Re: The young marriage of Aisha
- From: "Salahuddin" <ask@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 08:35:02 GMT
"Rock" <peace@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:bTPUe.5340$yF2.1676@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> "Salahuddin" <ask@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:Z_MUe.9530$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?
>
no
.
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