The Controversy around Hazrat Ayesha's Marriage with Prophet Mohammad: A Deep Study of Hadith Literature and Historical Accounts Suggests She Was 14 When Engaged and Almost 18 When She Got Married

By Nur Ul Islam Sadequey, New Age Islam 27 July 2022 Bukhari Narrated Another Hadith From Hazrat Ayesha (R.A.) That She Said ‘By The Time She Attained Age Of Awareness She Found Her Parents Already In Islam’. This Indicates She Was Born At Least Four Years Before Islam (Be’tha) To Be Able To Comprehend The Religion Of Her Parents ---- The condescending remarks on the Prophet Muhammad by the officials of India’s ruling dispensation caused uproar last month and widespread condemnation followed domestically and internationally leading to a sort of diplomatic crisis for India with Muslim nations. The manner in which relationship of the Prophet with his wife Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.) was described during a TV debate by BJP’s now suspended spokesperson was offensive to Muslims around the world. The criticism of some of the Islamic traditions by Nupur Sharma and her ilk can be ascribed to misinformation or propaganda that can be answered without regressing to false apologetics. However, since the criticism concerning the age of Hazrat Ayesha is based on unambiguous Islamic sources, it needs to be engaged seriously. It is widely believed by critics and a section of Islamic scholars that Prophet Muhammad’s wife Ayesha bint Abi Bakr (died 678 CE) was 9 years old when she moved to Prophet’s household and the marriage was contracted when she was six. This belief is based on a single hadith (tradition), mentioned in various books of prophetic traditions including the most authentic among them the Saheeh (books) of Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim (Hadith No. 3894 in Saheeh Bukhari) wherein Hazrat Ayesha herself narrates as first person that when Prophet of Islam Muhammad (s.a) married her she was six years old and the marriage was consummated when she was nine. This hadith has been reported by different transmitters (persons) all sourcing it to Hazrat Aisha. The hadith purportedly meets the criteria of authenticity and credibility if seen in seclusion. However, if seen together with various other traditions and historical evidences one is compelled to conclude that Hazrat Ayesha’s age was 14 when she was betrothed to the Prophet and married to him at the age of almost 18. A few evidences also suggest that she was older than 18. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: “Despite The Highly Sexualized Image of Him in the West, The Multiply Married Muhammad Was Celibate” - Lesley Hazleton: A Fresh Insight Into Prophet Muhammad’s Conjugal Relations With His Later Wives That Has Spawned A Great Deal Of Controversy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Although the traditions of varying age of Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.) existed there in the books of hadith and prophetic biography, with overwhelming evidence in favour of 18 or 19. However, the above hadith got more traction as Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.) being underage at the time of her marriage was used by Muslim Qazis to justify the paedophilia of Muslim ruling classes through history until now. This also suits the unscrupulous agenda of the growing tribes of Islamophobes and anti-Islam polemicists among ex-Muslims who use it to portray Islam as uncouth and backward and vilify the Prophets. However, one cannot blame Islamophobes and ex-Muslims too much as until today the Muslim clergy uses this Hadith to justify paedophilia in Muslim society. Only a few years ago a Saudi court ordered the father of a 10-year-old girl who had run away from her so-called husband's house to forcibly hand her over to her in-laws. While it’s true that the minimum age limit for marriage is relatively a modern phenomenon and the Quran did not specify age limit for marriage but rather made mental and physical maturity an arbiter (verses 4:6 and 6:152). The arguments of apologetic Muslims evolve around four points: a) That girls attain puberty early in harsh Bedouin environment, b) Rulers as late as early 20th century married girls younger than 10, c) Had it been objectionable in the then Arabia the opponents of the Prophet would have made it a point, and d) Hazrat Ayesha’s early marriage was in line with God’s will that helped her learn a large numbers of sayings of the Prophet and interpret Quran and preach Islam for a much longer time after the death of the Prophet (s.a.). For UAE based spiritual Islamic scholar Habib Ali Al-Jifri and famous Egyptian scholar Usama Al-Sayyid Al-Azhari who is also a religious advisor to President el Sisi, the above hadith of Bukhari is sound in all terms. Al Jifri thinks the age of Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.) should not be seen through the lens of modern day definition of underage, and judging the culture of a certain time with that of another culture and time is academic injustice. However, according to the Syrian scholar of hadith Salah al-Din al-Idlibi, Bukhari’s Hadith No. 3894 is discrepant and defective (Shaazz Wa Ma’lool) in its content (Matn) as it contradicts other hadiths of Saheeh Bukhari itself and the established history. He draws upon a number of prophetic traditional and biographical sources, and childhood events narrated by Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.) that suggest she was born at least four years prior to the advent of Islam (Be’tha) and not four years after the Be’tha as claimed by those favouring she was 9 years old at the time of her marriage with the Prophet (s.a) based on above single hadith. The Be’tha or the prophetic mission started in 610 CE. Marriage was contracted on the 10th year of Be’tha in Mecca. ----------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Was Hazrat Aisha Married to the Prophet in Her Childhood? ----------------------------------------------------------- Idlibi’s arguments to determine the age of Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.) and to prove that she was born prior to Be’tha are based on authentic hadiths, historical and biographical sources that cannot be ignored. He uses methods like comparison of Hazrat Ayesha’s age with her elder sister, occasion of revelation of certain verse of Quran, recollection of certain events by her, time of her conversion to Islam, description by other persons of her and her siblings’ birth, the background in which she was proposed as possible spouse for the Prophet, the way she addressed a companion, the way she spoke about other companions, she being proposed before Prophet and her role in certain war, etc. Idlibi’s evidences suggest Hazrat Ayesha was born in pre-Islamic period and hence older. Here I briefly discuss some of the authentic evidences often cited by the scholars of hadiths. Most of the historians, biographers and theologians, like Ibn 'Abd-al-Barr, Ibn Asaker, Abu Nuaim al-Isfahani and Ibn al-Atheer al-Jazari agree that Hazrat Ayesha’s sister Asma Bint Abi Bakr was 10 years elder to her and that Asma was 27 at the time of Prophet’s migration (Hijra) from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE to escape persecution. Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.) joined Prophet’s household a year later. This makes her 18 at the time of her marriage with the Prophet (s.a.). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: What's So Great About Celibacy? Could Prophet Mohammad Have Been Celibate In His Later Years As Mr. Mohammad Yunus Thinks? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bukhari narrated a hadith from Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.) that she said ‘when the verse 46 of the Surah Al Qamar was revealed she was a young girl (Jaaria) playing’. The verse was revealed to the Prophet five years prior to the migration. This necessitates she must have been 12 years or so, as the Arabic word Jaaria applies to girls nearing adolescence. This makes her age almost 18 at the time of marriage with the Prophet (s.a.). Bukhari narrated another hadith from Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.) that she said ‘by the time she attained age of awareness she found her parents already in Islam’. This indicates she was born at least four years before Islam (Be’tha) to be able to comprehend the religion of her parents. In the same hadith she recollects that when Muslims were persecuted, her father Abu Bakr began migration from Mecca towards Habasha (Ethiopia) and on the way met a person called Ibn al Daghinah near a place known as Birk al Ghimad. Scholars agree that this migration happened in the mid-5th year of Be’tha which implies she was born before Be’tha, and not after, to be able to recollect the event so vividly. Biographer Mohammed bin Ishaq lists Hazrat Ayesha among the early converts to Islam along with her sister Asma and Saeed bin Zaid and his wife Fatima bint al Khattab. Hazrat Ayesha was minor when she embraced Islam during its initial period when the Prophet used to preach secretly. The period of secret preaching lasted three years and after that Prophet started calling people to Islam openly. This logically necessitates that Hazrat Ayesha must have been born four years before Islam (Be’tha) and she must have been 6 / 7 years old at the time of attending the secret religious gatherings. The opinion that Hazrat Ayesha was born four years after the Be’tha does not hold ground in this case at all. ----------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Hazrat Aisha’s Controversial Age at Marriage: Nine or Nineteen? ----------------------------------------------------------- Historian Muhammad Ibn Jarir al-Tabari says that children of Abu Bakr, namely, Abdullah, Asma, Abdurrahman and Ayesha were all born before the advent of Islam (Be’tha). This is clear and explicit historical record that Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.) was born before Islam and hence she was older. Famous scholars of hadiths like Ibn Abi Aasim, Abul Qasim Al Tabaraani and Al Haakim Al Nisapuri have mentioned a hadith from Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.) in their respective books that Sahaabia Khawla bint Hakeem, one of the early converts, sought from the Prophet to propose on his behalf to Hazrat Ayesha and widow Sauda bint Zam’aa. This was a few months after the death of his only wife Khadija (r.a). This shows Khawla wanted him to marry someone who would provide him emotional support that he lost after the death of his wife Khadija which would be possible only if Hazrat Ayesha was older (at least 14 / 15 at the time of proposal) and not six years. Islamic jurist and scholar of hadith Abu Ja'far Ahmad al-Tahaawi, theologian Ibn 'Abd-al-Barr and Al Tabaraani have mentioned a hadith from different narrators all connecting to Hazrat Ayesha that she said “what do Abu Saeed Al Khudri and Anas bin Maalik know about the hadith of the Prophet, they were young boys”. Although scholars differ on the age of Al Khudri and Bin Maalik, however, many say Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.) was seven years older to them. This makes sense. She, therefore, called them young boys as she was more aware of the events. Both of them were 11 years old when Hazrat Ayesha joined the household of the Prophet a year after his migration to Medina. Several scholars of hadith like Ibn Abi Aasim, Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Dulaabi, Al Tahaawi and Al Tabaraani have mentioned this hadith from Aisha (r.a.) that she said to Fatima (r.a.) ‘O daughter, tell me what did your father whisper to you twice’ (when Prophet was on his deathbed). Here Hazrat Ayesha addressed Fatima as ‘daughter’ meaning she must have been younger to Hazrat Ayesha. It is known that Prophet’s daughter Fatima (r.a) was born five years before Islam (Be’tha). In this case Hazrat Ayesha's age will be more than 18 at the time of marriage. ----------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: In Defence Of The Prophet's Marriage With Hazrat Ayesha Even If She Was A Minor, According To A Hadees Report Narrated By A Single Person, That Too A Senile Old Man ----------------------------------------------------------- In the same hadith where Sahaabia Khawla bint Hakeem brought proposal of Prophet to Aisha’s parents, her mother Umm Rumaan told Khawla that Hazrat Ayesha’s father Hazrat Abu Bakr has already given a promise to Mut’am bin ‘Adi about his son Jubair and Hazrat Ayesha's marriage. This proves Hazrat Ayesha was certainly born a few years before Islam otherwise Hazrat Abu Bakr being a devout Muslim and earliest convert would never have promised his daughter to a pagan post-Islam. Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim have reported from Anas bin Malik (r.a) in their books that he said ‘I saw Ayesha and Umm Sulaim on the day of the battle of Uhud. They pulled their clothes up (to walk fast for nursing). I could see their anklets. They were running with water skins on their back, pouring into the mouths of people, refilling and coming back again and again’. The battle of Uhud took place in 625 CE in Medina (third year after the migration). Hazrat Ayesha would be 11 at the time of this battle if we consider she was born four years after Be’tha (Islam). It seems far-fetched for an 11 year old girl to do such strenuous physical work. However, it is plausible for a 19 year old, which favours the opinion that she was born four years before Islam. ----------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Aisha bint Abu Bakr: A Fascinating Woman ----------------------------------------------------------- Though some of the above evidences could be critiqued individually but collectively they make a strong point that Hazrat Ayesha was 18 or 19 and not 9 years old at the time of her marriage. The critics should, therefore, not ignore the fact that a large section of Muslim scholars have always had a parallel view in favour of the older age of Hazrat Ayesha (r.a.). ---- Nur Ul Islam Sadequey is an Arabic scholar based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. 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