Are The Claims That Aisha Was Older Than Nine At The Time Of Consummation Historically Accurate?
Question: The Hadith says the marriage between Aisha Ra and prophet Muhammad Pbuh was when Aisha was 9 so below is another assumption that I saw online are these dates true or not I will send below. CALCULATING THE AGE OF AISHAH (RA) 10 According to Ibn Kathir, Asma (RA) was 10 years older than her younger sister Aisha (RA), and was born in the year 595. We can assume that Aishah was then born in the year 605. 17 Asma (RA) lived until 100 years old and died in 73 AH, which means she fled for Medina when she was 27 or 28. We can assume that Aisha was 17 or 18 when she migrated to Medina. 19 Al-Nawawi places the consummation of the marriage between Aishah (RA) & the Prophet (PBUH) in the 2nd year of Hijrah, which would put her at 19 or 20 when her marriage was consummated.
Summary:
The strongest opinion established by the authentic Hadiths is that the Prophet ﷺ married Aishah رضي الله عنها when she was six years old and consummated the marriage with her when she was nine years old. This is authentically established in both Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim through the narration of Aishah رضي الله عنها herself. Therefore, it is not permissible to abandon this clear and authentic historical report in favor of speculative historical calculations. As for using the age of Asma رضي الله عنها to argue that Aishah رضي الله عنها was nineteen or twenty years old, this is not correct because the premises upon which that argument is built are themselves not established and are subject to disagreement among historians. It is not permissible to give precedence to speculative historical reports over an authentic Hadith that has been agreed upon.
Answer:
First: The Explicit Authentic Text Takes Precedence Over Historical Calculations
From the Sunnah:
- Sahih Bukhari and MuslimIt is authentically established that Aishah رضي الله عنها said:
"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ married me in Makkah when I was six years old, after the death of Khadijah, and he consummated the marriage with me in Madinah when I was nine years old."
This Hadith: Was narrated by the person directly involved in the event herself. Was recorded by Al Bukhari and Muslim. Was accepted by the Ummah. For this reason, the scholars said that it is not permissible to reject this authentic Hadith based on speculative historical calculations. Second: Is the Calculation Based on the Age of Asma رضي الله عنها Correct? The answer is: No. The argument commonly circulated online is built upon several assumptions, and each of them is open to criticism. (1) The claim that Asma رضي الله عنها was ten years older than Aishah رضي الله عنها This report is not found in Sahih Al Bukhari or Sahih Muslim. Rather, it appears in some historical works. The scholars have mentioned that this estimate is not unanimously agreed upon. Other reports indicate that the age difference may have been greater or less. Therefore, it is not valid to build a definitive conclusion upon it. (2) The claim that Asma رضي الله عنها lived exactly one hundred years This is likewise not a precise statement. The Arabs often used the expression "one hundred years" as an approximation. Therefore, it is not permissible to build an exact year-by-year calculation upon it. (3) The conclusion that Aishah رضي الله عنها was therefore seventeen or eighteen years old at the time of the Hijrah This conclusion is based upon premises that have not been established. When the premises are invalid, the conclusion is likewise invalid. Third: Why Is the Hadith Given Precedence Over These Calculations? The determination that Aishah رضي الله عنها was six years old when the Prophet ﷺ married her and nine years old when he consummated the marriage was not the result of scholarly reasoning that could be judged as correct or incorrect. Rather, it is a historical report that has been authentically transmitted in a manner that confirms its authenticity and necessitates accepting it. It was narrated by the person directly concerned with the matter herself, Aishah رضي الله عنها, and not by someone else speaking about her.
From the Scholars:
- Shaykh Ibn Baz رحمه الله said:
"There is no specific age at which a woman must marry... Abu Bakr married off Aishah when she was six or seven years old... However, the husband should not consummate the marriage until she is fit for that."
Conclusion: It is authentically established in both Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim that the Prophet ﷺ married Aishah رضي الله عنها when she was six years old and consummated the marriage with her when she was nine years old. This Hadith was narrated by Aishah رضي الله عنها herself and is more authentic than all of the historical reports. The calculations commonly circulated online are based on disputed historical assumptions, such as the age difference between Asma and Aishah رضي الله عنهما and Asma's age at the time of her death. Therefore, they cannot be used to oppose the authentic text. Accordingly, the claim that Aishah رضي الله عنها was nineteen or twenty years old when the marriage was consummated is incorrect and is not supported in the face of the authentic Hadiths established in the two Sahih collections.
And Allah knows best.
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