What was the age of ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, when she got married to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam? Was she nine years old or older than that?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds.  I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Our mother, ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, was six years old when the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, married her, and he brought her to marital life when she was ten years old. It seems also that he married her the same year he proposed to marry her. The evidence for this is the Hadeeth (narration) reported by Al-Bukhari from ‘Aa’ishah that she said,

"The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, proposed to me when I was six (years). We went to Madeenah and stayed at the home of Bani Al-Harith ibn Al-Khazraj. Then I got ill and my hair fell out. Later on, my hair grew (again) and my mother, Umm Rummaan, came to me while I was playing on a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted of me. She caught me by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house. I was breathless then, and when my breathing became all right, she took some water and rubbed my face and head with it.

“Then she took me into the house. There in the house I saw some Ansaari women, who said, ‘Best wishes and Allaah's blessing and good luck.’ Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me (for the marriage). Unexpectedly, the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, came to me in the forenoon and my mother handed me over to him, and at that time I was a girl of nine years of age."

So, this Hadeeth is enough evidence that she was only nine years old. For more details about the reasons for this marriage and the other marriages of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, please read Fatwa 81505.

Allaah Knows best.