Is Child Marriage in Arab Lands Based on Muhammads Example?
A critique of child marriage in some Muslim societies, examining whether it is justified by reference to Prophet Muhammad’s marriage to Aisha.
Question
If an old man marries a young girl in Arab countries, is it following Prophet Muhammad’s example with Aisha?
Answer
Young girls are married to old guys all across the globe - it is not something limited to Arab land.
Secondly - Prophet Muhammad saws married young girl as well as old matron having 5 kids who was 10 years elder to him
Thirdly - Islam allows old women to marry young men just like it allows old men to marry young girls. The criteria is not based upon age but based upon they being mature enough for marriage.
Lastly - the problem is not whether the girl is young or not as long as the islamic criteria is being met for marriage which is as below:
- Girl consents & her guardian accept the marriage proposal
- Groom is a Muslim by faith
- Girl is mature enough for marriage (responsibility to check is with the guardians)
- Groom provides dowry (meher) to the bride - the amount is determined by the girl
Islamic Q&A
Everyday questions answered with evidence — worship, family, work and money — written plainly and reviewed before publication.
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