Is it permissible for a 21-year-old girl with special needs (learning disabilities) to play with stuffed animals and/or toys? She mostly plays with stuffed animals and/or toys whenever she is not learning the religion. In addition, when she is not learning the religion, she tends to bang her hands on any surface (table/desk), bang her foot against the wall, bang or slam her hands together, and other similar types of behavior like this.

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

There is nothing wrong with girls playing with dolls and keeping them, as it was reported that ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated:

“When the Prophet arrived (at her house) after the Battle of Tabook or Khaybar (the doubt is from the narrator), the wind raised one end of a curtain that was covering her store-room, revealing her dolls. Among them, he noticed a horse with wings made of rags and asked, “What is this that I see among them?” She replied, “A horse.” He asked, “What is this that it has on?” She replied, “Two wings.” He asked, “A horse with two wings?” She replied, “Have you not heard that Sulaymaan (Solomon) had horses with wings?” She then said, “Thereupon, he laughed so heartily that I could see his molars.” [Abu Daawood]

It is apparent – and Allah knows best – that ‘Aa’ishah, had already reached the age of puberty after the battle of Khaybar. The Prophet married her when she was six years old, and he consummated the marriage with her when she was nine years old, as reported by Al-Bukhaari, Muslim, and others, and this was in the first year of Hijrah, as stated by the biographers. According to Mustadrak Al-Haakim on Saheeh Al-Bukhaari and Saheeh Muslim, that was in the month of Shawwaal, eight months after the Hijrah.

Ibn Hajar said:

“If it is proven that he consummated the marriage with her in Shawwaal in the first year of Hijrah, then this strengthens the statement of those who said that he consummated the marriage with her seven months after the Hijrah. An-Nawawi considered it as Dha’eef (weak) in his Tahtheeb, but it is not weak if we start counting from the month of Rabee‘ Al-Awwal (the month in which the Hijrah took place).

If we say that the Prophet consummated the marriage with her seven or eight months in the first year of Hijrah, then after the Battle of Khaybar, she would have reached fourteen or fifteen years old, and many girls reach the age of accountability for their deeds before this age.

Ibn Hajar said in Al-Fat-h, ‘Aa’ishah was about fourteen years old when the Battle of Khaybar took place, but in the Battle of Tabook, she had reached the age of puberty without any doubt.’”

This is even more confirmed in regard to such a girl – and we ask Allah to cure her – who is afflicted with such a disability.

Allah knows best.