Was Aisha Really 9?

AleahKoto

Allah will decide
Count the dates...you decide-
There is material from both these hadith writers and earlier Islamic histories suggesting Aisha must have been older than nine when married.

* According to hadith in Bukhari and Muslim, Aisha is said to have joined Muhammad on the raid that culminated in the Battle of Badr, in 624 CE. However, because no one below the age of fifteen was allowed to accompany raiding parties, Aisha should have been at least fifteen in 624 CE and thus at least thirteen when she was married following the Hijra in 622 CE.

* Ibn Hisham’s recension of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rashul Allah, the earliest surviving biography of Muhammad, records Aisha as having converted to Islam before Umar ibn al-Khattab, during the first few years of Islam around 610 CE. In order to accept Islam she must have been walking and talking, hence at least three years of age, which would make her at least fifteen in 622 CE.

* Tabari reports that Abu Bakr wished to spare Aisha the discomforts of a journey to Ethiopia soon after 615 CE, and tried to bring forward her marriage to Mut`am’s son. Mut`am refused because Abu Bakr had converted to Islam, but if Aisha was already of marriageable age in 615 CE, she must have been older than nine in 622 CE.

* Tabari also reports that Abu Bakr’s four children were all born during the Jahiliyyah, the pre Islamic period, which could be said to have ended in 610 CE, making Aisha at least twelve in 622 CE.

* According to Ibn Hajar, Fatima was five years older than Aisha. Fatima is reported to have been born when Muhammad was thirty-five years old, meaning Aisha was born when he was forty years old, and thus twelve when Muhammad married at fifty-two.

* Most of these narratives are reported only by Hisham ibn Urwa reporting on the authority of his father. All the narratives of this event have been reported through narrators from Iraq, where Hisham ibn Urwa is reported to have shifted after living in Madinah for seventy-one years. It is reported in one of the most well known books on the life and reliability of the narrators of the traditions ascribed to the Muhammad reports that Yaqub ibn Shaibah said, “narratives reported by Hisham are reliable except those that are reported through the people of Iraq”. It further states that Malik ibn Anas objected on those narratives of Hisham, which were reported through people of Iraq. Another book on the narrators of the traditions of the Muhammad reports that when he was old, Hisham’s memory suffered quite badly.

* According to the generally accepted tradition, Aisha was born about eight years before Hijrah. However, according to another narrative in Bukhari (Kitaab al-Tafseer) Aisha is reported to have said that at the time Surah Al-Qamar, the 54th chapter of the Qur’an , was revealed, “I was a young girl”. The 54th Surah of the Qur’an was revealed nine years before Hijrah. According to this tradition, Aisha had not only been born before the revelation of the referred Surah, but was actually a young girl, not even only an infant at that time. So if this age is assumed to be 7 to 14 years then her age at the time of marriage would be 14 to 21.

* According to almost all the historians, Asma the elder sister of Aisha, was ten years older than Aisha. It is reported in Taqreeb al-Tehzeeb as well as Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah that Asma died in the 73rd year after migration of Muhammad when she was 100 years old. Now, obviously if Asma was 100 years old in the 73rd year after Migration to Medina, she should have been 27 or 28 years old at the time of migration. If Asma was 27 or 28 years old at the time of hijrah, Aisha should have been 17 or 18 years old at that time. Thus, Aisha - if she got married in 1 AH (after Migration to Medina) or 2 AH - was between 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage.

* According to many Ahadith in Bukhari, it is believed Aisha participated in the battle of Badr and Uhud.Also in Bukhari (Kitabu’l-maghazi) Ibn `Umar states that the Prophet did not permit me to participate in Uhud, as at that time, I was 14 years old. But on the day of Khandaq, when I was 15 years old, the Prophet permitted my participation. So if it was not allowed to participate in Uhud for people younger than 15, then Aisha would be at least 15 in those battles, making her age at least 13 to 14 at the time of marriage.

* Tabaqat ibn Sa’d, 8:58; Ansab al-Ashraf, 1:410. Opinions are in disagreement concerning her marriage with Muhammad. Their marriage seems to have taken place either two of five years after the Migration (Usd al-ghaba, 5:501).

You must not believe things that are just handed down as fact, but you must find out if what is said is true.
 

Summer03

3doTs2sQuares
I've read an article on the Arabic news paper called "almeezan" talking about how Aisha (raa) was not 9 when she was married but about 18 or 20... The author had obvious proofs and evidence of ages of people that surrounded her at that time and he had a complete break down of ages and dates... And hadiths and all...reading the above paragraphs I really can't make up my mind you know..another thing is that...people shouldn't have to worry about really proving her real age....just because Islam is being criticized by modern day "freedom-of-speech" fanatics we shouldn't have to worry about clearifying something that isn't significant. Aisha proved by herself her capability of being someone that today no woman can accomplish...thousands of hadiths memorized...vast amounts of knowledge and so on...making ourselves be like her is what we should really be worrying about...not how old she is .allah is the all knowing
 

pcozzy

Junior Member
:salam2:

This is interesting.

I never seen it as a problem for Aisha's rithi Allahu anha, age to be 9.

Is there any work that sheik Albani, may Allah be pleased with him, did with respects to this?

With respects to Aisha exaggerating, this is definitely not likely. I would put more weight on the isnad being strong or not.

:jazaak:

:wasalam:
 

lostlilly07

striving 4 Firadous
wa alaikum salaam

Jazakallah kharin for posting your daleel...but seriously 1400plus years later...why does this still even matter. I do not care is Aishah radiallahu anha was 9, 12, 24, or 40. she is still a mother believer and a role model for me. The prophet Muhammad sallallah alahi wa salaam was an honest man who did was Allah subhana wa tala requested him to do.

It irks that this topic is still coming up. I have seen ppl use this as a reason to to leave Islam.
 

q8penpals

Junior Member
Assalam aliekum

One thing that no one ever mentions is that most "years" in the Olden days are generally just estimates anyway, as most dates were decided by counting backwards. Also, the Gregorian calendar used to only have 8 months in it, and now has 12.

So honestly, the arguements over dates and ages from a thousand years ago has to be realistically thought to be not EXACTLY accurate.

Just adding 2 cents...

Lana
 

xSharingan01x

TraVeLer
Assalam aliekum

One thing that no one ever mentions is that most "years" in the Olden days are generally just estimates anyway, as most dates were decided by counting backwards. Also, the Gregorian calendar used to only have 8 months in it, and now has 12.

So honestly, the arguements over dates and ages from a thousand years ago has to be realistically thought to be not EXACTLY accurate.

Just adding 2 cents...

Lana

:salam2:
Very good point, since there margin of error plus/minus 3 years when referring back to the earliest dates. If you compare that to secular history from the same period, their margin of error is much higher!

It's funny that people who bring up these issues are 'Islamophobes', they descredit the Quran and Sunnah, but they are willing to believe in those 2 few hadeeth related to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her).
I simply ignore this issue, I don't care if she was 9, 12, or 14.. Allah knows best. I'm not saying the hadeeth are wrong, scholars know best as to which is account is more sound.

It is something akin to the group of Muslims who were arguing about the color of the dog in Surah Qaf, does it really matter?
Allah knows best her age. If it's 9 I will accept it , if it's 14 I will also accept it.




:wasalam:
 

Rashadi

Junior Member
Count the dates...you decide-
There is material from both these hadith writers and earlier Islamic histories suggesting Aisha must have been older than nine when married.

* According to hadith in Bukhari and Muslim, Aisha is said to have joined Muhammad on the raid that culminated in the Battle of Badr, in 624 CE. However, because no one below the age of fifteen was allowed to accompany raiding parties, Aisha should have been at least fifteen in 624 CE and thus at least thirteen when she was married following the Hijra in 622 CE.

* Ibn Hisham’s recension of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rashul Allah, the earliest surviving biography of Muhammad, records Aisha as having converted to Islam before Umar ibn al-Khattab, during the first few years of Islam around 610 CE. In order to accept Islam she must have been walking and talking, hence at least three years of age, which would make her at least fifteen in 622 CE.

* Tabari reports that Abu Bakr wished to spare Aisha the discomforts of a journey to Ethiopia soon after 615 CE, and tried to bring forward her marriage to Mut`am’s son. Mut`am refused because Abu Bakr had converted to Islam, but if Aisha was already of marriageable age in 615 CE, she must have been older than nine in 622 CE.

* Tabari also reports that Abu Bakr’s four children were all born during the Jahiliyyah, the pre Islamic period, which could be said to have ended in 610 CE, making Aisha at least twelve in 622 CE.

* According to Ibn Hajar, Fatima was five years older than Aisha. Fatima is reported to have been born when Muhammad was thirty-five years old, meaning Aisha was born when he was forty years old, and thus twelve when Muhammad married at fifty-two.

* Most of these narratives are reported only by Hisham ibn Urwa reporting on the authority of his father. All the narratives of this event have been reported through narrators from Iraq, where Hisham ibn Urwa is reported to have shifted after living in Madinah for seventy-one years. It is reported in one of the most well known books on the life and reliability of the narrators of the traditions ascribed to the Muhammad reports that Yaqub ibn Shaibah said, “narratives reported by Hisham are reliable except those that are reported through the people of Iraq”. It further states that Malik ibn Anas objected on those narratives of Hisham, which were reported through people of Iraq. Another book on the narrators of the traditions of the Muhammad reports that when he was old, Hisham’s memory suffered quite badly.

* According to the generally accepted tradition, Aisha was born about eight years before Hijrah. However, according to another narrative in Bukhari (Kitaab al-Tafseer) Aisha is reported to have said that at the time Surah Al-Qamar, the 54th chapter of the Qur’an , was revealed, “I was a young girl”. The 54th Surah of the Qur’an was revealed nine years before Hijrah. According to this tradition, Aisha had not only been born before the revelation of the referred Surah, but was actually a young girl, not even only an infant at that time. So if this age is assumed to be 7 to 14 years then her age at the time of marriage would be 14 to 21.

* According to almost all the historians, Asma the elder sister of Aisha, was ten years older than Aisha. It is reported in Taqreeb al-Tehzeeb as well as Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah that Asma died in the 73rd year after migration of Muhammad when she was 100 years old. Now, obviously if Asma was 100 years old in the 73rd year after Migration to Medina, she should have been 27 or 28 years old at the time of migration. If Asma was 27 or 28 years old at the time of hijrah, Aisha should have been 17 or 18 years old at that time. Thus, Aisha - if she got married in 1 AH (after Migration to Medina) or 2 AH - was between 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage.

* According to many Ahadith in Bukhari, it is believed Aisha participated in the battle of Badr and Uhud.Also in Bukhari (Kitabu’l-maghazi) Ibn `Umar states that the Prophet did not permit me to participate in Uhud, as at that time, I was 14 years old. But on the day of Khandaq, when I was 15 years old, the Prophet permitted my participation. So if it was not allowed to participate in Uhud for people younger than 15, then Aisha would be at least 15 in those battles, making her age at least 13 to 14 at the time of marriage.

* Tabaqat ibn Sa’d, 8:58; Ansab al-Ashraf, 1:410. Opinions are in disagreement concerning her marriage with Muhammad. Their marriage seems to have taken place either two of five years after the Migration (Usd al-ghaba, 5:501).

You must not believe things that are just handed down as fact, but you must find out if what is said is true.

Salaam aleykom brother/sister,

I don't know if you are trying to justify, or you are embarrassed or just trying to inform us that there are conflicts with the age. This topic has been covered on this forum and there is no need to be embarrassed. I accept and believe Aisha's version over everyone else. I am not embarrassed by my prophet marrying Aisha at the age of 9. This was typical in the time period and totally acceptable. People still get married at puberty even today in many places and as Muslims we don't follow secular man made laws. I wish Muslims would stop trying to find things to cover or trying to find stuff to contradict the age and this only shows the haters that Muslims are ashamed.

We should not be ashamed but educate our self about marriage, age of puberty and culture. Are we going to let people who allow their teenage children to have sexual intercourse with "boyfriends" make us feel uncomfortable and try to make excuses. I will debate anyone and I mean anyone on this topic and will not be ashamed or uncomfortable. I am a former Christian from the Middle East, and my own forefathers did this and still get married young. My grandmother was 11 when she got married to her husband and he was over 25. Keep in mind this is not 1,400 years years ago and it wasn't Muslims but Christians doing it. Even in the U.S there was a time when the age of marriage was lower. There was a time about a 100 years ago where the age of marriage for females was 10 years old and California was the first state to raise it to 14 in 1908.

I am not trying to attack you but just letting you know that there is no reason to explain or feel uncomfortable but rather know the full story. I will never take Ibn whoever over Aisha's hadiths which are authentic. Aisha (ra) was a smart woman and is the best female scholar in Islamic history. She is the one who gave us thousands of hadiths and proved she was good in memory and her hadiths are authentic.

Thank you for this information and please do not take my reply in any way as an attack on you my brother/sister.

:wasalam:
 

xSharingan01x

TraVeLer
Salaam aleykom brother/sister,

I don't know if you are trying to justify, or you are embarrassed or just trying to inform us that there are conflicts with the age. This topic has been covered on this forum and there is no need to be embarrassed. I accept and believe Aisha's version over everyone else. I am not embarrassed by my prophet marrying Aisha at the age of 9. This was typical in the time period and totally acceptable. People still get married at puberty even today in many places and as Muslims we don't follow secular man made laws. I wish Muslims would stop trying to find things to cover or trying to find stuff to contradict the age and this only shows the haters that Muslims are ashamed.

We should not be ashamed but educate our self about marriage, age of puberty and culture. Are we going to let people who allow their teenage children to have sexual intercourse with "boyfriends" make us feel uncomfortable and try to make excuses. I will debate anyone and I mean anyone on this topic and will not be ashamed or uncomfortable. I am a former Christian from the Middle East, and my own forefathers did this and still get married young. My grandmother was 11 when she got married to her husband and he was over 25. Keep in mind this is not 1,400 years years ago and it wasn't Muslims but Christians doing it. Even in the U.S there was a time when the age of marriage was lower. There was a time about a 100 years ago where the age of marriage for females was 10 years old and California was the first state to raise it to 14 in 1908.

I am not trying to attack you but just letting you know that there is no reason to explain or feel uncomfortable but rather know the full story. I will never take Ibn whoever over Aisha's hadiths which are authentic. Aisha (ra) was a smart woman and is the best female scholar in Islamic history. She is the one who gave us thousands of hadiths and proved she was good in memory and her hadiths are authentic.

Thank you for this information and please do not take my reply in any way as an attack on you my brother/sister.

:wasalam:

:salam2:

Very well said.
"We hear and we obay" :D


:wasalam:
 

AleahKoto

Allah will decide
Why would all think I am embarassed?

This is an issue that comes up in Dawah, and most are left with an uneasy way to try to answer the question. It will come up in most discussions on Islam. I know as a Muslim, the way things were back then, but, think of this....if someone were trying to discredit Muhammed (pbuh) wouldn't it be real easy to put in age 9 instead of 19? Yes, it was over 1400 years ago but issue after issue has been made about it. The prophet has been referred to as some pretty sick names......and even just a little discredit coming through that type of thing is exactly what the enemy (shaitain) wants....just to put some doubt in someones mind.

To become indignant when the issue is raised or someone finds a study on it, is not good.
 

Hard Rock Moslem

I'm your brother
For me, I do not see any problem during daawah if people resort to discredit the Prophet (may bpbuh). My grandmother, a hindu until present day, confirmed she got married at the age of 10 and got her first child at the age of 11. I asked why at such young age, she said it is normal practice during those days (1900s) that girls are married at very young teen age. In my family, I do have christians and it is the same for them. During those days, it is acceptable practice not only in Islam but also other religion. But today, some people can't find better issue to attack Islam so they resort to petty issues, example this one.
 
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