Quote:
Originally Posted by AgNoStIc MuSliM
If not from a theological perspective, then from a social perspective, with Muhammad's "sunnah" being the example for Muslims to emulate, it is an important question to address.
While one would wish otherwise, the reality of religion's hold over the masses cannot be denied. In such a situation, such issues must be clarified - too many people resort to justifying child marriages by resorting to such interpretations.
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The sunnat was to wed off any woman once she crossed into puberty. Some girls cross puberty at an early age and all descriptions of Ayesha at the time points to this possibility.
The real AGE of Ayesha would be never known as recording dates of birth were unheard of in Muslim cultures. Heck even my dad only roughly knows his DOB, his elder bros aren't even sure of the year.
DOBs as my parents tell me were normally decided by your first school.
But considering a mid-teen Ayesha even married the Prophet, then its still quite unusual when compared to today's time. However history shows that Ayesha did not suffer any psychological damage or anything. She is the source of the bulk of the Hadith. I believe over 50%, might be wrong.
She was also very happily married, more so than the Prophet's other wives at the time. In a way her early marriage to the Prophet saved much of the Islam as we know it today. She was the best student of Islam and the Prophet taught her the most and she later passed it on.
If the marriage was against her will or if she ever felt suffocated in the marriage to the Prophet she wouldn't have carried on his legacy. She turned out to be a very commanding woman, even commanded a war and participated in a battle.
By no indication in history she was a weakling pushover oppressed individual. Yes Arab tradition was such that the fathers got to decide who the daughter gets married to.
This btw does not set the sunnat of marrying young women. Of all the Prophet's wives, 10/11 were 17 and above. Save Aysha and Safiya, the rest weren't exactly even young heck most were widows and we all know Khadija was twice his age (who the prophet was really in love with, even Aysha was jealous of his fond memories of her).