Aisha's Marriage: 9 or 19 Years? Analysis of Historical, Medical and Apologetic Arguments

When discussing the historical age of Aisha at the time of her marriage, Islamic scholarship and discourse generally split into two distinct schools of thought. Here is a breakdown of these perspectives and the biological concerns regarding early pregnancy.

• The first group accepts the traditional Hadith narrations stating she was 6 years old at the time of the marriage contract and 9 years old when the marriage was consummated. Rather than questioning the age, they focus on justifying it through historical context. They often argue that girls matured faster in hot climates or in that specific era. And they also argue that  marriage at puberty was a common cultural norm of the time.

• The second group rejects the "9-year-old" narrative entirely. They argue that the historical records are inconsistent or were recorded long after the events. Using various biographical comparisons (such as the age of her sister Asma), they attempt to prove she was actually around 16 at the time of the marriage contract and 19 when the marriage was consummated.

The first type of Islamic apologists, who acknowledge Aisha’s age as 9 years, but present other excuses for justification

First, we will mention the problems arising from the marriage of a 9-year-old girl. Then, we will analyze the arguments of those Muslim preachers who defend marriage with a 9-year-old.

1. Extreme Dangers for Child Mothers

It is important to understand that while a young girl’s body might be able to get pregnant shortly after her period starts, it is often not yet strong or large enough to deliver a baby safely. Medical experts and scientists have found that there is a big difference between being able to conceive and being physically mature enough to give birth.

Here is an explanation of the dangers of early pregnancy in simple terms:

1. The Hips of Child Mothers Aren't Ready Yet

Think of the pelvis (the hip bones) as a doorway the baby must pass through. In young girls, this "doorway" is still narrow because the bones are still growing.

• The Science: Studies show that a woman’s hip bones don't reach their best shape for childbirth until she is between 25 and 30 years old.

• The Risk: If a girl’s hips are too small, the baby can get stuck. This is called "obstructed labor," and it is very dangerous for both the mother and the baby.

• Source: PNAS Study on Pelvic Growth

2. High Risk of Death among Child Mothers

The younger the mother is, the more likely she is to face life-threatening complications.

• The Science: Research across 42 countries shows that girls aged 15 or younger are four times more likely to die during childbirth than women in their 20s.

• The Risk: Their bodies are more likely to experience dangerous problems like extremely high blood pressure (eclampsia) or heavy bleeding that their younger systems cannot handle.

• Source: Study on Maternal Death in Young Teens

3. Obstetric Fistula (Internal Injuries)

When a baby gets stuck in the birth canal for days because the mother’s pelvis is too small, the pressure can cause a "fistula."

• The Science: A fistula is a hole that forms between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum.

• The Risk: This causes the girl to leak urine or feces uncontrollably for the rest of her life. Because of the smell and the injury, many of these young girls are sadly rejected by their families and communities.

• Source: Clinical Review of Obstetric Fistula

4. Fighting for Nutrients

When a teenager is pregnant, her own body is still trying to grow taller and stronger.

• The Science: The mother’s body and the growing baby end up "competing" for the same vitamins and minerals.

• The Risk: Often, the mother’s growth is stunted, and the baby is born too small or too weak because there wasn't enough nutrition for both of them.

• Source: WHO Fact Sheet on Adolescent Pregnancy

3. Even Pre-Islamic Civilizations Did Not Marry Girls at the Age of 9

Islamic preachers often argue that marriage at the age of nine was a socially accepted norm in ancient societies. However, historical evidence presents a very different picture. Long before Muhammad, ancient civilizations were already aware of the medical and social harms of child marriage, and they had established laws and moral frameworks to prevent it.

1. Jewish Tradition

Jewish history and religious literature clearly show that early marriage was viewed as socially destructive and medically dangerous.

• Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (2nd century CE) strongly warned against marrying off daughters at a young age. He believed this practice caused reduced fertility, loss of wealth, and “bloodshed,” meaning death.

• According to Jewish law (Avot de-Rabbi Nathan), the minimum age for marriage was set at 12 years, and for medical reasons, delaying marriage beyond this age was encouraged.

• Reference: Pious and Rebellious, Grossman, Avraham

2. Roman Empire

About 500 years before the birth of Muhammad, the Greek-Roman physician Soranus wrote extensively on women’s health and childbirth. His medical observations closely align with modern scientific understanding.

• Soranus clearly stated that a woman’s body is suitable for pregnancy and safe childbirth only between the ages of 15 and 40.

• In his book Gynecology, Soranus explained that deaths in early marriages occurred because the uterus and pelvic bones of young girls were not yet fully developed.

• Law versus practice: Although Roman law technically allowed marriage at 12, Roman society, influenced by physicians like Soranus, generally practiced marriage between the ages of 15 and 20.

• Reference: Soranus’ Gynecology - Johns Hopkins University Press

It is important to note that Soranus was from Ephesus, in present-day Turkey, and also worked in Alexandria, Egypt. This means he was well acquainted with girls living in hot and dry climates. Therefore, the argument that “Arab girls matured earlier due to climate” is not credible.

Roman law also set 12 as the minimum age for girls, yet in real life, most Roman women married between 15 and 20. For further details, see Roman Law and the Marriage of Underage Girls .

3. Sparta

Ancient Sparta was famous for its powerful army and warrior culture. Spartans understood that strong soldiers could only be born to strong and healthy mothers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_ancient_Sparta#Marriage

• While Athenian women might have expected to marry for the first time around the age of fourteen to men much older than them, Spartan women normally married between the ages of eighteen and twenty to men close to them in age.^[29]
• According to Spartan ideology, the primary role of adult women was to bear and raise healthy children. This focus on childbearing was likely responsible for the emphasis on physical fitness in Spartan women, as it was believed that physically stronger women would have healthier children.[32] 
• Bearing and raising children was considered the most important role for women in Spartan society; equal to male warriors in the Spartan army.^[50] Spartan women were encouraged to produce many children, preferably male, to increase Sparta's military population. They took pride in having borne and raised brave warriors.^[51]

Hence, even with an emphasis on bearing numerous children, Sparta raised the age of marriage for women to 18–20 years. Interestingly, this decision did not hinder Spartan women from having many children. On the contrary, it led to a decrease in the mortality rate among both mothers and children. Additionally, this measure curbed the birth of weak offspring prone to diseases. As a result, only healthy and robust children were born, growing up to become outstanding warriors.

4. Ancient Iran and Zoroastrianism

Ancient Iranian civilization, particularly the Sassanian Empire, which was a major world power at the rise of Islam, had clearly defined legal ages for marriage.

• According to the Zoroastrian holy text Avesta, the minimum age for marriage and religious responsibility for both boys and girls was 15 years. This age was considered “perfect maturity.”

• Zoroastrian law discouraged marriage before this age, emphasizing that marriage requires not only physical readiness but also mental maturity to handle family responsibilities.

• Reference: Marriage in Ancient Iran - Encyclopedia Iranica

5. Ancient Egypt

In very early periods of ancient Egypt, marriages did occur at younger ages. However, as Egyptian civilization advanced, marriage age also increased.

• Centuries before Muhammad, papyri from Greek and Roman Egypt show that the average marriage age for girls in ordinary families was between 14 and 18 years.

• Despite Egypt’s extremely hot desert climate, often cited as a reason for early puberty, Egyptians were well aware of the medical harms of child marriage and regarded it as a social problem.

• Reference: Family and Marriage in Ancient Egypt

The historical evidence above clearly demonstrates that:

1. Ancient civilizations possessed medical and empirical knowledge about the harms of child marriage.
2. Not only Western civilizations like Rome and Greece, but also Eastern civilizations such as Iran and Egypt, geographically close to Arabia, considered 15 years or older as the appropriate age for marriage.
3. In practice, most girls married at 15 years of age or later.
4. Marriage and consummation at the ages of 6 or 9 were not common social norms.
5. Societies that raised the marriage age observed clearly better outcomes.

Therefore, the claim that “this was a common practice of that era” contradicts historical facts and remains nothing more than an apologetic argument without any solid historical foundation.

4. Forced Marriage Strips Children of Consent and the Right to Love

Islamic jurisprudence allows a father or guardian to arrange the marriage of a minor girl to any man, regardless of the age gap. Even if the man is fifty years her senior, the law permits this union without the girl's consent. Because of her age, a child is biologically and mentally incapable of providing informed consent or understanding the long-term implications of such a contract.

This raises a fundamental question about "divine justice": How can it be just to deny a child her voice and bind her to an older man whom she may find repulsive or fear? Naturally, as girls grow and mature, they often develop feelings of affection and love for peers of their own age. Love is one of the most beautiful aspects of the human experience, yet child marriage effectively kills this natural instinct and robs these girls of their emotional future.

Tragically, if a girl forced into such a marriage later follows her natural heart and falls in love with someone her own age, society and religious law often label her "immoral" or "shameless." What began as a violation of her childhood is compounded by the criminalization of her natural human emotions, often leading to severe punishments. Despite this suppression of human nature, some continue to claim this system is a "religion of nature" (Din-e-Fitrat).

The Muslim Defense: The "Option of Puberty" (Khiyar al-Bulugh)

A common argument used by apologists is that a girl has the "Option of Puberty," meaning she can theoretically dissolve the marriage once she becomes an adult. However, this argument faces several critical flaws:

• Irreparable Harm: The law allows a man to have a physical relationship with the child before she reaches adulthood. By the time she reaches "the age of option," she may have already been subjected to non-consensual physical intimacy or pregnancy.
• Social Pressure: It is unrealistic to expect a 9 or 10-year-old girl (or even an 18-year-old in many conservative societies) to have the social power or legal resources to fight her family and community to annul a marriage.
• Legal Restrictions: Under many interpretations of Sharia, this right is not absolute. If the father or grandfather (the Wali) made the decision, the girl often cannot challenge it unless she can prove the guardian was "negligent" or "wicked" (Fasiq).

"The option of puberty is waived if the marriage was conducted by the father or grandfather, unless it is known that they made an evil choice through negligence or immorality. If a wrong choice is identified, only then is the marriage considered invalid by consensus."
— Al-Durr al-Mukhtar (3:66-67), Muhammad bin Ali Ala al-Din al-Husni

The prominent fatwa website IslamQA also clarifies that this "option" is often denied once the girl reaches maturity. The Saudi mufti states:

Islam Question & Answer: "The majority of scholars are of the view that if the wife reaches puberty, she is not given any choice [to stay or leave]. The Prophet married Aisha when she was 7 years old, but he did not give her a choice when she reached puberty."

Ultimately, using the "Option of Puberty" as a defense is seen by critics as a way to avoid the core humanitarian issue. To understand the gravity of this, one must look at it through the lens of human rights and the physical and emotional welfare of the child.

5. Islam Allows Men to Derive Sexual Pleasure Even from Breastfeeding Young Girls

Aisha's age was 9 years when consummation of marriage took place. However, according to Islam, there is no limit of 9 years; rather, the marriage of a breastfeeding girl, or a 2- or 3- or 5-year-old girl, is also Halal (permissible). And after marriage, the man can derive every kind of physical pleasure from this young girl. The only recommendation is that if the girl is very young, the man should not penetrate her vagina; instead, when she grows a bit older (to 6 or 7 or 8 years) and the husband feels she has grown up and strong enough, then there is no harm in penetrating the girl's vagina.

In Islam, it is permissible for any father or guardian to marry off his minor daughter (even a breastfeeding baby) to any man of his choice.

Islam allows men to marry minor young girls, undress them, kiss their naked bodies, rub their penis between their thighs to ejaculate, and derive every kind of sexual pleasure (except intercourse with penetration). Even though these young girls, unlike Aisha, don't have to learn any knowledge from the Prophet and to spread it among Muslims (i.e., it is a common excuse by Islamic apologists that the Prophet married 9 years old 'Aisha only while she had to learn Islam from Muhammad and to spread it among Muslims later after his death). 

The largest Islamic website islamweb.net issued this fatwa (link):

الاستمتاع بالزوجة الصغيرة.. رؤية شرعية
فإنه لا حرجَ في تقبيلِ الزوجة الصغيرة بشهوة والمفاخذة ونحوَ ذلك ولو كانت لا تطيقُ الجماع وقد بيَّنَ العلماء أن الأصلَ جوازُ استمتاع الرجل بزوجته كيف شاء إذا لم يكن ضرر وذكروا في ذلك استمناءَه بيدها ومداعبَتها وتقبيلَها وغير ذلك
Translation:
Chapter: Sharia View on Deriving Sexual Pleasure from a Minor Wife
There is no harm in kissing the minor wife with desire, thighing (i.e., rubbing the penis between the thighs to ejaculate semen), or similar acts, even if she cannot endure intercourse. Scholars have clarified that the basic ruling is that a husband may derive pleasure from his wife in any way he wishes as long as no harm is caused. This includes having her masturbate him with her hand, foreplay, kissing, and similar acts.

More fatwas about "mufakhathah" (i.e., rubbing the penis between thighs to ejaculate) are available here (link).

Another major Muslim website, Islamonline.net, says the same thing (link):

فإنه لا ضررَ في الإنزالِ بين فخذي الصغيرة التي لا تطيقُ الجماع وتتضررُ به إذا كان ذلك الإنزالُ بدونِ إيلاج، وقد بَيَّنَ العلماءُ أن الأصلَ هو جوازُ استمتاعِ الرجلِ بزوجتِه كيف شاء إذا لم يكن ضرر

There is no harm in ejaculating between the thighs of a minor girl who cannot endure intercourse and would be harmed by it, as long as there is no penetration. Scholars have clarified that the basic ruling is that a husband may derive pleasure from his wife in any way he wishes as long as no harm is caused.

Psychological Pressure on a Young Girl:

Psychologists say that even if there is no "penetration" with a young girl, still:

• Snatching her away from her mother at a young age and handing her over to her husband causes psychological stress for her.
• And if the husband undresses her and forces her into sexual services (for example, making her masturbate him or oral sex, etc.), this also causes extreme mental stress for these young girls.

The Husband Will Decide When to Have "Penetrative" Sex with the Girl:

The issue is that:

• Islam has not given any right to a doctor or the mother to determine whether a 5-, 6-, or 7-year-old girl has become capable of penetration... rather, this right belongs to the "husband."
• But a man who is already deriving pleasure from the young girl's body in a state of "lust", who will stop him from waiting for the girl to grow up and not performing penetration?

Unfortunately, no Muslim apologist gives an answer to this; instead, they dodge the question. At most, they present a fatwa recommending that the girl be sent to the husband only when she becomes capable of penetration.

Fatwa on the Darul Ifta website of Darul Uloom Deoband (link):

Question: Is physical relations, i.e., intercourse, with a minor girl permissible or impermissible? While in Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi's book Bahishti Zewar, among women's specific diseases, there is mention of a disease called "Ishqaq ar-Rahim" which occurs due to marriage of a minor girl. Doctors say that if the wife is minor and her vagina is still dry, wounds occur...

Answer: 

...Intercourse with a minor girl after marriage is permissible in itself but the girl's guardians should think about this issue before marriage and before sending her to husband's home with careful consideration...

Darul Ifta, 
Darul Uloom Deoband

Thus, its status is merely a recommendation, and that too not from Islam, but from one scholar.

Moreover, this recommendation completely fails when the owner is having sex with a young girl who is his "slave girl". In such a case, the young slave girl's parents cannot save her in any way.

Anal Sodomy with a Young Girl:

If a man has an inclination toward sodomy, then who will stop that man from forcibly committing sodomy with the young girl?

How will this young girl then defend herself?

Oral Sex:

If you have sent the young girl into seclusion with the man, then who is there to stop the man from forcing the young girl into oral sex?

Violence During Sex:

Some men are mentally ill. They want to see the girl screaming during sex. For this, they use physical violence.

So who is there to stop the man from using such violence on young girls so that he can hear their screams and moans during sex?

The problem with these religious apologists is that they dodge all such questions and dangers and never acknowledge them. In their view, ignoring these questions or completely denying them is the best way to defend the religion. But this is not possible.

1. The Case of Elham Mahdi (Yemen, 2010)

13-year-old Elham Mahdi died just three days after marriage due to severe internal bleeding (hemorrhage). Medical examination revealed that her delicate body could not withstand the sexual act, causing severe damage to her internal organs.

• Reference: Reports from CNN, Reuters, and others on the death of 13-year-old Yemeni child bride Elham Mahdi (or Ilham Mahdi al-Assi) from internal injuries

2. The Case of Tehani (Yemen)

Tehani was a girl married at just 6 years old. Although she did not die immediately, she told the media that her husband (an old man) continuously subjected her to violence and abuse. Such cases often end in death during childbirth (maternal mortality).

• Reference: Documented cases of young child brides in Yemen facing abuse and health risks (related BBC reports on child marriage)

3. Human Rights Watch Report on Child Marriages

Human Rights Watch (HRW) in its detailed report on Yemen titled "How Come You Allow Little Girls to Get Married?" mentions several girls who lost their lives due to medical complications arising after marriage or suicide. According to the report, girls under 15 are at 5 times greater risk of death during childbirth.

• Reference: Human Rights Watch - Yemen Child Marriage Report (2011)

6. Muslim Men are Free to Have Sex with Slave Minor Girls (and also with Captive Minor Girls)

One of the most distressing aspects of classical Islamic rulings on slavery is that men were permitted to purchase very young girls—even infants still breastfeeding—from slave markets and use them for sexual gratification. This was facilitated by a legal provision allowing owners to separate a slave mother from her child once the child’s first molars appeared, typically between six and eight months of age. After separation, these infants could be sold on the open market, where buyers could acquire young girls as concubines and lawfully engage in sexual acts with them.

Imam Abdullah ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani, a prominent Maliki jurist, states in his foundational fiqh treatise (link):

ولا يفرق بين الأم وولدها في البيع حتى يثغر.

Translation:
“The owner may not separate a slave mother from her child and sell the child until the child begins to teethe (i.e., around 6–8 months of age).”

This ruling implies that separation, and subsequent sale, becomes permissible once teething begins.

Historical reports considered authentic by many classical scholars also indicate that some Companions of the Prophet engaged in sexual relations not only with adult captive women but with minor captive girls as well.

Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 22967:

Buraidah narrated: I hated Ali like I had never hated anyone. The Prophet (peace be upon him) sent us on an expedition and sent Ali with us. Among the captive women, there was a slave girl who was the most beautiful. Ali extracted the khums (one-fifth of the war booty), then distributed the wealth. When Ali came to us, water was dripping from his head (meaning he had performed ghusl after having intercourse with that slave girl). We said: "O Abu al-Hasan! What is this?" Ali replied: "Did you not see that slave girl who was among the captive women? I distributed the wealth and extracted the khums. Then that slave girl was included in the khums. Then she was included in the household of Muhammad (peace be upon him), and then she was included in Ali's house, so I had sexual relations with her."
Grade: Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut has declared this narration Sahih.

Since Ali had intercourse with this captive girl that same night without istibra' (i.e., without her completing one menstrual cycle), some people criticized Ali's action.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani responded to this criticism and wrote:

وقد استشكل وقوع على على الجارية بغير استبراء وكذلك قسمته لنفسه فأما الأول فمحمول على أنها كانت بكرا غير بالغ ورأى أن مثلها لا يستبرأ كما صار إليه غيره من الصحابة

"Ali's establishing relations with the slave girl without istibra' and similarly allocating her for himself became a point of contention for some people. As for the first matter, its justification is that she was a virgin and minor, and Ali's opinion was that istibra' is not necessary for such a young slave girl (for intercourse), just as this was the opinion of other Companions." Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari 8/67.

Consider the profound trauma inflicted on these young girls: forcibly separated from their mothers as infants, sold in markets, and placed entirely at the mercy of a new owner in an unfamiliar environment. With no parents present to protect them, they were utterly vulnerable to sexual exploitation from a very early age.

The psychological devastation is even more harrowing in the context of war captives. These girls would witness their fathers and brothers killed, their families torn apart, and their mothers and sisters bound and terrified before their eyes. Then, often on the very same night, the captors would force themselves upon them. Such treatment represents an extreme violation of human dignity that is deeply disturbing to contemplate.

Critical Examination of the Arguments Used by Muslim Apologists

Below is a detailed review of the arguments commonly presented by Muslim apologists in defense of Islam, along with a reasoned analysis of each claim.

Second Apologist Argument: Muhammad married Aisha at a young age because she had an exceptional capacity to acquire knowledge

Islamic preachers argue that Muhammad married the young Aisha because her early age supposedly gave her an extraordinary ability to absorb and preserve knowledge.

The first flaw in this argument is obvious. At the time of marriage, Muhammad could not have known that Aisha would later develop into a woman with strong memory and intellectual abilities. Therefore, this marriage could not have been based on any future scholarly potential. This explanation is a retrospective justification invented later by Islamic apologists.

Secondly, the ability to acquire knowledge is not determined by age alone. It depends far more on intelligence, comprehension, and memory. Abu Huraira accepted Islam at the age of 26 and spent only about three years with Muhammad. Despite this short companionship, he narrated 5,374 hadiths. In contrast, Aisha narrated only 2,210 hadiths, even though she lived much longer and was much younger at the time of marriage.

Thirdly, Muhammad had other wives as well, such as Safiyya, whose ages were between 15 and 20 years. A mentally capable 16-year-old is far better equipped than a 9-year-old child to understand complex matters, absorb knowledge, and retain it. Meanwhile, according to Sahih Bukhari 6130, Aisha at the age of nine was still playing with dolls.

Sahih Bukhari 6130 states:

Aisha reported that she used to play with dolls in the presence of the Prophet, meaning after the marriage was consummated at the age of nine. Her friends would also play with her. When Muhammad entered, they would hide, but he would call them back so they could continue playing with her. Playing with dolls and similar figures is normally prohibited, but it was allowed in her case because she was a young girl and had not yet reached puberty. (Fath al-Bari, volume 13, page 143)

Second Apologist Argument: Muhammad married six-year-old Aisha so that she could teach Islam to others after his death

First, there is no evidence that Muhammad had any foreknowledge that Aisha would live a long life and be able to teach others extensively. Nothing in the historical sources suggests that this was his intention when contracting the marriage. This explanation appears to be a later invention by apologists trying to justify the marriage after the fact.

Second, it is worth remembering that Muhammad had other wives, such as Safiyyah, who were between 15 and 20 years old at the time of marriage. If a divine being truly existed and wished to ensure the long-term transmission of religious knowledge, He could just as easily have granted any of those adult wives a long life. For example, a 16-year-old wife could also have lived for many decades and taught the community.

Aisha died at the age of 65. If God is all-powerful, would it not have been possible for Him to extend the life of another mature wife to 70 or 80 years instead?

Finally, Islamic law does not limit permissible child marriage to Aisha’s case alone. Classical fiqh explicitly allows the marriage (and consummation, with certain restrictions) of even much younger girls, including those still breastfeeding. These other very young girls were not expected to learn from the Prophet or to transmit religious knowledge to the community. Thus, the argument that Aisha’s young age was chosen for educational purposes does not hold up when applied consistently to the broader legal framework.

In reality, the marriage to Aisha occurred because she was attractive to Muhammad and he desired her, not because of any prophetic plan to use her as a long-term teacher of Islam.

Third Apologist Argument: Aisha was satisfied with the marriage

Islamic preachers assert the following points:

• Aisha had no objection to the marriage at age 9.
• Her father, family, and tribe saw no problem with it.
• Even the Prophet’s fiercest enemies, who constantly sought opportunities to criticize him, raised no objection.
• Only modern, non-Muslim critics in the 21st century find the marriage problematic.

Response:

First, extreme oppression can sometimes reach a point where victims internalize it and accept the violation of their basic human rights as normal. A historical parallel is the situation after the abolition of slavery in the United States under Abraham Lincoln: some formerly enslaved people, due to intense psychological conditioning (brainwashing), chose to return to their former owners because they had been convinced that servitude was their proper place. Yet such social conditioning does not make the underlying practice just or moral.

Second, if the Prophet’s deadly enemies did not criticize him for this marriage simply because they themselves engaged in similar practices, that does not absolve him of responsibility. For example, if Muhammad had begun killing newborn girls and his enemies remained silent (because, as some Muslims claim, they did the same), would that make the act morally acceptable? The absence of criticism from morally compromised opponents does not establish ethical validity.

Furthermore, two major neighboring empires had already prohibited sexual relations with girls under 9 years of age well before Muhammad’s time (evidence for this will be presented later in the article). In Roman Egypt and regions such as Basra, severe punishments were imposed for seducing girls under 13, precisely because they were considered too young to give meaningful consent or to understand the risks involved.

Third, if it is claimed that Muhammad possessed perfect, eternally exemplary morals, then how could he fail to recognize that marrying a six-year-old girl was morally wrong? This objection does not apply only to Muhammad; if God truly exists and ordained this marriage, the objection extends directly to God and His moral standards.

When apologists insist that Muhammad’s character was perfect for all time and that his example (Sunnah) must be followed in every era, they are implicitly endorsing marriage to six-year-old girls as permissible even today. One can only hope that Muslims will recognize the serious ethical dangers inherent in such claims about “eternal” moral perfection.

Fourth Apologist Argument: In the past, girls reached puberty much earlier

Today, the average age for a girl's first menstruation is between 11 and 12 years. However, Islamic apologists claim that in the past, puberty arrived earlier, and therefore it was acceptable for Muhammad to consummate the marriage with nine-year-old Aisha.

First, please note that when Muhammad consummated the marriage with Aisha at age 9, she had not yet begun menstruating and was still prepubescent. There is absolutely no evidence that she had started her periods at age 9; rather, this claim has been fabricated by modern Muslims without any supporting proof.

Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6130:

Narrated Aisha: I used to play with dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my friends would also play with me. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) entered, they would hide themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me.

Famous Islamic scholar Ibn Hajar al-Asqallani wrote under this hadith:

Playing with dolls and similar images is forbidden, but it was permitted for Aisha at that time because she was a young child and had not yet reached puberty.
Reference: Ibn Hajar al-Asqallani, Fath al-Bari, page 143, Volume 13

Thus, Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani clearly states that Aisha had not reached puberty at age 9.

The reality is that this excuse that girls in the hot Arabian climate began menstruating at age 9 has been invented solely by modern Muslim apologists without any evidence. Earlier generations of classical Muslim scholars never offered this justification, precisely because it is untrue.

Second, the Quran (Surah 65, Verse 4) explicitly permits sexual relations with prepubescent girls who have not yet reached the age of menstruation (link).

Third, the onset of menstruation does not mean a girl is mentally or physically ready for sexual intercourse or childbirth. Even today, some girls begin menstruating at 8, 7, 6, or even 5 years old. Does that mean sexual relations with a 5-year-old girl would be acceptable?

Fifth Apologist Argument: Nature supports Islam, and physical puberty signals that sexual life should begin

Prominent Islamic apologist Daniel Haqiqatjou presented this argument in one of his videos (link). He further claims that delaying sexual activity after puberty leads young people to engage in solitary gratification (masturbation).

However, this claim is unfounded for several reasons:

The root of this argument lies in the Muslim belief that their God is absolutely perfect and has created an absolutely perfect human nature.

In reality, nature is neither perfectly suited to humans nor to any other species. Nature operates according to its own laws, and as humans, we must adapt ourselves to its demands; otherwise, we face existential threats. The same principle applies to all other species.

While animals become biologically capable of reproduction at the onset of puberty, humans are different. There is a clear distinction between animals and humans in terms of development and behavior, because humans undergo complex psychological, emotional, and social changes during puberty.

• Animals do not require "consent" from a weaker party and are inclined toward coercive mating, but humans possess the capacity for reasoned thought, we have human rights, and the ability to give informed consent is among our fundamental rights.

• Yet Islam reduces humans back to the level of animals. It strips young girls of the right to consent, allowing their fathers to force them into sexual relations with any man of their choice, no matter how old he may be.

• Puberty occurring between ages 9 and 12 is also insufficient for a person to be mentally capable of choosing a suitable life partner. Mental maturity is entirely distinct from physical puberty, and humans generally reach mental maturity between the ages of 16 and 18.

• While animals can mate and reproduce immediately upon physical maturity, the same is not true for humans. We have already presented extensive evidence showing that girls who reach puberty around age 12 face severe risks during childbirth, including fistula, other complications, and even death. Similarly, their infants face significantly higher risks of mortality at birth or subsequent health issues.

Is the fear of young people resorting to masturbation sufficient justification for permitting sexual intercourse with adult men, pregnancy, and childbirth like processes that can be dangerous and sometimes fatal for very young girls?

---

Second Category of Islamic Apologists: Those Who Claim Aisha Was 19 at the Time of Marriage

The second group of Islamic apologists takes a different approach: they completely reject the traditional narrative that Aisha was nine years old at the time of her marriage's consummation. Instead, they attempt to prove that her marriage contract (Nikah) was signed when she was 16 and that she began living with Muhammad at the age of 19.

However, this group does not provide a clear legal or biological standard for their position. It remains unclear whether they believe 16 is the minimum age for both the marriage contract and consummation, or if they hold that consummation must be delayed until 19. This lack of a definitive stance makes it difficult to establish a consistent moral or legal rule for others to follow.

1. Quran 65:4 Itself Testifies That in Islam, Both Nikah and Consummation with a Young Minor Girl Are Permissible

The problem for these apologists is that the first setback comes from the Quran itself, which openly declares not only nikah but also consummation with a young minor girl as halal (permissible).

(Quran 65:4) And if you are in doubt about those of your women who have despaired of menstruation, (you should know that) their waiting period is three months, and the same applies to those (minor girls) who have not menstruated as yet.

Modoudi's Tafseer of verse 65:4 (link):

They may not have menstruated as yet either because of young age, or delayed menstrual discharge as it happens in the case of some women, the waiting-period of such a woman is the same as of the woman, who has stopped menstruation, that is three months from the time divorce was pronounced.
Here, one should bear in mind the fact that according to the explanations given in the Qur'an the question of the waiting period arises in respect of the women with whom marriage may have been consummated, for there is no waiting-period in case divorce is pronounced before the consummation of marriage. (Al-Ahzab: 49). Therefore, making mention of the waiting-period for the girls who have not yet menstruated, clearly proves that it is not only permissible to give away the girl in marriage at this age but it is also permssible for the husband to consummate marriage with her. Now, obviously no Muslim has the right to forbid a thing which the Qur'an has held as permissible.

And just in case someone tries to claim that Abul A'la al-Maududi is a modern scholar, then here are a few excerpts from other classical exegetes (Credit):

• Al-Tabari: ( وَاللائِي لَمْ يَحِضْنَ ) يقول: وكذلك عدد اللائي لم يحضن من الجواري لصغر إذا طلقهنّ أزواجهنّ بعد الدخول.

  • Translation: (And those who have not menstruated): Likewise is the waiting period of those who did not menstruate among the little girls due to being too young young if their husbands divorced them after entering.

• Qurtubi: قوله تعالى : واللائي لم يحضن يعني الصغيرة فعدتهن ثلاثة أشهر

  • Translation: The Almighty saying: What did not menstruate, meaning the little ones, their waiting period is three months

• Ibn Kathir : وكذا الصغار اللائي لم يبلغن سن الحيض أن عدتهن كعدة الآيسة ثلاثة أشهر ; ولهذا قال : ( واللائي لم يحضن )

  • Translation: As well as the young girls who did not reach the age of menstruation that their waiting period is the same as the old woman: Three months; That is why he said: (And the one who did not menstruate.

It is only modern apologists who attempt to reinterpret or change the meaning of this verse (Quran 65:4). However, such reinterpretation is not possible, because for fourteen hundred years, all schools of thought, i.e., Shia, Sunni (and the four major Imams of Sunnies) have unanimously agreed that the verse refers specifically to "prepubescent minor girls.

2. All hadiths also agree that Aisha's age at the time of marriage was 9 years

And the vast collection of hadiths also works against them because all these hadiths unanimously agree that Aisha's age was 6 years at the time of Nikah (marriage contract) and 9 years at the time of Rukhsati (consummation).

Here is a list of 17 authentic Ahadith, which tell that:

• 'Aisha was married at the age of 6,
• And the marriage was consummated when she was 9 years old. 
• And 4 of these Ahadith also tell that 'Aisha was 18 years old when Muhammad died. 
• Moreover, few of them are narrated by other people than Hisham (i.e. people who deny 'Aisha's age of 9 years at the time of consummation, they falsely claim that all such Ahadith are narrated by Hisham only). 

The List:

1. Sunan Ibn Majah, 1877 [marriage at 7, consummation at 9, age of 'Aisha when Muhammad died = 18. Not narrated by Hisham] 
2. Sahih Muslim, 1422c 9 [marriage at 7, consummation at 9, age of 'Aisha when Muhammad died = 18. Not narrated by Hisham] 
3. Sahih Muslim [marriage at 6, consummation at 9, age of 'Aisha when Muhammad died = 18] 
4. Sunan Nisai, 3258 [consummation at 9, age of 'Aisha when Muhammad died = 18] 
5. Sunan Ibn Majah, 1876 [consummation at 9, age of 'Aisha when Muhammad died = 18] 
6. Sunan Abu Dawud, 2121 [marriage at 7 or 6, consummation at 9] 
7. Sunan Nisai, 3256 [marriage at 7, consummation at 9] 
8. Sunan Nisai, 3378 [marriage at 6, consummation at 9] 
9. Sunan Nisai, 3257 [consummation at 9, stayed with Muhammad for 9 years till he died] 
10. Sunan Nisai, 3255 [marriage at 6, consummation at 9] 
11. Sahih Bukhari, 5134 [marriage at 6, consummation at 9, stayed with Muhammad for 9 years till he died] 
12. Sahih Bukhari, 3894 [marriage at 6, consummation at 9] 
13. Sahih Bukhari, 5133 [marriage at 6, consummation at 9, stayed with Muhammad for 9 years till he died] 
14. Sahih Bukhari, 5158 [marriage at 6, consummation at 9, stayed with Muhammad for 9 years till he died] 
15. Sahih Bukhari, 3896 [marriage at 6, consummation at 9] 
16. Sahih Muslim, 1422a [marriage at 6, consummation at 9] 
17. Sahih Muslim, 1422b [marriage at 6, consummation at 9] 

There are traditions which don't mention the age of 'Aisha directly at the time of marriage, but they tell us that 'Aisha used to play with dolls after the marriage. This also proves that 'Aisha was still a child of 9 years old when she came into the house of Muhammad.

Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 6130:

Narrated `Aisha: I used to play with the dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my girl friends also used to play with me. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to enter (my dwelling place) they used to hide themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me. (The playing with the dolls and similar images is forbidden, but it was allowed for `Aisha at that time, as she was a little girl, not yet reached the age of puberty.) (Fath-ul-Bari page 143, Vol.13)

Sahih Muslim, Hadith 3311:

These modern Islamic apologists absolutely don't answer how can a 19-year-old girl play with dolls. So, their tactic is to totally neglect this proof. Nevertheless, this tactic does not work. 

1st Objection: All these traditions are narrated by only one person i.e. Hisham bin 'Urwa and none from Medina narrated it

But this objection is false. 

The traditions about 'Aisha's age at the time of marriage have been narrated by multiple alternative chains of narrations, including the people of Medina too.

Sheikh Haddad is a Sunni Hadith Master, and he replied to this objection as following (link):

Al-Zuhri also reports it from `Urwa, from `A'isha; so does `Abd Allah ibn Dhakwan, both major Madanis. So is the Tabi`i Yahya al-Lakhmi who reports it from her in the Musnad and in Ibn Sa`d's Tabaqat. So is Abu Ishaq Sa`d ibn Ibrahim who reports it from Imam al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, one of the Seven Imams of Madina, from `A'isha. All the narratives of this event have been reported. In addition to the above four Madinese Tabi`in narrators, Sufyan ibn `Uyayna from Khurasan and `Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya from Tabarayya in Palestine both report it.

For example, consider this narration in which Hisham is not present in the chain:

Sahih Muslim, Hadith

وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم تَزَوَّجَهَا وَهْىَ بِنْتُ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ وَزُفَّتْ إِلَيْهِ وَهِيَ بِنْتُ تِسْعِ سِنِينَ وَلُعَبُهَا مَعَهَا وَمَاتَ عَنْهَا وَهِيَ بِنْتُ ثَمَانَ عَشْرَةَ ‏.‏

Narrated Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): The Prophet (ﷺ) married her when she was seven years old, and she was taken to his house as a bride when she was nine, and her dolls were with her; and when the Prophet died, she was eighteen years old.

This narration alone is sufficient to refute the apologists' claim. However, if you wish, further details regarding Hisham can be found here (Islam Q&A website).

2nd Objection: Revelation time of surah al-Qamar

According to Sahih Bukhari (link),  'Aisha explains she was a "playful girl" (jariyatun al-'abu لَجَارِيَةٌ أَلْعَبُ) when Surah (chapter) al-Qamar of the Quran was revealed. This group of modern Islam apologists claim that Surah al-Qamar was revealed 9 years before Hijrah, which makes 'Aisha to be much older than 6 years at the time of marriage. 

But they are wrong as there is no proof present that Surah al-Qamar was revealed 9 years before Hijrah. Sheikh Haddad refutes them by stating (link):

The hadith Masters, Sira historians, and Qur'anic commentators agree that the splitting of the moon took place about five years before the Holy Prophet's (upon him blessings and peace) Hijra to Madina. Thus it is confirmed that our Mother `Aisha was born between seven and eight years before the Hijra and the words that she was a jariya or little girl five years before the Hijra match the fact that her age at the time Surat al-Qamar was revealed was around 2 or 3. A two year old is not an infant. A two year old is able to run around, which is what jariya means. As for "the comments of the experts" they concur on 6 or 7 as the age of marriage and 9 as the age of cohabitation.

3rd Objection: Battle of Badr and Uhud

This apologetic argument aims to make the claim that Aisha was at the Battles of Badr and Uhud, and that since standard practice at the time disallowed anyone under 15 from joining the battlefield, she could not have been younger than this.

Shaykh Haddad responds to this apologetic argument (link):

First, the prohibition applied to combatants. It applied neither to non-combatant boys nor to non-combatant girls and women. Second, `A'isha did not participate in Badr at all but bade farewell to the combatants as they were leaving Madina, as narrated in Sahih Muslim, 1817. On the day of Uhud (year 3), Anas, at the time only twelve or thirteen years old, reports seeing an eleven-year old `A'isha and his mother Umm Sulaym having tied up their dresses and carrying water skins back and forth to the combatants, as narrated by al-Bukhari, 3811.

In the Arab society of that era, it was a common sight for an eleven or twelve-year-old girl to carry a water-skin and provide water. Furthermore, the military regulation regarding the age of 15 does not apply here at all, as that law pertained strictly to those actively engaging in combat against the enemy. Just as young boys under 15 were prohibited from the front lines, women were also prohibited to take part in wars; however, they were permitted to assist in non-combatant roles, such as carrying the wounded and dressing their injuries.

4th Objection: Age of Asma

A weak hadith, narrated from al-Zanad and quoted by some medieval scholars like al-Dhahabi (link), states that Aisha's older sister Asma was ten years older than her. This narration has been combined with the uncertain claim that Asma was 100 years old at her death in 73 AH, and thus it is calculated that Aisha was 18 or 19 years old at the time of rukhsati (consummation).

Both Shaykh Haddad (link) and Islam Q&A (link) have independently criticized this method of reasoning. According to them:

• It relies on a single narrator whom most scholars consider weak.

• Furthermore, a narration from the same narrator with a stronger chain describes the age difference between the sisters in a broader manner.

• Both also clarify that al-Dhahabi himself gave the ambiguous opinion that Asma was "ten or more" years older than Aisha.

You can view more details on the Islam Q&A website, after which these apologists have no escape left.

5th Objection: Tabari's account of Abu Bakr's children and wives

Apologists claim that al-Tabari's recorded that Aisha was born in the pre-islamic period, and thus could not have been less than 14 tears old (Reference: Al-Tabari, Vol. 4, Pg. 50, Arabic, Dar al-fikr, Beirut, 1979)

However, al-Tabari's own account reports at least five times that Aisha was around 6-7 years old during marriage and the marriage was consummated 3 years later (link).

Furthermore, Shaykh Gibril Haddad (link) says that the initial passage mentioned is misinterpreted, stating:

"Al-Tabari nowhere reports that 'Abu Bakr's four children were all born in Jahiliyya' but only that Abu Bakr married both their mothers in Jahiliyya, Qutayla bint Sa`d and Umm Ruman, who bore him four children in all, two each, `A'isha being the daughter of Umm Ruman."

6th Objection: Estimating Aisha's Age from the Time of Umar's Conversion to Islam

Some people argue that Hazrat Umar accepted Islam 7 years after the advent of Islam. Whereas Hazrat Aisha accepted Islam before Umar bin Khattab, therefore her birth must have been in the very early years of Islam, and thus at the time of marriage she was not a 9-year-old child but of older age (i.e., approximately 12 years).

The response to this argument is as follows:

1. Even if we accept that Aisha accepted Islam before Umar, it does not prove that she was born in the very first year of Islam (610 CE). The fact is that Umar accepted Islam in 617 CE, while Aisha's birth was in 613 CE (link). That is, at the time of Umar's acceptance of Islam, Aisha's age was approximately 4 years, which is the age of gaining awareness.

2. Aisha herself states: "Since I gained awareness, I found my parents following the religion of Islam" (Sahih Bukhari). This clearly indicates that she was born in a household that had already become Muslim, therefore her "accepting Islam" means being a born Muslim or following her parents from childhood.

3. It is often falsely claimed that Ibn Hisham included Aisha in the list of those who accepted Islam very early. The scholar who researched this, Sheikh Haddad, clarifies that (link):

Nowhere does Ibn Hisham say this. Rather, Ibn Hisham lists `A'isha among 'those that accepted Islam because of Abu Bakr.' This does not mean that she embraced Islam during the first year of Islam. Nor does it mean that she necessarily embraced Islam before `Umar (year 6) although she was born the previous year (year 7 before the Hijra) although it is understood she will automatically follow her father's choice even before the age of reason.

7th Objection: The Migration to Abyssinia and Aisha's Engagement

This objection claims that when Abu Bakr intended to migrate from Mecca to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), Aisha was already engaged. According to the objectors, this event took place 8 years before the Hijrah to Medina, and they use it to argue that Aisha must have been significantly older at that time.

The reality of this argument is as follows:

1. Lack of Authentic References: Those who promote this claim themselves admit that they have no reference from any ancient or primary historical source. The entire argument is actually taken solely from a small Urdu booklet by Maulana Habib ur-Rahman Kandhlawi (link), which cannot be considered historically reliable.

2. Misinterpretation of al-Tabari's Statement: The renowned researcher Sheikh Haddad responds by writing:

"There is no mention of emigration in Tabari's account of Abu Bakr's discussion with Mut`im" and "there had been only some preliminary talk, not a formal arrangement".^[45]

3. Merely Preliminary Conversation, Not a Formal Agreement: The truth is that there was only an informal and preliminary discussion with the son of Mut'im ibn Adi (Jubayr), but no firm nikah or formal contract took place. At that time, Aisha had either just been born or was still very young. Therefore, this incident cannot be used as a basis to prove that Aisha was of mature age.

8th Objection: The meaning of bikr

This argument cites a hadith in Ibn Hanbal's Musnad saying that Khaulah suggested Aisha to Muhammad as a virgin (bikr) he could marry. The claim is that bikr would not be used for a young girl (link).

However, there are multiple sahih hadith narrations of a highly relevant conversation between Muhammad and Jabir in which bikr (virgin) is clearly compatible with jariyah (young girl).

Shaykh Haddad (link) says regarding the claim, "This is ignorant nonsense, bikr means a virgin girl, a girl who has never been married even if her age is 0 and there is no unclarity here whatsoever.".

9th Objection: Comparison of Fatima's Age and Aisha's Age

Some Islamic apologists present a complex mathematical formula to prove that Aisha was older. They cite Ibn Hajar claiming that Fatima was 5 years older than Aisha, and since Fatima was born when Muhammad was 35 years old, Aisha's age at the time of rukhsati (consummation) should have been 15-16 years.

What is the reality?

The basis of this objection (link) is built on "incomplete information" and "contradictory narrations." Let us conduct a scholarly analysis of it:

• Two Contradictory Narrations: Hafiz Ibn Hajar has quoted two different versions regarding this in his books:
  1. First Version (al-Waqidi): Fatima was born when the Prophet was 35 years old.
  2. Second Version (Ibn Abd al-Barr): Fatima was born when the Prophet was 41 years old (i.e., near the beginning of prophethood).
• Historical Consistency: According to Sheikh Haddad and other researchers, the second version (41 years) is historically accurate and aligns with established dates. According to this, Fatima was born about 5 years before Aisha's birth, which fully matches the narrations of Aisha's nikah at age 6 and rukhsati at age 9.
• Apologists' Dishonesty: These people knowingly ignore the historically correct version and only pick up that "weak" or unauthentic narration which serves their purpose.

Sheikh Haddad responds to this (link):

Ibn Hajar mentions two versions: (1) The narration of al-Waqidi that Fatima was born when the Prophet was 35 years old; and (2) The narration of Ibn Abd al-Barr that she was born when he was 41 years old, that is, about a year before or after prophethood, and about five years before Aisha's birth. The second version matches the established dates.

Conclusion: The attempt to increase Aisha's age by using Fatima's age as a basis is merely a fallacy. When we look at the correct and authentic historical record, the age difference between Fatima and Aisha is the same that confirms Aisha being 9 years old.

10th Objection: Did Aisha Gain Awareness Only After Reaching Puberty? (The Scholarly Reality of the Word 'أَعْقِلْ')

Some Islamic apologists cite a hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari (Sahih Bukhari 465) to claim that Aisha herself said she saw her parents practicing Islam only after reaching "puberty." Their aim is to prove that Aisha had already reached puberty while still in Mecca, implying she was older at the time of consummation.

What is the reality?

This objection is actually based on an error in the English translation by Muhsin Khan, who altered the meaning of an Arabic word. Let us examine the actual facts:

• The Original Arabic Word: In the hadith, Aisha's words are: "لَمْ أَعْقِلْ أَبَوَىَّ قط إلا وَهُمَا يَدِينانِ الدِّينَ". The key word here is 'أَعْقِلْ' (a'qil), from the root 'عقل'.

• 'Aql vs. Puberty: In Arabic, 'aql' means "gaining awareness," "recognizing," or "developing understanding." It most certainly does not mean "puberty." A child can become "sahib al-'aql" (possessing awareness) as early as 3–4 years old, when they begin to recognize their parents and surroundings.

• The Translator's Serious Error: Dr. Muhsin Khan translated this phrase as "attained the age of puberty," which is completely incorrect. Interestingly, the same translator rendered the identical phrase correctly in another narration of Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 2297) as "since I recognized my parents."

• Context: Aisha was born during the Islamic era itself. Therefore, her statement that "since I gained awareness, I found my parents following Islam" is entirely natural—she had never seen her parents as non-Muslims.

Conclusion: This hadith has no connection to puberty. Aisha was simply stating that from her earliest memories (childhood awareness), her household was Muslim. Using one translator's lexical error as a basis to artificially increase Aisha's age constitutes scholarly dishonesty.

11th Objection: Had Aisha Already Started Menstruating at the Time of Consummation? (Review of a Misleading Translation)

Some claim that Aisha's consummation occurred at age 9 because she had already begun menstruating and reached puberty. They rely on an English translation of a hadith in Sunan Abu Dawud (No. 4915).

Sunan Abu Dawud 4915 (Ahmad Hasan numbering; 4933 in Dar-us-Salam):

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) married me when I was seven or six. When we came to Medina, some women came. According to Bishr's version: Umm Ruman came to me when I was swinging. They took me, made me prepared and decorated me. I was then brought to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he took up cohabitation with me when I was nine. She halted me at the door, and I burst into laughter. Abu Dawud said: That is to say: I menstruated, and I was brought in a house, and there were some women of the Ansari in it. They said: With good luck and blessing. The tradition of one of them has been included in the other.

Sunan Abu Dawud 4915 (Ahmad Hasan Ref)

This entire objection rests on a mistranslation of one Arabic word. Let us examine it scholarly:

• The Translator's Error: One translator of Sunan Abu Dawud (Ahmad Hasan) rendered Imam Abu Dawud's brief commentary as "That is to say: I menstruated." This translation is completely incorrect in light of Arabic lexicology and context.

• The Original Arabic Words and Their Meaning: In the hadith, Aisha says that when she was brought for consummation: "فَقُلْتُ هِيهْ هِيهْ" (i.e., she began panting or breathing heavily). Imam Abu Dawud clarifies this by saying: "أَىْ تَنَفَّسَتْ".

• The True Meaning of 'تَنَفَّسَتْ': In Arabic, 'tanaffasat' means "to breathe" or "to take deep breaths." The most authoritative Arabic lexicons (such as Lane's Lexicon) confirm that the word relates to respiration, not menstruation.

• Correct Translation: Reputable publishers like Dar-us-Salam (Hadith 4933) translate it accurately: "She halted me at the door, and I began panting." Since Aisha had been playing and swinging just before being suddenly called, it was natural for her to be out of breath.

Conclusion: There is no mention of menstruation in this hadith. It was merely a serious mistranslation by one translator, which Islamic apologists now use to support their argument. The truth is that Aisha was a young child whose breath was labored due to play and excitement—not because she had physically matured.

12th Objection: Aisha remembered the migration setting out to Abyssinia

Another hadith has been commonly misinterpreted in order to claim that Aisha remembered Muhammad coming to Abu Bakr when it was time to migrate to Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia). This forced migration occurred due to what Urwa b. al-Zubayr in his first letter describes as the first persecution (al-fitnah al-ūlā) in Mecca, before the migration some years later to Medina.

Response:

The hadith itself does not state which migration it relates too.

Narrated Aisha: Rarely did the Prophet (ﷺ) fail to visit Abu Bakr's house everyday, either in the morning or in the evening. When the permission for migration to Medina was granted, all of a sudden the Prophet (ﷺ) came to us at noon and Abu Bakr was informed, who said, "Certainly the Prophet (ﷺ) has come for some urgent matter." The Prophet (ﷺ) said to Abu Bakr, when the latter entered "Let nobody stay in your home." Abu Bakr said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! There are only my two daughters (namely `Aisha and Asma') present." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I feel (am informed) that I have been granted the permission for migration." Abu Bakr said, "I will accompany you, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You will accompany me." Abu Bakr then said "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have two she-camels I have prepared specially for migration, so I offer you one of them. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I have accepted it on the condition that I will pay its price."

Sahih Bukhari 3:34:348

Another hadith shows clearly that the above hadith actually refers to the migration to Medina, not Abyssinia. Notice the similar phrasing about Muhammad coming to Abu Bakr at noon after being granted permission to migrate. At the end of the quote, Medina is mentioned.

Narrated `Aisha: Abu Bakr asked the Prophet (ﷺ) to allow him to go out (of Mecca) when he was greatly annoyed (by the infidels). But the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "Wait." Abu Bakr said, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Do you hope that you will be allowed (to migrate)?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) replied, "I hope so." So Abu Bakr waited for him till one day Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came at noon time and addressed him saying "Let whoever is present with you, now leave you." Abu Bakr said, "None is present but my two daughters." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Have you noticed that I have been allowed to go out (to migrate)?" Abu Bakr said, "O Allah's Apostle, I would like to accompany you." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You will accompany me." Abu Bakr said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have got two she-camels which I had prepared and kept ready for (our) going out." So he gave one of the two (she-camels) to the Prophet (ﷺ) and it was Al-Jad`a. They both rode and proceeded till they reached the Cave at the mountain of Thaur where they hid themselves. Amir bin Fuhaira was the slave of `Abdullah bin at-Tufail bin Sakhbara `Aisha's brother from her mother's side. Abu Bakr had a milch she-camel. Amir used to go with it (i.e. the milch she-camel) in the afternoon and come back to them before noon by setting out towards them in the early morning when it was still dark and then he would take it to the pasture so that none of the shepherds would be aware of his job. When the Prophet (and Abu Bakr) went away (from the Cave), he (i.e. 'Amir) too went along with them and they both used to make him ride at the back of their camels in turns till they reached Medina. [...]

Sahih Bukhari 5:59:419

13th Objection (Ghamidi): Muhammad wanted a grown-up wife to manage his household

Pakistani Muslim scholar Javed Ahmad Ghamidi disputes the traditional account that Aisha was nine years old at the time of consummation. According to him, Muhammad required a mature and grown-up wife who could manage household responsibilities and care for his young daughters. On this basis, Ghamidi claims that Aisha was approximately sixteen years old at the time of Nikah and that the marriage was consummated when she was around nineteen.

However, this explanation is internally inconsistent and fails to withstand scrutiny.

If Aisha was indeed sixteen years old at the time of Nikah, then she was already old enough to manage household affairs and help care for children. In that case, there is no reasonable explanation for why Muhammad would wait another three years before bringing her into his home. If the purpose of the marriage was practical household management, then delaying consummation until the age of nineteen makes little sense. The alleged three-year delay directly undermines Ghamidi’s own justification.

Moreover, the chronological sequence of marriages further weakens this claim. Muhammad performed Nikah with Aisha even before marrying Sawdah, who was an older and experienced woman. If a supposedly mature sixteen-year-old Aisha was sufficient to manage the household, then there was no practical need to marry Sawdah later at all. The decision to marry an older woman only becomes logical if Aisha was, in fact, too young to assume such responsibilities.

Thus, Ghamidi’s argument collapses on its own premises. His attempt to portray Aisha as a grown-up wife conflicts both with the claimed delay in consummation and with the historical necessity of marrying an older woman for household management. Rather than resolving the problem, this explanation introduces new contradictions that it cannot explain.

Moreover, authentic hadiths (such as Sahih Bukhari) clearly narrate that even after consummation, Aisha would play with dolls at home and her friends would play with her. While this behavior is consistent with a nine-year-old child, it is incomprehensible for a 19-year-old adult woman to be playing with dolls and engaging in childish games with friends, particularly in that era when women of 19 were typically mothers of multiple children.

14th Objection: Verse 4:6 is proof that pre-pubescent girls cannot be married

This group of modern Islamic apologists also uses verse 4:6 as an argument to deny marriage to minor girls in Islam. 

Verse 4:6:

وَٱبْتَلُوا۟ ٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغُوا۟ ٱلنِّكَاحَ فَإِنْ ءَانَسْتُم مِّنْهُمْ رُشْدًا فَٱدْفَعُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ

And test the orphans until when they reached the age of marriage (Nikah), then if you perceive in them sound judgement then deliver to them their wealth.

 Modern Muslim preachers claim that one gets sound judgement about his wealth when one is already an adult person. Thus, this means that Islam prescribed that one can marry only after becoming an adult. 

Response:

Please take note that the word "Nikah" carries a double meaning in the Arabic language:

• In Islamic Sharia, "Nikah" is a specific terminology with the meaning of "marriage".
• However, in its literal sense in the Arabic language, "Nikah" refers to "sexual intercourse".

Quran 17:34

وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ مَالَ ٱلْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ ۚ
Come not nigh to the orphan's property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength۔

In this verse, the term "أَشُدَّهُ" (full strength) denotes the age when young boys and girls begin to experience the desire or strength for sexual intercourse.

Please take note of the following points:

• Regarding Shar'i Nikah (marriage), there is no requirement for reaching the state of أَشُدَّهُ (full strength or sexual maturity).
• The evidence supporting this is that Muhammad himself performed the Shar'i Nikah with 'Aisha when she was only 6 years old.
• It is not customary to test a 6-year-old child for handling their property, as they lack both أَشُدَّهُ (strength/desire) and the necessary "sound judgment" to manage their assets.

Therefore, the concept of أَشُدَّهُ (strength) has no bearing on Shar'i Nikah, given that Muhammad married 'Aisha at the age of 6.

Even when 'Aisha came to Muhammad's house for the consummation of their marriage at the age of 9, she still lacked the mental acuity required to manage any property or business, as evident from the following hadith:

Sahih Bukhari 6130:

Narrated `Aisha: I used to play with the dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my girl friends also used to play with me. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to enter (my dwelling place) they used to hide themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me.

Fourthly, according to Islamic Sharia:

• When a girl reaches puberty, then she herself gets the right to give her consent for the marriage or to deny the marriage.
• But if she is a minor or prepubescent girl, then her father/guardian can wed her to anyone, even without her consent (link).
• And if she is prepubescent and also an orphan, then her guardian has the right to wed her with himself (even without her consent), in order to get her property and wealth.

It is evident from the following Hadith:

Sahih Bukhari 5064:

Narrated 'Urwa: that he asked `Aisha about the Statement of Allah: 'If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry (other) women of your choice, two or three or four; but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (the captives) that your right hands possess. That will be nearer to prevent you from doing injustice.' (4.3) `Aisha said, "O my nephew! (This Verse has been revealed in connection with) an orphan girl under the guardianship of her guardian who is attracted by her wealth and beauty and intends to marry her with a Mahr (bride-dowry) less than what other women of her standard deserve. So they (such guardians) have been forbidden to marry them unless they do justice to them and give them their full Mahr, and they are ordered to marry other women instead of them."

And it is also evident from the following Quranic Verse:

Quran 4:127:

You also read them (the guardians) in the Book concerning orphaned women (in your charge) to whom you deny their ordained rights and yet wish to take them in marriage, as well as in respect of helpless children, that you should be just in the matter of orphans." The good you do is known to God.

And the orphan girl, in the above tradition, is a small orphan girl who has not yet reached puberty. It is due to the reason that:

• Firstly, after becoming an adult, the guardian cannot compel her to marry him without her consent. 
• Secondly, after becoming an adult, the guardian cannot marry her by giving her less than a standard dowry (i.e. Haq Mehr). 
• Thirdly, after becoming an adult, she will get full control of her money and property too, and thus the guardian cannot take control of her property any more. 
• Fourthly, after becoming an adult, she is no more considered an orphan. 

Moreover, Islamqa.com, one of the largest Fatwa sites on the internet, also refutes these modern Muslim preachers regarding verse 6:4 (link):

This verse 4:6 explains that an orphan’s money is given to him/her after they reach puberty and attain sound judgement. What’s meant by sound judgment is sound management of money. This can only happen after puberty.

“Reaching Nikah” mentioned in the verse means reaching puberty which can be known through sings such as menstruation for females and the growth of pubic hair. The verse used the expression “reaching Nikah” to actually mean “reaching puberty” because in most cases, it’s adults who perform Nikah. But this doesn’t mean that it’s not possible for non-adults to perform Nikah, which is permissible as proven by the Quran, Sunnah and the consensus of scholars. Plus, the same Surah and the same context of verses proves it (the permissibility of child marriage). (The verse that speaks about giving an orphan his money when he/she reaches Nikah is verse no.6) Verse no.3 says: “And if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphangirls, then marry (other) women of your choice, two or three, or four but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one or (the captives and the slaves) that your right hands possess. ”.

This verse proves it’s allowed to marry an orphan. And an orphan cannot be an adult. It’s reported in Sahih Bukhari Hadith no. 2494: “Narrated Urwah that he asked `Aisha regarding the Verse: 'If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls, marry (other) women of your choice.' (4.3) `Aisha said, "It is about an orphan girl under the custody of her guardian who being attracted by her wealth and beauty wants to marry her with Mahr less than other women of her status. So such guardians were forbidden to marry them unless they treat them justly by giving them their full Mahr. Then the people sought the verdict of Allah's Apostle for such cases, whereupon Allah revealed: 'They ask your instruction concerning women..' (4.127) “https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6965

Ibn Hajar (d.1449 AD) commented on this Hadith saying: “This shows it’s allowed to marry orphans who haven’t reached puberty. Because after puberty they can’t be called orphans.”

The Last Question: Why Didn't Allah EXPLICITLY Ban Child Marriage in the Quran?

If Allah possessed knowledge of the unseen future and foresaw the disagreements among Islamic scholars (with 99% ultimately allowing child marriage), why didn’t He reveal an explicit prohibition in the Quran to prevent the suffering of millions of underage Muslim girls over the past 14 centuries?

For centuries, billions of Muslims have believed that Islam permits the marriage of minor girls, citing Quranic verse 65:4 and numerous traditions (Ahadith) as justification.

Today, a small minority of Muslims—less than 1%—reject this interpretation. They dispute the authenticity of Ahadith regarding ‘Aisha’s age at marriage and argue against traditional readings of verse 65:4.

Yet the central question remains: if Allah knew that countless innocent girls would suffer due to these false Ahadith and misinterpretations, why didn’t He include a clear, explicit verse in the Quran banning the marriage of underage girls?

Even a single unambiguous verse would have resolved this issue and spared millions from harm.

The Quran, a lengthy book, is filled with verses extolling Allah's power, recounting ancient stories, and threatening non-Muslims with eternal hellfire. However, on crucial human issues like this, it remains strikingly silent.

As a result, millions of underage girls have suffered through the centuries, while Allah seemingly "forgot" to include a single verse addressing this pressing matter.

Remember, the Quran claims that:

• Its verses are "easy to understand" (Quran 54:17)
• Its verses are "clear", "manifest" and "guidance" (Quran 27:1-2)
• It was revealed in the Arabic language so that they could understand it (Quran 12:2)
• It is a Book whose verses are perfectly explained—a Quran in Arabic for people who know (Quran 41:3)

So, the questions are:

• Why did those billions of Muslims of the first 14 centuries still get misguided?
• They firmly believed in this Quran from the depths of their hearts. They read it day and night. They pondered upon it their entire lives. 

Yet, they still arrived at interpretations that many modern Muslims now argue are misguided. If these billions of devoted followers, with their sincere efforts, failed to grasp the Quran's intended meaning, the problem does not lie with them—it lies with the Quran itself.

This leads to a deeper, more fundamental question:

• Was the Quran truly authored by an all-knowing deity, or does its ambiguity and silence on crucial issues reflect human limitations in its origins?

The Quran's inability to prevent such widespread misguidance undermines its claim of being a flawless and divine revelation. It suggests that its clarity and comprehensibility are far from perfect, raising doubts about its divine authorship (i.e. No Allah is present in the heavens, and Muhammad was making the revelations on his own. Since he was only a human, thus we see these flaws in the Quran, where it is neither clear and easy to understand, nor able to guide billions of Muslims). 

Contemporary Muslim Scholars, who accept that Aisha's age was 6 at the time of marriage and not 16

• Islam QA article on 'Aisha's age: 
• Islam QA article on 'Aisha's age (2nd Article): Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid, Member of Senior Scholar Council KSA owner of well-known site islamqa.info fatwa “Refutation of the lie that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) married ‘Aa’ishah when she was 18 years old ”.
• 2008 Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America (amja): 
• AskImam.Org 2012
• Islamweb.Net: It firmly establishes Aisha’s age at 6/9. “Qatar Ministry of Religious Affairs, Fatwa Team: On this site, there is a committee of specialists that is responsible for preparing, checking and approving the Fatwas. This committee comprises a group of licentiate graduates from the Islamic University, Al-Imaam Muhammad Bin Sa’oud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia, and graduates who studied Islamic sciences from scholars at Mosques and other Islamic educational institutes in Yemen and Mauritania. This special committee is headed by Dr. ‘Abdullaah Al-Faqeeh, a specialist in Jurisprudence and Arabic language.” Responds to an unnamed article that uses asma and engagement arguments. 2/12/2012
• Yaqeen Institute (USA) 2018: It addresses Hisham, Asma, Fatima, Uhud, Surah 54/Moon

• Islamiqate.Com 2019: Though not a fatwa, it concerns a named scholar from Al-Azhar who also wrote about Badr & Uhud, Asma, Tabari, Fatima, Hisham, and migration to Abyssinia.