Aisha’s Marriage and her Historic Role

AISHA’S MARRIAGE AND HER HISTORIC ROLE O ne question concerning Aisha al-Siddiqah relates to her age at the time of marriage. Authentic narrations in the books of Hadith state that her marriage to the Prophet of Islam took place in Makkah, when she was six years old. Later, her formal departure to the Prophet’s household took place in Madinah, when she was nine years old. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 5133) In modern times, much has been written on this subject. Orientalists have raised questions about the noble character of the Prophet of Islam on this basis. It is argued that marriage to a young girl is contrary to refined moral conduct, and that such an act casts doubt on a person’s claim to prophethood. This question existed in earlier times as well, though not with the same intensity as today. In the past, it was generally raised on juristic grounds rather than moral grounds: is it permissible for an older man to marry a young minor girl? Classical scholars tried to answer this in the traditional manner. For example, Ibn Hazm records