Refutation of the lie that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) married ‘Aa’ishah when she was 18 years old

Question

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

The saheeh hadiths state that the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) did the marriage contract with ‘Aa’ishah (may
Allah be pleased with her) when she was six years old, and consummated the
marriage with her when she was nine years old. These hadiths include the
following:

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) married me when I was six years
old and he consummated the marriage with me when I was nine years old. We
came to Madinah and stayed among Banu’l-Haarith ibn Khazraj, and I fell
sick… My mother Umm Roomaan came to me when I was on a swing and some of my
friends were with me. She called me loudly and I went to her, and I did not
know what she wanted of me. She took me by the hand and made me stand at the
door of the house, as I was gasping for breath, until I had calmed down.
Then she took some water and wiped my face and head with it, then she took
me into the house. There were some women of the Ansaar in the house, who
said: With good wishes and blessings and good luck. She handed me over to
them and they adorned me, and suddenly I saw the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) at mid-morning, and they handed
me over to him. At that time I was nine years old.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3894) and Muslim (1422)

It was narrated from her (may Allah be pleased with her) that
she said: I used to play with dolls in the presence of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) and I had friends who would play with
me. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
entered they would hide themselves and he would call them to come and play
with me.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7130) and Muslim (2440).

Abu Dawood (4932) narrated from her (may Allah be pleased
with her) that she said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) came back from the campaign to Tabook or Khaybar and
there was a curtain over her niche. The wind lifted the edge of the curtain
and uncovered ‘Aa’ishah’s toy dolls. He said: “What is this, O ‘Aa’ishah?”
She said: My dolls. He saw among them a horse with two wings made of cloth
and he said: “What is this that I see in the midst of them?” She said: A
horse. He said: “What is this that I see on it?” I said: Two wings. He said:
“A horse with wings?” She said: Have you not heard that Sulaymaan had horses
with wings? She said: And the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) smiled so broadly that I saw his eyeteeth.

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Adaab az-Zafaaf (p. 203)

Al-Haafiz said:

Al-Khattaabi said: A concession was only granted allowing
‘Aa’ishah to play with them (toys) because at that time she had not yet
reached the age of puberty. I say: As to whether this was the case, we
cannot be certain but it is possible, because at the time of the campaign to
Khaybar, ‘Aa’ishah was fourteen years old, so either she had reached the age
of fourteen or had passed that age or was close to it. But at the time of
the campaign to Tabook, she had definitely passed the age of fourteen, so
the reports of those who say that it was Khaybar are more likely to be
correct. End quote. The campaign to Khaybar occurred in 7 AH.

Muslim (1422) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased
with her) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
married her when she was seven years old and she was taken to him as a bride
when she was nine years old, and she took her dolls with her. He died when
she was eighteen years old.

An-Nawawi said:

What is meant by dolls is these toys that young girls play
with; this highlights that she was very young. End quote.

In this report she said that she was seven years old, but in
most of the reports it says that she was six years old. The way to reconcile
between the reports is to note that she was six years and some months, so
sometimes she only mentioned the years, and sometimes she counted the year
that she had embarked upon (her seventh year). This was suggested by an-Nawawi
in Sharh Muslim.

Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that this
is a matter on which the scholars were agreed, and there was no report that
any one of them disagreed.

He (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The words “he married her when she was six years old and
consummated the marriage with her when she was nine years old” are a matter
concerning which there is no difference of opinion among the scholars, as it
is proven in the Saheehs and elsewhere, and the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) consummated the marriage with her two years
after he migrated to Madinah.

End quote from al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah (3/161)

It is well-known that scholarly consensus is protected from
error, because the ummah cannot agree on misguidance. At-Tirmidhi (2167)
narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger
of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah will not
cause my ummah to agree on misguidance.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
Saheeh al-Jaami‘ (1848)

Secondly:

The writer of the article mentioned was led by his ignorance
and fanatical support for his false view to tell many lies and twist things,
aiming thereby to support his falsehood.

For example, he quotes Ibn Katheer as saying, in al-Bidaayah
wa’n-Nihaayah, concerning the earliest Muslims: “Among the woman were
Asma’ bint Abi Bakr and ‘Aa’ishah, when she was small; these people became
Muslim within three years.” But we have not come across these words in
al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah. Rather Ibn Katheer said (3/25): The first
free man to believe was Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq; the first child was ‘Ali ibn
Abi Taalib; and the first woman was Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid. End quote. He
did not mention either Asma’ or ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them
both).

In fact ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was born
approximately four years after the Prophet’s mission began.

This author also says:

“All the sources, without exception, say that she – i.e.,
Asma’ – was ten years older than ‘Aa’ishah.”

That is not the case. Adh-Dhahabi said in Siyar A‘laam an-Nubala’
(3/522): Asma’ was more than ten years older than ‘Aa’ishah.” End quote.

The Arabic phrase translated here as “more than ten” may
refer to any number between thirteen and twenty.

Thirdly:

The fact that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) married ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) when she was
nine years old is nothing strange. It is well-known that the age at which
girls reach puberty varies according to race and environment. In hot regions
girls reach puberty earlier, whereas in cold polar regions puberty may be
delayed until the age of twenty-one years.

At-Tirmidhi said: ‘Aa’ishah said: When a girl reaches the age
of nine years, she is a woman.

Sunan at-Tirmidhi
(2/409)

Imam ash-Shaafa‘i said: In Yemen I saw many girls aged nine
who had reached puberty.

Siyar A‘laam an-Nubala’
(10/91)

Al-Bayhaqi (1588) narrated that ash-Shaafa‘i said: The
earliest age at which I heard of girls reaching puberty was the women of
Tihaamah who reach puberty at the age of nine.

Ash-Shaafa‘i also said: In San‘aa’ I saw a grandmother who
was twenty-one years old; she reached puberty at the age of nine and gave
birth at the age of ten, and her daughter reached puberty at the age of nine
and gave birth at the age of ten.

As-Sunan al-Kubra
by al-Bayhaqi (1/319)

Based on that, the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) consummated his marriage with ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with
her) when she had reached puberty or was very close to it.

For more information, please see the answer to question no.
44990

What is required of anyone who speaks about any branch of
knowledge is that he should speak on the basis of knowledge and fairness,
far removed from ignorance, fanaticism and following whims and desires.

It is sufficient evil for a person to fabricate a view that
was not uttered by any of the scholars throughout the centuries. This
indicates that this view is wrong. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymyah (may Allah
have mercy on him) said: Every view that is held by only one of the later
scholars, and not by any of the earlier scholars, for which there is no
precedent among any of the earlier scholars, is wrong, as Imam Ahmad ibn
Hanbal said: Beware of developing a view that you have never heard from any
scholar. End quote.

Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa
(21/291)

We ask Allah to show as the truth as truth and enable us to
follow it, and to show us falsehood as false, and enable us to avoid it.