Sahih Bukhari volume 7, book 62, number 88
Narrated ‘Ursa:
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).
I am still not sure personally what to make of Muhammad's
marriage to Aisha when she was that young. We can deduce the
information in two ways:
1. Conclude that Muhammad is a pedophile
2. Any perceived embarrassment of the marriage comes from
reconciling normal practices of the ancient world with the social
values of the modern world
Muslim scholars however use the example of the marriage to
deduce:
1. That a marriage contract can be written up anytime voluntarily
but its execution will be suspended unless both the bride and groom
are confirmed legally capable, i.e sane, the onset of puberty,
etc.
2. Arranged marriages and bethrothal of children are subsumed under
the category of urf, custom since not all Muslim societies
practice it.
Urf has a valid basis for a legal decision, formulated in light
of prevailing customs and for the most part changeable due to
social change. Nowadays the minimum age of marriage is 16, 18, 21.
If a Muslim wants to take a child-bride, he may be prevented to do
so since having a young bride today means very differently than
when it was practiced a hundred or thousand years ago.
It's incredible news for convicted paedophiles. Birds of the
same feather flock together.
Ack, maybe we happen to share somewhat of the same feathers too
googoomuck, some Christian priests and ministers themselves are
convicted pedophiles in prison or else protected by the Church from
criminal prosecution. It'll be a good burn to hear the pedo insults
from a Buddhist, Hindu or Atheist, not currently from this
Christian.
