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Refuting the Claim That the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, Married ‘A’ishah before She Reached Puberty

Question

It was reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhari that the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam, married the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah when she was six years old and consummated marriage with her when she was nine. A Christian person alleges that it is shameful for the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to do so, given that ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, was still a child when the marriage was consummated. Responding to him, I said that she had attained puberty and gone through menstruation at the time when the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam, consummated marriage with her. Is this statement correct or not?

Answer

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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

It was authentically reported in Saheeh Al-Bukhari and other Hadith resources and others that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, married ‘A’ishah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her when she was six years old and that the marriage was consummated when she was nine. This fact is reported contiguously in the books of Seerah (biography). It is well known that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not consummate the marriage with ‘A’ishah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her before she had attained puberty and become fit for copulation. An indication of the authenticity of this information is the fact that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, waited for such a period between concluding the marriage contract and the consummation of marriage. You may refer, for example, to Fat-h Al-Bari Sharh Saheeh Al-Bukhari (7/281) by Al-Hafith Ibn Hajar, in the chapter of the Prophet's marriage to ‘A’ishah; Ar-Rawdh Al-Unuf (4/427) by As-Suhayli; and Subul Al-Huda wa Ar-Rashad Fi Seerat Khayr Al-‘Ibad (11/164) by As-Salihi Ash-Shami.

We also advise our dear questioner not to engage in discussions with Christians or others except over issues about which he has sufficient knowledge lest his mind may get confused or be subject to and affected by suspicions.

Allah knows best.

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