Re: The young marriage of Aisha
- From: "Rock" <peace@xxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 06:10:15 GMT
"Salahuddin" <ask@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Z_MUe.9530$Aa1.6641@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sadly we currently see the efforts of the Christian missionary activity
> focused primarily on derailing Islam now more than any other period in
> history. Thus, we witness numerous travesties and parodies coming from
them
> in their attempts to twist, manipulate and totally abuse historical and
> etymological facts. These polemics range from a variety of the utterly
> hilarious to the outright abusive and cruel. One such dishonest Christian
> missionary polemic has been the allegation of the young marriage of
> `Âishah(R) to the Prophet Muhammad(P). The missionaries try to accuse the
> Prophet of being a child molester, albeit in politically correct terms,
due
> to the fact that `Âishah(R) was betrothed (zawaj) at the age of 6 years
old
> and the marriage was consummated (nikâh) a few years after the marriage at
9
> years old when she was in full puberty. The lapse of time between the
zawaj
> and nikâh of `Âishah(R) clearly shows that her parents were waiting for
her
> to reach puberty before her marriage was consummated. If it were not for
the
> fact that some gullible Christians have been parroting the claims without
> understanding the reasons behind it, we would have not even bothered with
a
> refutation. Such a claim is based only on conjecture and moral relativism,
> and not on fact. This article seeks to refute the allegation, insha'allah.
>
> Puberty And Young Marriage In Semitic Culture
>
> The hilarity of the whole saga of Christian missionaries accusing the
> Prophet(P) of committing "child molestation" is that this contradicts the
> basic fact that a girl becomes a woman when she begins her menstruation
> cycle. The significance of menstruation that anyone with the slightest
> familiarity with physiology will tell you is that it is a sign that the
girl
> is being prepared to become a mother.
>
> Women reach puberty at different ages ranging from 8-12 years old
depending
> on genetics, race and environment. We read that
>
> There is little difference in the size of boys and girls until the age
of
> ten, the growth spurt at puberty starts earlier in girls but lasts longer
in
> boys.[1]
>
> We also read that
>
> The first signs of puberty occur around age 9 or 10 in girls but closer
to
> 12 in boys[.][2]
>
> Women in warmer environments reach puberty at a much earlier age than
those
> in cold environments.
>
> The average temperature of the country or province is considered the
chief
> factor here, not only with regard to menstruation but as regards the whole
> of sexual development at puberty.[3]
>
> Marriage at the early years of puberty was acceptable in 7th century
Arabia
> as it was the social norm in all Semitic cultures from the Israelites to
the
> Arabs and all nations in between. According to Hâ-Talmûd Hâ-Bavlî, which
the
> Jews regard as their "oral Torah", Sanhedrin 76b clearly states that it is
> preferable that a woman be married when she has her first menses, and in
> Ketuvot 6a there are rules regarding sexual intercourse with girls who
have
> not yet menstruated. This is further collaborated when Jim West, ThD, a
> Baptist minister, observes the following tradition of the Israelites:
>
> The wife was to be taken from within the larger family circle (usually
at
> the outset of puberty or around the age of 13) in order to maintain the
> purity of the family line.[4]
>
> Puberty has always been a symbol of adulthood throughout history.
>
> Puberty is defined as the age or period at which a person is first
capable
> of sexual reproduction, in other eras of history, a rite or celebration of
> this landmark event was a part of the culture.[5]
>
> The renowned sexologists, R.E.L. Masters and Allan Edwards, in their study
> of Afro-Asian sexual expression states the following
>
> Today, in many parts of North Africa, Arabia, and India, girls are
wedded
> and bedded between the ages of five and nine; and no self-respecting
female
> remains unmarried beyond the age of puberty.[6]
>
> Were There Any Objections to the Marriage of the Prophet(P) to `Âishah(R)?
> The answer to this is no. There are absolutely no records from Muslim,
> secular, or any other historical sources which even implicitly display
> anything other than utter joy from all parties involved over this
marriage.
> Nabia Abbott describes the marriage of `Âishah(R) to the Prophet(P) as
> follows.
>
> In no version is there any comment made on the disparity of the ages
> between Mohammed and Aishah or on the tender age of the bride who, at the
> most, could not have been over ten years old and who was still much
> enamoured with her play.[7]
>
> Even the well-known critical Orientalist, W. Montgomery Watt, said the
> following about the Prophet's moral character:
>
> From the standpoint of Muhammad's time, then, the allegations of
treachery
> and sensuality cannot be maintained. His contemporaries did not find him
> morally defective in any way. On the contrary, some of the acts criticized
> by the modern Westerner show that Muhammad's standards were higher than
> those of his time.[8]
>
> Aside from the fact that no one was displeased with him or his actions, he
> was a paramount example of moral character in his society and time.
> Therefore, to judge the Prophet's morality based on the standards of our
> society and culture today is not only absurd, but also unfair.
>
> Marriage At Puberty Today
>
> The Prophet's contemporaries (both enemies and friends) clearly accepted
the
> Prophet's marriage to `Âishah(R) without any problem. We see the evidence
> for this by the lack of criticism against the marriage until modern times.
> However, a change in culture has caused the change in our times today.
>
> Even today in the 21st century, the age of sexual consent is still quite
low
> in many places. In Japan, people can legally have sex at age 13, and in
> Spain they can legally have sex at the age of 12 years old[9]. A
40-year-old
> man having sex with a 14-year-old woman may be a "pedophile" in the United
> States, but neither in China today, where the age of consent is 14, nor in
> the United States in the last century. Biology is a much better standard
by
> which to determine these things, not the arbitrariness of human culture.
In
> the U.S. during the last century, the age of consent was 10 years old.
> California was the first state to change the age of consent to 14, which
it
> did in 1889. After California, other U.S. states joined in and raised the
> age of consent too[10].
>
> Islam And the Age of Puberty
> Islam clearly teaches that adulthood starts when a person have attained
> puberty.
>
> From the collection of Bukhari[11], we read the following tracts:
>
> a.. The boy attaining the age of puberty and the validity of their
> witness and the Statement of Allâh:
>
> "And when the children among you attain the age of puberty, then let
> them also ask for permission (to enter)." Qur'ân 24:59.
>
> a.. Al Mughira said, "I attained puberty at the age of twelve." The
> attaining of puberty by women is with the start of menses, as is referred
to
> by the Statement of Allâh:
>
> "Such of your women as have passed the age of monthly courses, for
them
> prescribed period if you have any doubts (about their periods) is three
> months..." [Qur'ân, 65:4]
>
> Thus, it is part of Islam to acknowledge the coming of puberty as the
start
> of adulthood. It is the time when the person has already matured and is
> ready the responsibilities of an adult. So on what basis do the
missionaries
> criticize the marriage of `Âishah(R) since her marriage was consummated
when
> she had reached puberty?
>
> We also read from the same source that
>
> ...Al-Hasan bin Salih said, "I saw a neighbour of mine who became a
> grandmother at the age of twenty-one."(1)
>
> (1) The note for this reference says: "This women attained puberty at
> the age of nine and married to give birth to a daughter at ten; the
daughter
> had the same experience."[12]
>
> Thus, it is clear that if the charge of "child molestation" were to be
> advanced against the Prophet(P), we would also have to include all the
> Semitic people who accepted marriage at puberty as the norm.
>
> Conclusions
> We have thus seen that
>
> a.. It was the norm of the Semitic society in 7th century Arabia to
allow
> pubescent marriages.
>
> b.. There was no reports of opposition to the Prophet's marriage to
> `Âishah(R) either from his friends or his enemies.
>
> c.. Even today, there are cultures who still allow pubescent marriage
for
> their young women.
>
> In spite of facing these well-known facts, the missionaries would still
have
> the audacity to point a finger at the Prophet Muhammad(P) for immorality.
> Yet, it was he who had brought justice to the women of Arabia and raised
> them to a level they had not seen before in their society, something which
> ancient civilizations have never done to their women.
>
> When Muhammad(P) first became the Prophet of Islam, the pagans of Arabia
had
> inherited a disregard for women as had been passed down among their Jewish
> and Christian neighbours. So disgraceful was it considered among them to
be
> blessed with a female child that they would go so far as to bury this baby
> alive in order to avoid the disgrace associated with female children.
>
> "When news is brought to one of them of (the birth of) a female (child)
> his face darkens and he is filled with inward grief! With shame does he
hide
> himself from his people because of the bad news he has had! Shall he
retain
> it on (sufferance and) contempt or bury it in the dust? Ah! what an evil
> (choice) they decide on!"[13]
>
> Through the teachings of Islam, Muhammad(P) put a swift and resounding end
> to this evil practice. God tells us that on the Day of Judgment, the
female
> child will be questioned for what crime she was killed.
>
> "When the female (infant) buried alive is questioned - for what crime
she
> was killed."[14]
>
> Not only did Muhammad(P) severely discouraged and condemned this act,
he(P)
> also used to teach them to respect and cherish their daughters and mothers
> as partners and sources of salvation for the men of their family.
>
> Abu Sa'id al-Khudri narrated that
>
> The Prophet(P) said: 'If anyone cares for three daughters, disciplines
> them, marries them, and does good by them, he will enter Paradise.'[15]
>
> Abdullah the son of Abbas narrated that
>
> The Prophet(P) said: 'If anyone has a female child, and does not bury
her
> alive, or slight her, or prefer his male children over her, Allâh will
bring
> him into Paradise.'[16]
>
>
> The Prophet(P) is also cited in Saheeh Muslim as saying
>
> 'Whoever maintains two girls till they attain maturity, he and I will
come
> on the Day of Resurrection like this'; and he joined his fingers.
>
> In other words, if one loves the Messenger of God(P) and wishes to be with
> him on the day of resurrection in heaven, then they should do good by
their
> daughters. This is certainly not the act of a "child molester", as the
> missionaries would like us to believe.
>
> Finally, we end this with a citation from the Holy Prophet(P), who said
>
> "I have come to defend the two oppressed peoples: women and orphans."
> The Prophet Muhammad(P)
>
> Appendix: A married nine-year old in Thailand gives birth
>
> Below is a news article from The New Straits Times, Malaysia dated 10th of
> March, 2001 about a nine-year old girl living in northern Thailand giving
> birth to a baby girl. The fact that a nine-year old girl is mature enough
to
> give birth proves the point above about girls reaching puberty earlier
than
> men.
>
>
>
> Should the husband of this young girl be accused of "child molestation",
as
> insinuated by the Christian missionaries?
>
> Related Articles
>
> Muhammad(P) & The Lies
>
> The Illiterate Prophet(P)
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
>
> References
>
> [1] The Incredible Machine, National Geographic Society, p. 235
>
> [2] The Incredible Machine, National Geographic Society, p. 239
>
> [3] Herman H. Ploss, Max Bartels and Paul Bartels, "Woman", Volume I (Lord
&
> Bransby, 1988), p. 563
>
> [4] Jim West, ThD, Ancient Israelite Marriage Customs
>
> [5] Sue Curewitz Arthen, Rites of Passage: Puberty
>
> [6] The Cradle of Erotica (Julian Press, New York, 1962)
>
> [7] Nabia Abbott, Aishah, The Beloved of Mohammed, p. 7
>
> [8] W. M. Watt, Muhammad: Prophet and Statesman, (Oxford University Press,
> 1961), p. 229
>
> [9] Source: http://www.ageofconsent.com/ageofconsent.htm
>
> [10] Source: http://www.ageofconsent.com/comments/numberone.htm
>
> [11] Al-Bukhari, Volume 3, Book of Witnesses, Chapter 18, p. 513
>
> [12] Ibid
>
> [13] Qur'ân, 16:58-59
>
> [14] Qur'ân, 81:9
>
> [15] Narrated by Abu Dawood
>
> [16] Narrated by Abu Dawood
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
>
>
>
>
>
>
Another question for you:
Is it permissable for a father to bed his own daughter in Islam?
.
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