisha Razi Allahu Anha, therefore, involved the benefits of Islam and the ummah more than his (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) interests.