Oh, that makes it all right, eh?
Islamic tradition records that Muhammad consummated his marriage with (i.e., raped) Aisha when she was nine, and the resultant fact that child marriage is accepted in wide swaths of the Islamic world. Child marriage has abundant attestation in Islamic tradition and law.
Turkey’s directorate of religious affairs (Diyanet) said in January 2018 that under Islamic law, girls as young as nine can marry.
“Islam has no age barrier in marriage and Muslims have no apology for those who refuse to accept this” — Ishaq Akintola, professor of Islamic Eschatology and Director of Muslim Rights Concern, Nigeria
“There is no minimum marriage age for either men or women in Islamic law. The law in many countries permits girls to marry only from the age of 18. This is arbitrary legislation, not Islamic law.” — Dr. Abd Al-Hamid Al-‘Ubeidi, Iraqi expert on Islamic law
There is no minimum age for marriage and that girls can be married “even if they are in the cradle.” — Dr. Salih bin Fawzan, prominent cleric and member of Saudi Arabia’s highest religious council
“Islam does not forbid marriage of young children.” — Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology
Hadiths that Muslims consider authentic record that Muhammad’s favorite wife, Aisha, was six when Muhammad wedded her and nine when he consummated the marriage:
“The Prophet wrote the (marriage contract) with Aisha while she was six years old and consummated his marriage with her while she was nine years old and she remained with him for nine years (i.e. till his death)” (Bukhari 7.62.88).
Another tradition has Aisha herself recount the scene:
The Prophet engaged me when I was a girl of six (years). We went to Medina and stayed at the home of Bani-al-Harith bin Khazraj. Then I got ill and my hair fell down. Later on my hair grew (again) and my mother, Um Ruman, came to me while I was playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me, and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted to do to me. She caught me by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house. I was breathless then, and when my breathing became all right, she took some water and rubbed my face and head with it. Then she took me into the house. There in the house I saw some Ansari women who said, “Best wishes and Allah’s Blessing and a good luck.” Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me (for the marriage). Unexpectedly Allah’s Apostle came to me in the forenoon and my mother handed me over to him, and at that time I was a girl of nine years of age. (Bukhari 5.58.234).
Muhammad was at this time fifty-four years old.
Marrying young girls was not all that unusual for its time, but because in Islam Muhammad is the supreme example of conduct (cf. Qur’an 33:21), he is considered exemplary in this unto today. And so in April 2011, the Bangladesh Mufti Fazlul Haque Amini declared that those trying to pass a law banning child marriage in that country were putting Muhammad in a bad light: “Banning child marriage will cause challenging the marriage of the holy prophet of Islam, [putting] the moral character of the prophet into controversy and challenge.” He added a threat: “Islam permits child marriage and it will not be tolerated if any ruler will ever try to touch this issue in the name of giving more rights to women.” The Mufti said that 200,000 jihadists were ready to sacrifice their lives for any law restricting child marriage.
Likewise the influential website Islamonline.com in December 2010 justified child marriage by invoking not only Muhammad’s example, but the Qur’an as well:
The Noble Qur’an has also mentioned the waiting period [i.e. for a divorced wife to remarry] for the wife who has not yet menstruated, saying: “And those who no longer expect menstruation among your women, if you doubt, then their period is three months, and [also for] those who have not menstruated” [Qur’an 65:4]. Since this is not negated later, we can take from this verse that it is permissible to have sexual intercourse with a prepubescent girl. The Qur’an is not like the books of jurisprudence which mention what the implications of things are, even if they are prohibited. It is true that the prophet entered into a marriage contract with A’isha when she was six years old, however he did not have sex with her until she was nine years old, according to al-Bukhari.
Other countries make Muhammad’s example the basis of their laws regarding the legal marriageable age for girls. Article 1041 of the Civil Code of the Islamic Republic of Iran states that girls can be engaged before the age of nine, and married at nine: “Marriage before puberty (nine full lunar years for girls) is prohibited. Marriage contracted before reaching puberty with the permission of the guardian is valid provided that the interests of the ward are duly observed.”
According to Amir Taheri in The Spirit of Allah: Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution (pp. 90-91), Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini himself married a ten-year-old girl when he was twenty-eight. Khomeini called marriage to a prepubescent girl “a divine blessing,” and advised the faithful to give their own daughters away accordingly: “Do your best to ensure that your daughters do not see their first blood in your house.” When he took power in Iran, he lowered the legal marriageable age of girls to nine, in accord with Muhammad’s example.
“41-year-old man wanted to marry child bride since she was 7,” Pattaya One, July 17, 2018 (thanks to Paul):
PETALING JAYA: The 41-year-old man who took an 11-year-old girl as his wife denied that it was an act of lust as he had wanted to marry her since she was seven.
BH Online reported the man saying that they would already moved in together if he only married her because of desire, instead of waiting five years for her to turn 16.
The 41-year-old said he was unsure what made him feel like marrying the girl, but claimed it was not driven by desire.
“I knew Ayu since she was small because we were neighbours, and I also taught her Al-Quran lessons. It was then I told myself one day I will take this girl as my wife and I did so four years later,” he said.
The man told BH Online that his marriage to the girl in Kelantan had only shocked the outside world, as most of the villagers and his friends had agreed to the union.
He said he had showed his friends a picture of the girl while he was in Mecca and they gave their blessings as she was not in school and had come from a poor family….
The man had refused to give in to public pressure to have the marriage annulled.
Eur says
Instead of social services guaranteeing an education for this girl, Islamic societies allow and encourage pedophiles.
Rarely says
Perhaps the Humane Society in Malaysia has made sheep, goats and goldfish off limits thereby reducing the options and putting a premium on young girls.
gravenimage says
Muslims are hideously cruel to animals as well as to children.
Rarely says
Then why switch to young girls when there are sheep, goats or goldfish available?
gravenimage says
Because Muslims love abusing vulnerable children as well.
D3F1ANT says
But Americans are all supposed to pretend Islam isn’t a cult of hateful, dictatorial child rapists!?
Rarely says
We need more cute sheep to distract them.
Stacy Girl says
Where’s ibriham? Seducing his wife with crayons and bubbles?
Eur says
Ordering the oldest wife to change diapers to the youngest.
gravenimage says
That Muslim thug has asserted that there should be *no* minimum age for Muslims to “marry” little children.
J D S says
Well. graven…didn’t their “perfect man” set the standard?
gravenimage says
Yes–and Muhammed is considered the model for Muslim conduct for all time.
Rolf Wittwer says
It might possible be, that high climate temperatures do have enormous bad influence on human brains.
Most islamic countries are in such areas, except maybe the australian outback (queensland) and the US desert in the West. In Iran’s Lut-Desert – it’s such hot – even Bacterias are dying.
I think there is a unpleasant connection between these facts!!!
gravenimage says
Not really. There are lots of hot places, and they are not all like this–for instance, Israelis and Arizonans are not like this.
Moreover, if it were just the weather, then Muslims would *never* do such things in temperate climates–but Muslims are pedophiles in such places as Britain and Canada, as well.
The main problem is that Islam *sacralizes* pedophilia.
gravenimage says
Malaysia: Muslim justifies his marriage to 11-year-old by saying he wanted to marry her since she was 7
……………………..
Actually, it makes it *worse* that this pedophile has been drooling over here since she was in second grade. *Sickening*.
More:
He said he had showed his friends a picture of the girl while he was in Mecca and they gave their blessings as she was not in school and had come from a poor family….
……………………..
From my understanding, only primary education is compulsory in Malaysia–but public secondary education is still free. In other words, it is unlikely that this thug married her because she was not going to school, and more likely that she was not going to school because her family was marrying her off to this pedophile. *Ugh*.
Rarely says
Interesting. So they pass around pictures of the children in Mecca while on a pilgrimage? And get the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval from other pilgrims? Just how extra specially sick is that? They have absolutely no idea that it might be wrong. Sickening.
gravenimage says
+1
David says
It just occurred to me that maybe muslims have sex(marry) with very young girls because they have small penises. In these situations, when is FGM performed? Before or after marriage?
The whole world needs to know about Aisha, and all the other unsavoury facts about islam and Mu-Ham-mad. I’m sure a lot of muslims are ignorant of their religion. They are probably taught on a need-to-know basis, similar to converts(rather like buying a second-hand car.)
Yogi says
And that mother of that young girl allowed to this horrible act from that animal goat fucker , it’s beyond sick …mostly the Muslim doing such a disgusting things..
Matthieu Baudin says
There exists at the present time a widespread momentum for change in Malaysia. The family of Sultans are now answerable to the law, something that they were largely immune from in times past. The outrageous practice of child marriage amongst sections of the Malay elite will be increasingly challenged and will extend into other areas of abuse once the orderly transition occurs from the incumbent (caretaker) PM to his younger replacement takes place in the next twelve months.
kuriakose says
Matthieu: Don’t hold your breath. Islam can never be reformed. Anwar Ibrahim is a muslim suprmacist though of course he must rely a lot on non muslim support. Sure, the presence of a large percentage of non muslims acts in some way a deterrent to the practice of syariah, but pressure is mounting on the authorities for such a law. Let’s not forget that Mahathir once famously said: ‘A homosexual cannot be the Prime Minister”. The only reason Malaysia became moderate was the colonisation by the Brits and the coming of large numbers of Chinese and Indians. Western law and education became the law and standard for Malayan society and that surely was one giant leap into a civIlised society. In fact, independence time, the non muslim population was close to 50%. Today, of course it is much less, as many non muslims leave for safer places (I am one of them) and the muslims breed, well, like cats and dogs. And Mahathir is one sly cunning rogue.
Ren says
Muslim marry young girls because they like it tight, like their role model Muhammad.
gravenimage says
Muslims marry young girls because they like to abuse the vulnerable.
Ren says
Vulnerable and tight, heavenly.
gravenimage says
Most men have no interest in raping young girls, and would in fact be appalled by it.
patriotliz says
So, can child marriage be allowed in the US because it is the “free exercise” of a dirty ol’ Muslim geezer’s “religion”?
https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/free_exercise_clause
Always On Watch says
Two words:
Islamic pedophile!
Muslim2018 says
Pedophilia, or paedophilia, is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Gavin H (2013). Criminological and Forensic Psychology. SAGE Publications. p. 155. ISBN 1118510372. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
Pedophilia is termed pedophilic disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), and the manual defines it as a paraphilia involving intense and recurrent sexual urges towards and fantasies about prepubescent children that have either been acted upon or which cause the person with the attraction distress or interpersonal difficulty. “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition”. American Psychiatric Publishing. 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
If one examines the above definitions of pedophilia neither the prophet Muhammad (p) or the young man in the article in Malaysia are far removed from the accusations. The first reason regarding the prophet’s marriage to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) is we see throughout her life no social or psychological harm came to her as that as a sexually abused child. Secondly, the prophet (p) had about 8 other wives at different ages. Thirdly, if he (p) was a pedophile why would at the age of 25 marry and enjoy over 15 years in a monogamous marriage with Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her)? Hence since pedophilia refers to an “exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children” and it is evident there were wives with various age groups this destroys this accusation.
Another case stems from understanding the disorder from the DSM-5. It states that “the manual defines it as a paraphilia involving intense and recurrent sexual urges towards and fantasies about prepubescent children that have either been acted upon or which cause the person with the attraction distress or interpersonal difficulty.” I ask, where is the recurrent sexual urges and fantasies about prepubescent children and the interpersonal difficulty in the prophet Muhammad (p) or the brother in the news article?
Additionally, why the stress on this “age of consent” a phenomenon that occurred in the 19th and 20th century just the other day. Stephen Robertson, University of Sydney, Australia. “Children and Youth in History | Age of Consent Laws”. Chnm.gmu.edu. Archived from the original on 27 June 2010. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
According to the both hadiths posted by the writer the ages when they occured there are different opinions regarding the ages. Let’s take the hadiths he posted for argument sake. Allow me to quote a section of the hadith for further discussion. “There in the house I saw some Ansari women who said, “Best wishes and Allah’s Blessing and a good luck.” Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me (for the marriage). Unexpectedly Allah’s Apostle came to me in the forenoon and my mother handed me over to him, and at that time I was a girl of nine years of age.” We see clearly that the mother, the Ansari women had absolutely no issue with this marriage. The enemies of prophet Muhammad never used his “child marriage” against him. How comes the Christian and the Jewish community in Medina never “bat an eyelid” regarding this marriage? Where are the writings from the Byzantine Christian Empire or the Persian empire condemning this marriage? They said prophet Muhammad was a madman, a soothsayer, and all kinds of derogatory names, why aren’t there any writings from these people addressing this particular marriage?
Surah 33:21 – although the prophet Muhammad (p) conduct is the best example for us not everything he did is compulsory upon us and such is marrying a girl very young. The prophet had more than 4 wives – this was something specific for him and his marriages were very strategic and political at times as well.
Surah 65:4 – the writer has said that in Islam it is allowed to have sex with prepubescent children. This is far from the reality. This is not what the verse is saying. Let us explore the verse. “Those in menopause among your women, for them the `Iddah, if you have doubt, is three months; and for those who have no courses. And for those who are pregnant, their `Iddah is until they lay down their burden; and whosoever has Taqwa of Allah, He will make his matter easy for him.”
He asserts that those who have no courses it means prepubescent children. Let us look at what Ibn Kathir has to say about the verse.
“(and for those who have no courses…) as for His saying;
“(if you have doubt…) There are two opinions: First, is the saying of a group of the Salaf, like Mujahid, Az-Zuhri and Ibn Zayd. That is, if they see blood and there is doubt if it was menstrual blood or not. The second, is that if you do not know the ruling in this case, then know that their `Iddah is three months. This has been reported from Sa`id bin Jubayr and it is the view preferred by Ibn Jarir. And this is the more obvious meaning. Supporting this view is what is reported from Ubay bin Ka`b that he said, “O Allah’s Messenger! Some women were not mentioned in the Qur’an, the young, the old and the pregnant.” Allah the Exalted and Most Honored sent down this Ayah, ——- As for the last sentence the explanation continues. http://www.qtafsir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1316&Itemid=121
Not one statement regarding the interpretation of this verse of Quran legislates having sex with prepubescent children. Only in the writer’s mind. As for the understanding of Islamic law this is not the case.
In conclusion, to judge marriages practices at different times in different contexts through western secular prisms is an unreasonable position to employ. We see the norm among Muslims both in the time of the prophet (p) as well as today it is adult women. If Muslims in their society have absolutely no problem in their daughters getting married at that age and the girls have no problem – let them carry on with their lives. In the west homosexuality, adultery, fornication, in some cases bestiality and other sexual practices are lawful for you all, you are living your lives so if they want to marry 11 year olds and they have a social arrangement then let them live their lives. Bigamy is illegal in western countries yet a man having many play mistresses is okay; in Muslim societies as well as some non Muslim societies polygamy is practiced – don’t you say “live and let live?” Sadly JW readers you are being fed with inaccurate information about Islam and Muslims on here. In order to be a critical thinker I suggest you evaluate sources both from non Islamic sites as well as Islamic sites, interact with Muslims, read their literature, examine their perspective so that you have a much fairer conclusion.
If everything a Muslim says is “taqiyah” why are you accepting quotes from Muslim scholars on issues simply because Robert Spencer quotes it to you? Is it only when Robert Spencer and company quote it for you you will believe? Why can’t you make your own investigation rather than a one sided view?
Joanne May Balcon says
Indeed he is your best example despite him marrying a very young girl. This explains everything. Only in Islam
Terri says
Mohammed is your prophet ..that’s the difference…the foundation, the basis for which Islam was formed to justify what is sick… pedophilia. I don’t care what the definitions are…it is a sick man that is attracted to a prepubescent girl, a perverted man that acts on that sickness and an evil man that rationalizes it as normal. And a whole religion that justifies and practices pedaphila as normal is evil incarnate. Dont you dare parse words to justify it.
Patty Lanier says
What I would like to know is if everyone here feels the same about the Mormons in Utah?! Or about the states that have no age limit for marriage in the US, because if you think all of our states actually govern marrying age, you’re WRONG!!! Numerous states in the US allow for a 10 year old to wed. And it Happens, all the time!!!
Timothy says
Patty Lanier, I completely sympathize with your point. Marrying under age girls is such an epidemic in the US I think we need to do something more drastic in the US. We have to stop it in it’s tracks or our society is going to become a Pedophilic resort. Like the resort island that the Clintons visit where child sexual abuse is facilitated. Bill was just trying to help those poor kids…
Islam however doesn’t promote underage abusive marriages in its teachings. They never marry multiple wives, they only stick to monogamy. Islam would never promote the marriage of a 6 year old and consomate the marriage at 9, unacceptable to Islam. Islam would never have mass marriage ceremonies where numerous old men marry prepubescent children in mass under the ruse of a celebration. What would a prepubescent child have to celebrate?
Terri says
Mohammed is your prophet ..that’s the difference…the foundation, the basis for which Islam was formed to justify what is sick… pedophilia. I don’t care what the definitions are…it is a sick man that is attracted to a prepubescent girl, a perverted man that acts on that sickness and an evil man that rationalizes it as normal. And a whole religion that justifies and practices pedaphila as normal is evil incarnate. Dont you dare parse words to justify it.