The Best Couple Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Aisha (R.A) [Part 3]

“Your Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was Pedophile” the most infuriating comment of the 21^st century quoted by critics of Islam and Muslims try to avoid it as long as possible. Before going into details one must be wondering what a Pedophile is and Why the Best person in History Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is charged by this? Pedophile or Child Molester or Child offender or Child Predator is a person who is attracted towards young Children and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) marriage with Aisha (R.A) is said to be an act of this.  There is no denying the fact that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the most cultured and well-behaved mortal who ever walked on the face of this earth.  His words, knowledge and personality are incomparable to anyone. His kindness, love and affection guided humanity from the darkest valleys of ignorance and into the light of satisfaction and truthfulness. Although he was not educated from any school or any scholarly institution, still he was popular for his honesty and kindness that earned him the titles “Sadiq” and “Ameen”.  He forgave all men after conquering Mekkah even though the Mekkah was the inhabitant of worst enemies of Islam and of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) himself. He preached his followers kindness and morality and made it a religious obligation.

critics portrait some Islamic principles and actions of the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) in such a way that one may think that he was the biggest antisocial element who ever breathed in the soils of Arabia.  These critics left no stone unturned to portrait Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) as terrorist, criminal or worst of all a “PEDOPHILE”. They say that Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was a happy man because he had 11 wives and it is not hard to imagine in which sense they are meaning. These critics highlight prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) as “Pedophile” because he married a nine old girl Ayesha (R.A). For a detail study of what a Pedophile is and what are its types, please read the first part: https://www.alquranclasses.com/?p=770

Read Second Part at: https://www.alquranclasses.com/?p=775

*MUHAMMAD (PEACE BE UPON HIM) & AYESHA (R.A) MARRIAGE*

1. A SOCIO-POLITICAL MARRIAGE: So why Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did marry Ayesha (R.A)? In old days, marriages were also seen as a source of strengthening relationships and cementing ties. A book The Royal Bastards of Medieval England says, “Laymen in medieval Europe saw marriage as the key to both property transfer and political alliance…If the son of one house married the daughter of another house it was a visible sign of alliance between the two houses…This political aspect of marriage explains why betrothal was so important in the Middle Ages: the betrothal indicated that the diplomatic agreements which underlay the union had been concluded…” but this was in not only practiced in medieval ages but also thousands of years back. The marriage of Prophet Muhammad was also a socio-political, Sir William Muir writes about Prophet Muhammad’s marriage to Aisha:”He [Muhammad] contracted a second marriage with Ayesha, the young daughter of Abu Bakr—a connection mainly designed to cement the attachment with his bosom-friend [Abu Bakr].”(Sir William Muir’s The Life of Mahomet, p.208). Washington Irving wrote:”He [Muhammad] sought, by this alliance, to grapple Abu Bekr still more strongly to his side.“(Washington Irving’s Life of Muhammad). Ayesha (R.A) was the daughter of Abu-bakar (R.A), the first khalifa of Islam but Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also married Hafsa (R.A) a widowed daughter of Umer (R.A), the second khalifa of Islam, thus the marriage of Ayesha (R.A) with Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was due to socio-political reasons not for satisfying any kind of pedophilic desires.

2. NOBEL WOMEN MARRIED EARLY: In old days, noble women married early in their ages. In the article “Medieval Marriage and Childbirth”, we find that noblewomen of Europe were routinely married off under the age of ten: For many noble-born or royal women [of Europe], marriage could and often did take place at a young age. There are many instances or very young girls being betrothed and married under the age of 10 years old. (Women of History, http://womenofhistory.blogspot.com/2007/08/medievalmarriage-childbirth.html) but this was not just limited medieval ages, it was also practiced long time ago and Ayesha (R.A) was the daughter of nobleman of Arabia Abu-bakar (R.A).

3. HAD MUHAMMAD (PEACE BE UPON HIM) LUST FOR AYESHA (R.A)? : Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never had lust of marrying Ayesha (R.A), It is narrated in Musnad Ahmad that the name of Aisha was first proposed to Prophet Muhammad by a woman named Khaulah. This proves two points: firstly, had the marriage been considered pedophilia, and then certainly a woman would not have proposed the idea. Khaulah certainly saw nothing amiss about the marriage. The second point—of great importance here—is that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not himself bring up Aisha’s name, so there is no question about any pedophilic desires. Rather, someone else brought up her name and most likely due to the fact that she had just lost her fiancé. What a loss Abu Bakr must have felt when his daughter’s betrothal was broken off. And so, Prophet Muhammad offered to marry Aisha himself, and how elated Abu Bakr must have been! It was just a coincidence that her daughter was six years old when she was betrothed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). If Muhammad (peace be upon him) had lust for children then he could have abandoned her after few years as all pedophiles do after the child has passed their preferred age. Dr.Estela V Weldon remarked, “This is evident when the specific child reaches an age, no longer within the preferential rang, will be immediately discarded and replaced by another one of the ‘the’ particular favorite age.” If Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a pedophile then why did he wait for Ayesha (R.A) for three years as pedophiles work hard to fight all barriers just to satisfy their abnormal sexual desire? She also remarked, “If the patient practices pedophilia, he or she will claim to have no option and that no amount of threat or legal injunction will prevent him or her from engaging in the perverse activity.” Although Ayesha was a young virgin and beautiful girl still her beauty and charm wasn’t able to fade away the unbounded love which Mohammad (peace be upon him) had for her first 40 year old wife khadija. Narrated ‘Aisha: Once Hala bint Khuwailid, Khadija’s sister, asked the permission of the Prophet to enter. On that, the Prophet remembered the way Khadija used to ask permission, and that upset him. He said, “O Allah! Hala!” So I became jealous and said, “What makes you remember an old woman amongst the old women of Quraish an old woman (with a teethless mouth) of red gums who died long ago, and in whose place Allah has given you somebody better than her?” (Sahih Al-bukhari Vol.5, book58, hadith 168)

4. WAS AYESHA (R.A) READY FOR MARRIAGE? : Islamophobes criticized that Ayesha (R.A) was immature and married early before she could attain maturity. It’s the general consensus between the Islamic scholars that Ayesha (R.A) had reached her sexual maturity and that is why Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) waited three years till she became sexually mature. If he had to molest her, he could have done those three years before. Although, it looks a bit odd that a nine year old girl was married to an adult like Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) but this was thousands of years of ago when such marriages were a part of culture and if it was something ‘bad’ then people like Abu-jahal and other enemies of prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would have use this polemic against him. After all, these idolaters left no stone unturned in their insults to Muhammad (peace be upon him) and criticize each and every action taken by him but they never criticize this act a single time, why? Because it was a cultural norm and there were many examples of young brides other than Ayesha (R.A).There are countless examples of young brides in those days, such as Umm Kulthoom bint Ali, Fatima bint al-Mundhir, Bint `Izz al-Dawla Bakhtyar, and many others! Interestingly, the Christian missionaries during the middle Ages never used this polemic against the Prophet. We find that they would oftentimes accuse Prophet Muhammad of being a polygamist but never did they refer to him as a pedophile or anything of that sort. It was only in the post-industrial era that the Christians began slandering the Prophet for his marriage to Aisha, forgetting the reality that their own Christian history is full of their prophets, kings, nobles, and saints who would marry young brides of the same age as Aisha. Besides, Ayesha herself said, “When a girl reaches nine year of age, She is a woman. [Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Nikah]”. So Ayesha (R.A) was sexually mature or at least for her it’s true because girls living in hot areas mature early than girls living at cold areas.

5. AYESHA(R.A)’S DOLLS: Islamophobes state that Ayesha (R.A) brought dolls when she joined Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) which is true but this does not prove that she was immature. In early days, there was no MTV, shopping malls, mp3 player and other accessories as we have today so girls at that time both adult and immature play with dolls as those girls normally do not go to work thousand years back; they have to take care of the house and circumscribed in a single house made them bored so just to refresh themselves they play with dolls. This does not prove that she was immature. In fact, many teenage girls love to receive which we called ‘stuffed animals’ today. In fact, a recent survey carried out by Travelodge and published in Sky News showed that 15% of adult women sleep with their teddy bears. (http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2240697.html).   One reference website states: “The toy dolls that existed before the 1700’s served chiefly as playthings for adults as well as for children…The first dolls specifically for children probably were made in the 1700’s.”(How Stuff Works, http://reference.howstuffworks.com/doll-encyclopedia.htm). An anti Islamic website tried to prove that Ayesha (R.A) was pre-pubertal by giving the argument that in Islam post-pubertal girls are not allowed to play with dolls but pre-pubertal girls are exempted from it but Ayesha (R.A) moved to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)’s house when she had dolls with her, this proves that she was pre-pubertal. Well! This argument is weak but first readers must know that Shariah laws are derived from Quran and Sunnah, from both sources there is no clear order that post-pubertal girls are not allowed to play with dolls. Actually there is a hadith in which Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade Muslims to make grave images. However, we have another hadith in which Ayesha (R.A) was playing with dolls and Muhammad (peace upon him) did not rebuke her for that. So how to reconcile with two events, actually there is a difference of views regarding this and one of the view is that ‘She was pre-pubertal’ but like I said it’s just one view there are more views regarding this and Ibn Hajar himself gave numerous views regarding this; It could probably because Image making was forbidden only after the hadith in which Ayesha (R.A) played with dolls,  Aisha (R.A) ‘s dolls did not resemble any human or animal as dolls on those days were mainly made of wool as it confirmed by the hadith “We used to make toys of wool for the boys, and if anyone of them cried, he was given those toys until it was time of the breaking of the fast.”(Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 181), even Shaykh Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari said: “If the dolls do not have a head, meaning they do not have eyes, ears, nose, and mouth which make them incomplete, then it will be permissible to make them…It has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with them) and others, that a picture without a head is not a picture, thus permissible…The dolls which Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) played with was not of the type we have today” and the third is that she was pre-pubteral and Ibn-Hahar himself said that the third opinion is seriously ‘questionable’ even if we agree that she was pre-pubertal its Ibn-Hajar was not meaning that she was sexually immature but rather pre-menarche since in Islam ‘puberty’ has two meanings ‘sexual maturity’ and ‘age of accountability’, for intercourse first condition should be fulfilled and for other usage such as prayer menses applies and Ibn-hajar was using the second meaning of puberty. Even if someone say that this is the age of accountability then still it can be proven that she was still post-pubertal. Islamic Scholars agreed by consensus (Ijma) that a girl reaches the age of accountability if one of the condition fulfills when she reach 15 year of age,  growth of hair around private parts, she starts menstruate, when she emits mainy. Only one of the four conditions needs to be met in order for a person to be considered “post-pubertal” (baligh) according to Islamic Law (Shari’ah).  Now I shall prove that she was not pre-pubertal and thus was not exempted from the prohibition of sculptures. To prove Ayesha pre-pubeteral, the website gave the following hadith,  “When the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) arrived after the expedition to Tabuk or Khaybar (the narrator is doubtful), the draught raised an end of a curtain which was hung in front of her (Aisha’s) store-room, revealing some dolls which belonged to her. He (the Messenger of God) asked: “What is this?” She replied: “My dolls.” …”(Sunan Abu Dawood, Book 41, and Number 4914).  We know about the history of the battle of Tabuk, it took place at 9 A.H and the marriage was consummated on 1 A.H when she was nine years old it means she was almost seventeen, it means that she was post-pubertal. The battle of Khaybar took place two years before i.e. 7 A.H so her age would be around fourteen but still she may have had her pubarche (which is also the condition for the age of accountability) since the average age of that is eleven. More importantly, an overwhelming 97% of girls reach pubarche by thirteen years of age. We read:

“Delayed Puberty…What’s normal? Approximate mean ages for onset of various pubertal changes are as follows. Ages in parentheses are the approximate 3rd and 97th percentiles for attainment. For example, less than 3% of girls have not yet achieved thelarche by 13 years of age”Pubarche 11y 8.5-13.5y)  (http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Delayed:puberty.html). It is much more likely than that Aisha was playing with dolls without distinct facial features, and as such, she was not in violation of any prohibition. Even if we say that certain dolls are forbidden to post-pubertal girls, Aisha’s dolls were not of that type, evidenced by the fact that she played with them when she was most definitely postpubertal.We leave it to the Islamaphobes to deny an overwhelming 97% probability. There is only a 50% chance that the event took place at Khaybar instead of Tabuk, meaning that the Islamaphobes are holding onto a 1.5% possibility that Aisha was prepubertal at the time. (Simple arithmetic: 50% chance it was Khaybar, and 3% chance she had not reached pubarche, so 0.5×0.03=0.015).

6. MUHAMMAD (PEACE BE UPON HIM) DREAMING ABOUT AYESHA (R.A): Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to her: “You were shown to me twice in a dream. I saw that you were wrapped in a piece of silk, and it was said, this is your wife.’ I uncovered her and saw that it was you. I said, if this is from Allah then it welcome to pass.'” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 3682). As to whether this is a prophetic vision as it appears to be, or a regular dream that may be subject to interpretation, there was a difference of opinion among the scholars, as mentioned by al-Haafiz in Fath al-Baari, 9/181). Besides, pedophilic dream is a sexual dream where the pedophile is molesting a child or his victim but it should also be noted that Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not have any trait of pedophilia so how come this is a pedophilic dream? Also, if he was to molest a child why did he wait for Ayesha (R.A) to become sexually mature? He could have married some other young girl.

7. DID AYESHA (R.A) EVER BEHAVED LIKE VICTIMS OF PEDOPHILE DO? : First I want to inform everybody that behaviors of sexual abuse varies from child to child but I will examine all possible behaviors and we will In shaa Allah that Ayesha (R.A) never showed such behaviors. According to a website www.childabuseeffects.com a molested child suffer many losses such as self-esteem and self worth, trust, childhood including the opportunity to play and learn, intimacy, control over his or her body, safety and security. Behavioral effects are nightmares, phobias, and regressive behaviors such as thumb-sucking and bed-wetting,  learning problems, clinging and smothering, insecurity, which put the child at risk for further abuse and exploitation, psychosomatic complaints such as stomachaches and headaches, precocious sexual activity–a young child knows more than they should about sexual activity; child may exhibit seductive behavior, aggression and bullying behaviors, with young children, a preoccupation with sexual organs of self, parents and others–often this shows itself in language and art, sudden changes in eating and/or sleeping habits, depression and anxiety, isolation, obsessively good behavior, anti-social behavior, unwillingness to participate in social activities, running away, long absence from participation in extracurricular activities, risky behaviors such as fire starting, stealing and other delinquencies, animal cruelty, alcohol and drug abuse and in short the person is disturbed, avoiding and uncultured. Ayesha (R.A) remained loyal to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) till her death, she was the most important woman in the history of Islam and she narrated more than a thousand saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him), she is the teacher of many great scholars of her time. She was so happy with the marriage such that she often boasts about it. Will a molested child ever boast about his/her abuse?

8. DID BURAIRA CONSIDERED AYESHA (R.A) IMMATURE? : An Islamophobic website put forward the following hadith to prove that Ayesha was immature girl. Buraira said: “I cannot accuse her of any defect except that she is still a young girl who sleeps (on the job), neglecting her family’s dough which the domestic goats come to eat.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 48, Number 805). In fact, this is an incorrect translation; nowhere does the text say that Aisha (peace be upon her) was immature. Rather, the Arabic text merely says that Aisha (peace be upon her) was young.Bassam Zawadi explains:”Looking at the Arabic text, I don’t see (the) word ‘immature’ anywhere! It only states that she is a young girl, which we already know. But if someone is young, that does not necessarily imply that he or she is immature. Secondly, the Companion [Buraira] was not criticizing Aisha for her age. Rather,

He was saying that her fault was that she “goes to sleep while kneading the flour…” The Companion might have attributed her carelessness due to the fact that she was young and did not take seriously her responsibility over her tasks. However, this does not imply she was immature or psychologically incapable of being married”.

9. DID AYESHA (R.A) SHOW SIGNS OF PUBERTY? : Narrated Aisha:”The Prophet engaged me when I was a girl of six (years). We went to Medina and stayed at the home of Bani-al-Harith bin Khazraj. Then I got ill and my hair fell down. Later on my hair grew (again) and my mother, Um Ruman, came to me while I was playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me, and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted to do to me…….” (Sahih Bukhari Volume 5, Book 58, Number 234). According to www.medic8.com, “The menopause isn’t the only time in your life when you will experience hair loss. Hair loss also occurs during puberty and pregnancy as a result of hormonal changes taking place in your body.” (http://www.medic8.com/healthguide/hair-loss/female-hair-loss/menopause.html). So you see, she was sexually getting matured and this why Prophet (peace be upon him) waited for three years. Another site claims, you may get PMS. PMS or “premenstrual syndrome” is a group of changes you may see and feel before your period. You may have headaches, dizziness, or feel sick to your stomach before your period. You may feel like crying more, feel a little sad, and feel more emotional about everything. PMS may cause you to retain (hold onto) water. Retaining water means that your body tries to keep more body fluid in before and during your period. This may make your breasts tender and cause you to feel bloated, restless, or grumpy. According to http://www.realsexedfacts.com/puberty.html , “On average white, North American girls begin puberty between 9 and 13 years old and boys between 11 and 14 years old. It is important that children understand what “average” means. In simple terms, if you took all the girls in the world, for instance, most of them would experience the first signs of puberty between 9 and 13 years old but many would begin before 9 and many would begin after 13 and this would be normal for their bodies. Through many worldwide studies, onset of puberty varies with race, ethnicity, environmental conditions, geographical location and nutrition. On average, African-American girls show begin puberty about one year earlier with 48% having shown breast and/or pubic hair growth by 8 years old. On average boys begin puberty between 11 and 14 years of age, approximately two years after girls. A common misperception about onset of puberty is what sign(s) signify its beginning. Often the first menses or period for girls and the ability to ejaculate in boys are the signs are noted as the signs of puberty. Although obviously important, pubertal changes start at least one to two years prior to these signs in both boys and girls. A growth spurt, pubic hair growth and breast growth (in girls) most often are the earliest signs.”

10. SHOULD MUHAMMAD (PEACE UPON HIM)’S MARRIAGE WITH AYESHA (R.A) BE HELD RESPONSIBLE? : An Islamophobic website claimed that according to UNICEF mothers suffering from diseases that result due to early pregnancy in North Africa and Middle East is due to Islamic tradition of marrying young girls. This has a problem because on the same Islamophobic website the report claimed, “….Every social grouping in the world has specific traditional cultural practices and beliefs, some of which are beneficial to all members, while others are harmful to a specific group, such as women….” In Islam, it’s not necessary that a girl should be married off as soon as she gets her first period but rather when she become ‘sexually matured’ and besides these marriages are not done to copy Muhammad (peace be upon him) but to settle their own issues of power, money and family disputes. According to a 2006 report by the UN Special Reporter on Violence against Women on her mission to Afghanistan, an estimated 57 per cent of girls in Afghanistan are married before the age of 16. Economic reasons are said to play a significant role in such marriages. Due to the common practice of “bride money,” the girl child becomes an asset exchangeable for money or goods. Families see committing a young daughter (or sister) to a family that is able to pay a high price for the bride as a viable solution to their poverty and indebtedness…Yes, I admit that ‘forced marriages’ are becoming common in Muslim world but this does not mean that Islam encourages forced marriages. These marriages are merely done to protect family name or security of wealth. The Quran declares you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will! Nor should you treat them with harshness… (Quran, 4:19). Aisha herself (!!!) says: I asked God’s Messenger about a virgin whose marriage is solemnized by her guardian, whether it was necessary or not to consult her. God’s Messenger said:

“Yes, she must be consulted!”(Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 8, Number 3305). Shaykh Ali Badahdah stated:

“Though a child must generally obey his or her parents, this obedience does not extend to marrying an unwanted partner in life. Islamic Law permits a son or daughter to refuse entering into any marriage he or she is displeased with, no matter what their reason for refusing might be…” In the case of a girl being forced into marriage, she has the right to have the marriage annulled.” One of the Prophet’s disciples, Buraydah, narrated that:

Once, a woman came to the Prophet and said: “O Messenger of God, my father married me to my cousin in order to raise his social standing, but I do not want to be married to him.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) gave her the option of annulment. At this point in time, she said: “I have already reconciled myself to my father’s decision, but I wanted it to be known that women have a say in the matter.”(Sunan an-Nasa’i #3629, Sunan Ibn Majah #1874, and Musnad Ahmad #25043). In Islam, it’s the duty of the husband to provide his wife with all necessities of life including education but we see that in ‘today’s forced marriages’ which Islamophobes attribute it to Islam because the family remembers are trying to hide their ‘false intentions’ under the shroud of Islam, young brides are deprived of basic education and other necessities of life. Besides, Muhammad (peace is upon him) married Ayesha (R.A) provided every necessity of life to Ayesha (R.A) though his economic condition was not that strong but unlike early marriages which end up in either suicide or divorce, Ayesha (R.A) remained loyal to him till his death and she also sometimes boast about his marriage with the Prophet. This shows how successful the marriage was.

11. WAS AYESHA (R.A) PRE-PUBERTAL OR POST-PUBERTEAL: Well! This statement can be either true or false if we take the first meaning of ‘post-pubertal’ (baligh) to be ‘post-menarchal’ (after the onset of puberty) then certainly we don’t have any proof regarding this that she was ‘post-menarchal’ since none of the hadith talks about it but a critic should not become happy since we also cannot deny that she was not ‘post-menarchal’. Yet, if we take the first meaning that talks about ‘sexual maturity’ then certainly Ayesha (R.A) had reached that age and that is why Muhammad (peace be upon him) had to wait for such a long time, if he had not cared about her safety then nothing was stopping him to consummate the marriage in those three or four years. Western audiences should only be indignant if the girl was harmed, yet Aisha (peace be upon him) was not harmed in any whatsoever; so it is a non-issue. Secondly, it was a cultural norm to marry young girls who reach puberty quite early and those norms should not judge according to today’s standards since time and values were quite different in those days e.g. not taking bath for a month was not something to worry about those daysIn fact, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) commanded his followers to shower at least once a week. Only once a week, you say! Back then, this was considered a lot and the Prophet’s command to shower once a week made the Muslims the cleanest of people in Arabia. The matter was no different in Europe; in fact, the Muslims are the ones who introduced soap to the Europeans, who had hitherto never used it. By today’s standards, someone who does not shower for an entire week is considered “gross”. Yet, back in those days, once a week with soap would put the person in the finicky clean category. Just as showering once a week or even once a month was business as usual, so too was marrying young girls.

12. ANSWERING THE ALLEGATIONS REGARDING EARLY MARRIAGES IN ISLAM: It can be divided into following parts:

Claim 1: Very low age of consent: Critics claim that Islam had very low age of consent. The critics have no knowledge according to me about the history. In early times, the average life expectancy ranged from 25-30 and also the child death rate was at its peak. In the 8^th century, it was necessary for each fertile wife to have at least 8 children to maintain the population. Also sexual attraction accompanies with puberty. Marriages as early as 7 which was considered as age of reason or directly after puberty was the norm of vast majority of people around the world even in the 19^th century. 1300 years of ago, Ayesha was ‘9’, two years older than the age of consent. The delay of puberty after industrialization does not disapprove the concept of ‘early marriage’ but rather it was an abnormal result of poor sanitation, lack of exercise and vast distribution of cheap cereals and diets.

Claim 2: Islam allowed psychological harm because puberty was too low to give informed consent: Due to ‘environmental stresses’ e.g. physical and economical survival, it speeded puberty as well as psychological maturity. “In the 17th century…children rapidly evolved into adulthood. In the words of the historian John Demos, ‘the seventeenth century had no real word for the period of life between puberty and full manhood.’ In fact, as noted in ‘Colonial America’, well bred children were supposed to both behave and look like small adults.”(William Faulkner, a twentieth- century American novelist once wrote, “The past is not dead, Sep 2004) It was during the mid of 18^th century that psychological maturity started to delay due to lack of exercise, increased luxury etc. “The old family pattern was inexorably disrupted by the rise of the industrial state. Children were no longer kept at home to share in the work and be economic assets but left for school or for nonfamily employment…”(“sexual behaviour, human” Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008)

Claim 3: Islam allowed sexual and psychological harm: This attack cites a UNFPA study, but conceals that the study was for 2 contemporary impoverished nations. It said, “Almost all of these deaths are preventable. UNFPA trains skilled birth attendants and establishes reliable transportation to medical facilities–the most effective ways to reduce maternal mortality in remote areas.”The International Journal of Epidemiology states “studies implicate poverty, not maternal age, as the real threat to maternal and infant welfare”. In premodern times, the high risk of childbirth, due to lack of medical knowledge and hygiene, affected all women regardless of age. In fact, early procreation was a genetically superior trait for population growth in pre-modern times for 2 reasons:

1) Women who have puberty earlier have children who grow up faster and weigh more. “A combination of genetic and behavioral factors explains why women who undergo puberty early appear to have children who grow faster and weigh more. Mothers may pass on genes that cause swift development, he explains. By the same token, they may pass on eating habits that prime the body for early maturation.” (“Mother’s early puberty boosts child’s obesity risk”, 24 April 2007, NewScientist.com, Roxanne Khamsi)

2) “Life history theory” states that in a less stable environment, “natural selection will favor individuals that reproduce earlier…within a population”. As a result, early procreation was not harmful, but beneficial to newborns and genetics. “Populations in which individuals reproduce at an early age have the potential to grow much faster than populations in which individuals reproduce later.” (“population ecology” Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008)

Claim 4: Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forced Abu Bakar for Ayesha’s hand: This claim is baseless and contradictory to the facts because:

1. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not initiate the engagement. It was Khawala who suggested the name of Ayesha as companion’s feared the death of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) after the death of Kadija (R.A). “The Prophet (peace be upon him) pained for Khadijah’s (death) to the point they feared for him (to die), until he married Aisha.” (“Al Isabah” by Ibn Hajar, “Al Bidayah wal Nihayah” by Ibn Kathir)

2. The Prophet did not approach Abu Bakr directly, rather, using the applicable etiquette, he replied to Khawla’s suggestion: “So go, and mention me to them.”

3. Abu Bakr’s question to Khawla “Is she good for him? She is his brother’s daughter” was not an objection, rather, a question due to the pre-Islamic norm that assigned blood ties which do not actually exist, such as in adoption. The Prophet corrected this false notion through Khawla.

4. If Abu Bakr had any hesitation, he would simply have used the acceptable justification that she was already engaged, but instead he told Khawla to “Wait” and went immediately to request permission from Aisha’s previous fiancé. More importantly, even the consummation itself was urged by Abu Bakr, which disproves any reluctance from his side. Lady Aisha narrated: “Abu Bakr told him ‘What prevents you from consummating with your wife?’ So he consummated (our marriage)“(Ibn Hajar (in “Fathul Bari”) and Al Tabaraani). Abu Bakar was famous to be called as ‘Shafaaqa’ which means a compassionate father, thus this established that marriage had taken place as it happens normally.

Claim 5: Ayesha did not consent to the marriage: This is another baseless claim. We know from history that she was quite happy with the marriage, so happy that she boasted about it sometime. “Ibn SA’d said: Aisha said (in appreciation): ‘I have been given features not given to any woman. The Prophet (peace be upon him) married me when I was seven, the angel brought him my image in his hand to look at it, he consummated our marriage when I was nine, I saw the angel Gabriel, I was his most beloved wife, and I attended his diseased till he died, not witnessed but by me and the angels’.” (al Isabah fi Tamyeez al Sahabah (The correct differentiation between the Companions”, Ibn Hajar). This shows how happy she was, with the marriage.

Claim 6: Muhammad (peace be upon him) invented Islam to satisfy his sexual desires: Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not have to invent Islam to satisfy his sexual desire. Judaism and Christianity had laws allowing vast sexual aberrations. Arabs themselves were very obsessed with fornication before Islam. So he did need to invent Islam, he just have to simply be the part of those cultures and religions. For example,

(a) “It was taught: R. Simeon b. Yohai stated: A proselyte who is under the age of three years and one day is permitted to marry a priest, for it is said, But all the women children that have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves, and Phinehas surely was with them. And the Rabbis? — [These were kept alive] as bondmen and bondwomen. If so, a proselyte whose age is three years and one day should also be permitted!”(Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Yebamoth 60b )

(b) Prostitution and pederasty were cherished from the Greeks up until the 15^th century Roman Byzantine society.

(c) Arab and Jewish people could marry an unlimited number of simultaneous wives.

Therefore, to satisfy abnormal sexual desires in 7^th century Arabia, no new religion was needed: all one had to do was taking his pick from the existing religions and norms. In contrast, Islam protected people from these shameful laws.

Claim 7: Muhammad (peace be upon him) stressed his followers to marry immature girls: Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah: While we were returning from a Ghazwa (Holy Battle) with the Prophet, I started driving my camel fast, as it was a lazy camel A rider came behind me and pricked my camel with a spear he had with him, and then my camel started running as fast as the best camel you may see. Behold! The rider was the Prophet himself. He said, ‘What makes you in such a hurry?” I replied, I am newly married “He said, “Did you marry a virgin or a matron? I replied, “A matron.” He said, “Why didn’t you marry a young girl so that you may play with her and she with you?”. Now this argument is weak one because nowhere did the Prophet actually scold him for marrying a marton. It was just a suggestion and this is the one reference according to other narration regarding the same event, when we approached Medina, I started going (towards my house). The Prophet said, “Where are you going?“I Sad, “I have married a widow.” He said, “Why have you not married a virgin to fondle with each other?” I said, “My father died and left daughters, so I decided to marry a widow (an experienced woman) (to look after them).” He said, “Well done.” When we reached Medina, Allah’s Apostle said, “O Bilal, pay him (the price of the camel) and give him extra money.” Bilal gave me four Dinars and one Qirat extra. (A sub-narrator said): Jabir added, “The extra Qirat of Allah’s Apostle never parted from me.” The Qirat was always in Jabir bin ‘Abdullah’s purse (Sahih Bukhari Volume 3, Book 38, Number 504:). In this narration, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was seems to be very pleased with his marriage and not only this he also gave him some money. This is not an issue, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was just inquiring about the action of Jabir bin’ Abdullah, he was not ‘criticizing’ his marriage besides, he said,” Why didn’t you marry a young girl” not “Why didn’t you marry an immature girl”. If I asked to my friend that why didn’t you buy a Mercedes instead of Ferrari? does not mean that I am saying that none should buy Mercedes but rather just inquiring him about his action and giving my suggestion, after all giving suggestions is everybody’s right.

Claim 8: Muhammad (peace be upon him) was already in his 50s when he married Ayesha: Critics like David Wood on refuting Muslims defense of marrying Ayesha to be actually the result of cultural norm says, “Abdullah’s claim might make sense if Muhammad had been nine or ten years old when he married Aisha. But the Prophet of Islam was already well advanced in years. He was far closer to death than any young woman he might marry, so why not marry a young woman instead of a young girl? Why not marry a fully developed twenty-year-old instead of a little girl playing on a swing?”Although people die early in those days but what everybody can’t see is that Muhammad (peace be upon him) also married 40 year old widow when he was in his 20s but when he married Ayesha who had become a ‘woman’ at that time. Yes! A woman, we are talking about 1400 years ago when times were quite different and we have learned from previous claims that ‘external factors’ effect puberty. Although it’s hard to perceive in these days but it was a fact in their time. Besides, Ayesha herself admitted that she was a woman. A girl playing on a swing does not have to me ‘immature’, if anyone of you happens to visit Pakistan’s rural areas, you will find unmarried of girls of about ‘24’ years of age  playing on swings. It is just a source of enjoyment.

Claim 9: Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to beat Ayesha (R.A): Another more interesting comment is that Muhammad used to beat Ayesha and the reference they give is also indeed surprising. This is what they say, “He also hit his favorite wife Aisha’s chest until the pain” (Sahih Muslim, book 04,number2127) , It looks that somebody trying to say that He constantly beat Ayesha until he get the satisfaction that she had felt enough pain. Let’s we look at the event, Muhammad b. Qais said (to the people): Should I not narrate to you (a hadith of the Holy Prophet) on my authority and on the authority of my mother? We thought that he meant the mother who had given him birth. He (Muhammad b. Qais) then reported that it was ‘A’isha who had narrated this: Should I not narrate to you about myself and about the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)? We said: Yes. She said: When it was my turn for Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) to spend the night with me, he turned his side, put on his mantle and took off his shoes and placed them near his feet, and spread the corner of his shawl on his bed and then lay down till he thought that I had gone to sleep. He took hold of his mantle slowly and put on the shoes slowly, and opened the door and went out and then closed it lightly. I covered my head, put on my veil and tightened my waist wrapper, and then went out following his steps till he reached Baqi’. He stood there and he stood for a long time. He then lifted his hands three times, and then returned and I also returned. He hastened his steps and I also hastened my steps. He ran and I too ran. He came (to the house) and I also came (to the house). I, however, preceded him and I entered (the house), and as I lay down in the bed, he (the Holy Prophet) entered the (house), and said: Why is it, O ‘A’isha, that you are out of breath? I said: There is nothing. He said: Tell me or the Subtle and the Aware would inform me. I said: Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be ransom for you, and then I told him (the whole story). He said: Was it the darkness (of your shadow) that I saw in front of me? I said: Yes. He struck me on the chest which caused me pain, and then said: Did you think that Allah and His Apostle would deal unjustly with you? She said: Whatsoever the people conceal, Allah will know it. He said: Gabriel came to me when you saw me. He called me and he concealed it from you. I responded to his call, but I too concealed it from you (for he did not come to you), as you were not fully dressed. I thought that you had gone to sleep, and I did not like to awaken you, fearing that you may be frightened. He (Gabriel) said: Your Lord has commanded you to go to the inhabitants of Baqi’ (to those lying in the graves) and beg pardon for them. I said: Messenger of Allah, how should I pray for them (How should I beg forgiveness for them) ? He said: Say, Peace be upon the inhabitants of this city (graveyard) from among the Believers and the Muslims, and may Allah have mercy on those who have gone ahead of us, and those who come later on, and we shall, God willing, join you. Well, this beating isn’t of that kind in which men beat their wives with a base ball bat or any other weapon which they found in the house but rather it’s a ‘love beat’ and all men do it when they saw that their women don’t want to lose them or ‘leave them’, this suspicion is the love she has for her man and majority of man when see this behavior ‘hit them softly’ like on the back or the front or sometimes at her arm to show that he is too faithful towards her. So how can I say that? Simple if the blow was hard, Ayesha could have fell on the floor or simply just cried but no sign of sorrow is reflected from her side. Dr. Barnett said, “batterers often feel justified in battering because they were reared in an environment — whether a family or neighborhood — where violence was accepted as a proper method for solving problems or enforcing the rules. Between 40% and 70% of batterers in clinical samples have been exposed to abuse in childhood” but Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was brought up in the best custody of his uncle Abu Talib and he never raised his hand against anyone before he was made Prophet although the common practice in tribes was to use force to settle disputes however Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) abolished this and made them brothers, such a man will prevent woman from receiving any heritance but our Prophet gave the right of inheritance to woman. How can a man making peace between the tribes and himself beating or mistreating his wives? This doesn’t add up and in fact even I sometimes give ‘love beat’ to my brother too when he does something for me, sometimes on the chest and sometimes on the back , although he feel a little pain but that’s not the pain of hatred but of love.

Claim 10: Muhammad (peace be upon him) cross dressed Ayesha (R.A):

This is one of the most interesting claims and one of the weakest too. Let us see what critics have to say regarding this, Narrated by Ismail, narrated by his brother, narrated by Sulaiman, narrated by Hisham Ibn Urwah, narrated by his father, narrated by Aisha who related that the wives of the prophet were divided into two groups. One group consisted of Aisha, Hafsa, Safiya and Sawdah while the other group consisted of Um Salamah and the rest of the women that belonged to the prophet. The Muslims had learned of the great love that the prophet had for Aisha so that if one of them had a gift he desired to give to the prophet, he would delay giving it until the prophet came to Aisha’s house. Then the group who sided with Um Salamah came to Um Salamah and asked her to tell the prophet that he should command the people that if any of them had a gift to give to the prophet, they should give it him in whatever house of his wives the prophet was in at the time. So Um Salamah went and talked with the prophet but he did not respond to her. When the group asked her what the prophet said she told them that he did not respond. So they asked her to go talk to him again until he responds… then the prophet said to her, “Do not hurt me with Aisha, for the inspiration did not come upon when I was (wearing) A WOMAN’S CLOTHES (Thowb) EXCEPT THAT OF AISHA.” Actual wording of the Hadith:1- This is a long Hadith. Arabic wording for the last portion he uses to slander goes as;

لَا تُؤْذِينِي فِي عَائِشَةَ فَإِنَّ الْوَحْيَ لَمْ يَأْتِنِي وَأَنَا فِي ثَوْبِ امْرَأَةٍ إِلَّا عَائِشَةَ

Its correct literal translation has to be:“Do not hurt me regarding Aisha, as the Divine Inspirations do not come to me when I am in the [thowb] cloth (i.e. blanket) of any of wives except [in that of] Aisha.” (Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 2393). Here I have translated the word ‘thowb’ as cloth and in bracket I wrote ‘blanket’ for that is what it means.

Another version of the same narration:- This becomes further clear from the following narration, also from Sahih Bukhari, in which these last words are rendered as;

لَا تُؤْذِينِي فِي عَائِشَةَ فَإِنَّهُ وَاللَّهِ مَا نَزَلَ عَلَيَّ الْوَحْيُ وَأَنَا فِي لِحَافِ امْرَأَةٍ مِنْكُنَّ غَيْرِهَا

“Don’t trouble me regarding ‘Aisha, for by Allah, the Divine Inspiration never came to me while I was under the blanket of any woman amongst you except her.”(Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 3491)Here the actual word is ‘lihaaf’ which literally means ‘blanket’.  Edward William Lane in Arab-English Lexicon writes about the word ‘lihaaf’,

And as لِحَافِ (lihaaf) i.e. ‘blanket’ is made of ثَوْبِ (thowb) i.e. ‘cloth’ so these words are interchangeably used in various narrations. Sam Shamoun, first inserted the words ‘wearing’ in brackets for no reason. Perhaps he thought that Muslims will also swallow this word in brackets as easily as Christians have been adopting interpolations into the Bible. He translated the word ‘thowb’ as “woman’s clothing” and related it to wearing. You will hardly ever find a liar of this caliber!

Claim 12: Muslim should bring the example of Jesus and his apostles to justify this act: This is an interesting argument, yet answerable. According to an article titled “Life In the time of Jesus” by “Fr. Frederick. Manns, O.F.M,Professor at Franciscan Biblicum Studium – Jerusalem. Translations by Fr. A. Parent O.F.M., and Fr. James Heinsch, O.F.M. under the heading marriage it is written, “From the age of twelve, to twelve and one half years, a young Jewish girl was able to be promised in marriage. Her father still had rights over her: he was able to sell her as a slave to a Jew for seven years. After the age of twelve and one half, the young girl was able to be married. Only the husband could dismiss her, give her his “writ of renouncement”. The contrary was impossible (Mark 10:12 was written in Rome and reflected the juridical situation of that village.) Adultery was punishable by death. When a woman went out she had to veil herself and she was banned from speaking to men. Marriage was arranged by her parents.” (http://198.62.75.1/www1/ofm/mag/TSmgenB3.html)Now Jesus was such a brave man that he preach in synagogues i.e. Luke 13:10-17,Luke 14:1-6, John 18:20 etc and he travelled and visited many villages of Jerusalem i.e. Luke 13:22 and great multitudes followed Jesus wherever he go i.e. Luke 12:1,14:25,21:37, John 6:2 but there is not a single statement in the bible where he condemned these marriages even if Jesus had a longer life, he could have married a ‘young girl’ may be 12 year old even his mother was betrothed to an old guy while she herself was 14 even Jesus was wrongly perceived as son of Joseph i.e. John 1:45, John 6:42 this shows at time marriage of old men with young girls was common. Even the Apostles never condemned such marriages although after the departure of Jesus, they spread in all directions.

Claim 13: Islam Promotes Pedophilia: This claim is laughable because it can’t even stand on its own ground at all. Before I address let’s make some things very clear. Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) married Ayesha only when she was ‘adult’ enough to take the responsibility (however it seems odd but we are talking about a couple 1400 years ago where climate and lifestyle was completely different and according to science life style does effect human body), Ayesha herself said, “When a girl reaches nine year of age, She is a woman. [Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Nikah]” and she did showed signs of sexual maturity as discussed above and she was precocious too as girl normally learn from their mothers about the household. Now coming to pedophilia, all pedophiles rape children they don’t marry them at all and Ayesha was 9 year old young woman not a 9 year old child (So the confusion should removed that Prophet married a nine year old child but rather a nine year old young woman as you will notice in coming text that how girls living at regions where climate is hot reach puberty early than those living in cold regions). In this context, critics wants to say that ‘Islam promotes child abuse’ which is surprising as well because if Islam is promoting child abuse then Muslim countries would be at the top rank where children are legally abused which is contrary to the fact in contrary many steps were taken to prevent child abuse including genital mutilation, homosexuality etc however, the result isn’t satisfactory at all because ‘Negligence of the Government not of Islam’. I fully agree that a mass marriage of nine year old girl was organized by Hamas but speaking frankly if the girl were mature in every aspect in this age, there is no harm (I highly doubt) but if this was forced, they did a horrible thing. Pedophilia doesn’t belong to any religion, pedophiles are just a bunch of people crazy about sex , please don’t confuse Islam with pedophilia. If the Islam is promoting pedophilia then why no. of pedophiles are constantly growing in America, ““The best estimate is that 15% of students will be sexually abused by a member of the school staff during their school career.
•Though, when the American Association of University Women Foundation surveyed more than 1,600 students in eighth through 11th grade, 25 percent of the girls and 10 percent of the boys who said they had been harassed or abused said the harasser was a school employee.
•The number of K-12 public and private school students in 1996 who have been or will be sexually abused by a member of the school staff is nearly 7 million of 51,331,000.
•Between 1% and 5% of teachers sexually abuse or harass students.
•At least a quarter of all school districts in the United States have dealt with a case of staff sexual abuse in the past ten years.
•Most cases of sexual abuse of students by teachers are never reported.
•In nearly half of the cases, suspects were accused of abusing more than one student.
•Only two cases were cases of false accusations; less than 1 percent of the cases studied.” “There are 400,000 registered sex offenders in the United States, and an estimated 80 to 100,000 of them are missing. They’re supposed to be registered, but we don’t know where they are and we don’t know where they’re living”.– Ernie Allen, President of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Childrento co-anchor Hannah Storm on The Early Show.

Claim 14: How can a nine year old girl can actually give birth?: Well! leaving aside 1400 years, still there are many cases in the world in which girls of nine year of age give birth to a healthy children.

The age of puberty varies with race, culture, lifestyle and location. Girls today can give birth to a healthy child at this modern age then what is the problem with a nine year old girl at that time (1400 years ago) and that‘s why the consummation of Ayesha didn’t bring any harm to her. She remained perfectly fine through out her life and remain loyal to her husband.  There are many examples of young girls became mother at a very early age.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_youngest_birth_mothers

Note: The purpose of above examples was to only show you that a nine year old girl 1400 years ago was a completely and fully matured woman.

*MARRIAGE ISSUES IN ISLAM*

Under this heading I will not discuss every issue relating to marriage but only those that are related to this matter.

1. MARRIAGE CONTRACT: It is allowed in Islam for a father to draft marriage contract years before the marriage is actually enacted but it cannot be executed until a later date. It means her father can marry off his immature is daughter but marriage will not consummated until she become sexually mature.  Under Islamic Law, there are certain shuroot an-nifaadh (conditions required for the execution of the contract): for consummation of marriage, one of these conditions is that both parties are mature enough for marriage. If this condition is not met, then the marriage contract remains mauqoof (suspended) and has no actual practical effect, i.e. the consummation of marriage is delayed until the girl becomes mature enough for that. Shaykh Salih al-Munajjid said: The fact that it is permissible to marry a young girl does not mean that it is permissible to have intercourse with her; rather that should not be done until she is able for it. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah) delayed the consummation of his marriage to ‘Aa’ishah…Al-Dawoodi said: ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had reached physical maturity (at the time when her marriage was consummated). [Sharh Muslim, 9/206]

(Source: http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=22442&ln=eng) What western critics failed to comprehend is that although Ayesha (R.A) was betrothed at the age of six or seven but marriage was not consummated until she became ‘sexually mature’.  What happened if a girl failed to adjust with her husband? Two options are there for her.

(a) Annulment: Under Islamic Law, there is a concept called khiyar al-buloogh, which means “the option of puberty”. It means that while an immature daughter’s marriage can be arranged by an elder, she has the right to annul the marriage at the age of puberty if she is not compatible with her husband.

(b) Separation: Annulment via khiyar al-buloogh is limited to the age of puberty. However, khula is always an option available to a female of any age, and this is a right given to women in the Quran itself. The scholars differ on whether or not khula is a separation [i.e. revocation of a marriage as if it never happened] or a divorce. In any case whether it is divorce or not the point is that she has the right to remove herself from the marriage. According to Islamic laws, if woman find her uncomfortable with her husband then she can contact the court to issue khula, the couples can also do this on grounds of mutual understanding however if husband does not agrees then she can contact the court but it must noted that woman cannot seek khula unless there is a valid reason for it. Ustadh Ayman bin Khaled wrote: If the woman is in a situation—that she cannot stand whom she got married to—she can always ask for divorce through khulu’, and if the husband refuses and there is harm on her [from the marriage], the judge can [and should] divorce her.(Ustadh Ayman bin Khaled, Admin of Multaqa Ahl al-Hadeeth). Seeking khula with no reason is not allowed. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Any woman who

Asks her husband for a divorce when there is nothing wrong, the fragrance of Paradise will be forbidden to her.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.)

2. MARRYING OF IMMATURE GIRLS IS EXCEPTIONAL NOT A RULE: Under Islamic Law, the general principle is that girls should not be married off whilst they are immature and under the age of accountability. This is because they are too young to make an informed decision by themselves. Marrying them without their consultation would be considered oppression. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani declared: Marrying her off like this would in almost every case be a major sin, because of the harm, contravention of law, etc (www.sunniPath.com). However, there is an exception, if father thinks that delaying a marriage would cause her daughter great lost then he can marry her off but the consummation will not take place until she become sexually mature such that any intercourse would cause no harm whatsoever. Imam an-Nawawi said: They (the parents) should not marry her off before she reaches puberty if there is no obvious interest to be served that they fear will be missed out on if they delay it…In that case [if there is a benefit that would be lost with delay] it is preferable to go ahead with the marriage because the father is enjoined to take care of his child’s interests and not to let a good opportunity to slip away. This is the reason why Abu-Bakar married off Ayesha (R.A) early because he did not want to lose the Prophet of God and this is also practiced by Christian Europe for thousands of years where the father of young prince cannot afford of losing a proposal of a mature prince. It should be kept in mind that although Islam allows for such a provision, this only applies to the situation where a father thinks that delaying the marriage would lead to the girl missing out on a great opportunity. Otherwise, Islam does not at all encourage marrying off daughters at such a young age. As Sheikh Salih al-Munajjid said: It is preferable for a guardian not to marry off his daughter when she is still young unless there is a valid reason for it.

3. CONSUMMATION OF MARRIAGE IN ISLAM: Under Islamic law like Jewish and Christian laws marriage are sealed after consummation. However, the age of consummation is not nine years or menarche but rather a simple dictum is followed upon which all scholars agreed by consensus. It is, “A man may have sex with his wife when she becomes sexually mature enough such that she is not harmed from having sex in any way whatsoever.” Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Ahmad ad-Durayhim, a well-renowned Islamic scholar, was asked about marriage to such a young girl. In response, he said: “With respect to what we have said about the legal validity of such a marriage, that

Refers [only] to the validity of the contract itself. As for the effects [i.e. execution] of the marriage—such as privacy, intimacy, and sexual relations—that is another matter entirely. Such things are permitted only if the girl is able to handle such a relationship without any harm whatsoever coming to her. Otherwise, it is prohibited. This is because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “There shall be neither harm nor the causing of the harm.” It can also be seen in the very conduct of the Prophet (peace be upon him). He did not consummate his marriage with Aisha for a number of years on account of her young age.”

Conclusion:

“Of all the world’s great men, none has been so much maligned* as Muhammad.”
W. Montgomery Watt, Muhammad at Medina, Oxford University Press, 1956.
* ma-lign: v.t. to speak harmful untruths about… (R. H. Webster’s).

It is very sad that a person like Muhammad (peace be upon him) who highly forgiving and noble in character is much maligned by westerners. His arrival is also mentioned in the sacred scriptures of all the great religions of the planet earth including Judaism, Christianity, and Hinduism etc. I tried to answer the entire baseless allegation against Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and I pray for forgiveness if I missed a single one. Baseless charges against Muhammad (peace be upon him) put forward by critics is an alarming situation for Muslims who have abandoned their religion and discarded the values of their great ancestors. In this article, I tried to expose the truth and corruption of Crusaders and their agenda to put an end to Islam. It is indeed supervising that in western media there is so much talk about Al-Qaeda but none of them pay attention of black water and other terrorist organization that are funded by the government themselves. My message to all the critics who insult Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)  is  that people like you were also present at his time thinking that they can put a full stop to Islam by inventing lies but little did they know that God was with his Prophet; He helped his Prophet not only to overcome all difficulties but also to form an exemplary society never seen in the history of Humanity, so it’s better that you should also appreciate the greater truth of Islam and Muhammad (peace be upon him).  I bear witness that there is no God but Allah (S.W.T) and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the last and final messenger of God.

JazakaALLAH for reading,

Yours in Islam,

Azhan Ahmed.