If prophet could do it but others can't then there should be CLEAR Hadith or Aayah declaring it illegal or not-liked in Islam. Where is such declaration? If there is not declaration and still some people consider it not good while accepting that prophet did it, then it is a clear example of bidat.
Also, if it not a good practice then where is the opposition to this WIDE-SPREAD practice among Muslims, especially Afghanistan, from clerics?
There was never a specific age for adolescence in any culture or religion....so it makes sense why Quran or hadith didn't mention a specific number.
Where ever it is being practiced should be pointed out and exposed so that it can be stopped. Some things which were a norm 1500 years ago, many people dont consider some of them conforming to our lifestyle now.
**RECENTLY, the Legal Affairs Committee of the Majles (the Iranian parliament) has told the press that they regard the law that prohibits girls below the age of 10 from being married off as ‘un-Islamic and illegal.’
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**Reports indicate that in Iran, more than 75 female children under age 10 were recently forced to marry much older men. It is indeed very strange how child marriage can be deemed Islamic in any sense of the word. How can it be un-Islamic not to permit child marriage at the immature age of eight?
** This is probably more cultural than religious. After all, any law bears footprints of culture and cannot completely get rid of cultural influences. While Islamic laws are very progressive, cultures in Islamic countries are still feudal or semi-feudal.Also, there has been debate among the ulema, as pointed out by the spokesperson for the Majles, about the age of puberty. Many ulema think that girls attain the age of puberty by or before age 10 while others think by the age of 15. But for most 10 is the age of puberty.
This has happened in Iran, where women’s participation in the revolution was so genuine and enthusiastic that they voluntarily took to wearing the chador as a symbol of their Islamic identity and a New York Times correspondent — seeing a sea of women in black chadors in 1979 — wondered how daughters of those mothers who had cast off their veils could take to the chador again. He perhaps did not realise that these daughters were wearing the chador as a symbol of their Islamic identity and to show solidarity with the leaders of the Islamic revolution.
However, their experience right from the beginning was not very pleasant and their expectations of liberation were not fulfilled. Gradually, the Islamic regime began to tighten its grip over women’s liberty, especially after the death of Imam Khomeini, who was a great visionary and believed in using persuasion rather than coercion. The revolutionary leadership began to quarrel for power in the post-Khomeini period and unfortunately the conservatives won.
And in the Islamic world whenever conservatives win, the first to be affected are Muslim women. Recently in Libya, when Qadhafi was defeated and his opponents — conservative Muslims — won, one of their first declarations was to legalise polygamy, as if their revolution was all about polygamy.
In Iran too women came to be under increasing control of the conservative clergy. A few years ago a woman, who was married with children, was accused of adultery and was sentenced to death by stoning, though human rights activists maintained that adultery charges were not proved. And there was no punishment for her alleged adulterous partner.
Coming back to child marriage, there is nothing Islamic about it; if anything it is un-Islamic. It is well-known that marriage is a contract in Islam and the Quran calls it a ‘strong covenant’ (mithaqan ghaliza) (4:21). It does not require a lot of argument to conclude that such a covenant cannot be entered into by children of the age of eight, that too a strong contract. A child does not even understand what a covenant is.
It is also well-known that both parties, i.e. husband and wife, can stipulate conditions, without fulfilling which the marriage will not be valid. Can a child stipulate conditions? Marriage is a lifelong partnership and a child cannot be expected to have the experience or intellectual ability to choose his or her life partner. Thus child marriage can in no case be Quranic or Islamic.
What is, then, the origin of child marriage in Islam? It is simply cultural and was not uncommon among the Arabs. The jurists can hardly escape the influence of their culture and cultural ethos. **Though the Quran did not permit it, they allowed it because it was widely prevalent around them. They also tried to find justification for it in the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) Sunnah. Most Muslims believe that the Holy Prophet married Hazrat Ayesha when she was simply seven years of age and consummated the marriage when she was nine.
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Firstly, this hadith appears about 300 years after the passing of the Prophet and in-depth research by many scholars clearly shows that Hazrat Ayesha’s age at the time of marriage was not less than 17 or 18 and at the time of consummation of marriage about 19 or 20. I have seen this research and there are very good reasons to believe it.
Since marriage is a contract in Islam, Imam Abu Hanifa, while allowing child marriage for sociological rather than religious or Quranic reasons, also had to make a provision for what is called option of puberty (khiyar al-bulugh) i.e. the girl, on achieving puberty or the age of proper understanding, could accept or reject the marriage and her guardian (usually father) also cannot force her to accept the marriage if she is unwilling. Imam Abu Hanifa had to make this provision because he knew the guardian is not an absolute authority to give the child away in marriage.
Religion should prevail over culture and not culture over religion. That is why most Islamic countries have now prescribed 18 as the age of marriage and have made child marriage illegal. Thus the Iranian clergy would be better advised not to legalise child marriage. I am sure the women organisations of Iran would surely resist this measure on part of the government, if at all it takes this regressive step defying the Quranic concept of marriage as a strong covenant.
The writer is an Islamic scholar who also heads the Centre for Study of Society & Secularism, Mumbai.
There was never a specific age for adolescence in any culture or religion....so it makes sense why Quran or hadith didn't mention a specific number.
It is ok to be a little vague, but let me tell you that for most maulanas there is no age limit at all. Thus not just a 4 year old but even a 1 month baby could be married to a 70 year old guy.
And this is true for most Muslims maulanas, whether shia or Sunni.
BTW, try convincing psyah. Because he thinks that this is a practice of the prophet which we should not follow. In other words, he doesn't approve of marrying at this age either.
Where ever it is being practiced should be pointed out and exposed so that it can be stopped.
Agreed. But we don't see any clerics opposing these practices. Common people might do it, but not clerics. That's the problem.
Actually, most people even on this forum are perfectly find with such a marriage.
Are we discussing prophet's marriage to Aisha (ra) or the forced marriages in some rural area of Yemen and Afghanistan?
The two are related.
Those marriages in rural Afghanistan are justified due to the example quoted from the prophet. This is why there is hardly any opposition from Taliban or other clerics on this issue.
It is ok to be a little vague, but let me tell you that for most maulanas there no age at all. Thus not just a 4 year old but even a 1 month baby could be married to a 70 year old guy.
And this is true for most Muslims maulanas, whether shia or Sunni.
BTW, try convincing psych. Because he thinks that this is a practice of the prophet which we should not follow. In other words, he doesn't approve of marrying at this age either.
There are very few incidents of young marriages in recent years which took place in Yemen and Afghanistan...so here goes your theory of "MOST MUSLIMS DOING CHILD MARRIAGES" in the bin.
We can't follow this example because we're not 100% sure about the age of Aisha (ra) at the time of her marriage because there are more than one opinions on this. Simple as that.
I am saying that we are responsible to find suitable mates - those who like each other and are happy to be with one another as well as be a source of guidance and betterment for one another. The marriage of Aisha (RA) turned her in to scholar of Islam and mother of the believers …
Why are you pasting these pictures? I’m not advocating child marriage … I am however advocating the marriage of Aisha (RA) with RasoolAllah (SAW) …
Is this a bid’a? No … As I said earlier there are some things that the prophet (SAW) did, he neither prevented us from doing nor instructed us … and just because something was done by RasoolAllah (SAW) it is not automatically classified as a mandoub (praiseworthy) act for us to emulate.
In the matter of marriage we should use a lot of discretion with the hadith of Aisha (RA) - we must understand that the clause of the hadith is stressing the permissibility to delay consumation after nikkah … not about getting married early.
Actually, most people even on this forum are perfectly find with such a marriage.
If you are talking about marriage of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and Syeda Aisha (RA), then, of course I am asbolutely fine with that. I believe the ahadith she narrated herself where she claimed that marriage took place at the age of 6 and consumated at 9. end of story.
The two are related.
Those marriages in rural Afghanistan are justified due to the example quoted from the prophet. This is why there is hardly any opposition from Taliban or other clerics on this issue.
Taliban are clerics? That news to me. I thought they were a bunch of fighters funded by ISI and US.
jaanaan ... if your daughter had your sensibilities then she would not be good enough anyway ...
Taking the conversation into this direction would not augur well for this conversation. but i will forgive you since it is the norm of the religious minds to start quarreling when they can not justify what they are saying.
and now coming to your point, whether she willl have my sensibilities or not, i will never get my 9 year old get married to a fifty year old man whose hope at that age is viagra only.
[qote=hareem01]What's wrong with marrying an older guy? I remember when I was 11, I wanted to marry Imran Khan.
[/quote]
there is a difference between wanting to marry and getting married.
happy as a guppy :)
but i doubt women in any culture getting to adolescent in their pre-teen years. or have you seen cultures where it happens? there is something called common sense. we know that a six month old baby will not walk etc etc
We can't follow this example because we're not 100% sure about the age of Aisha (ra) at the time of her marriage because there are more than one opinions on this. Simple as that.
That's exactly what I'm trying to convince those who justify prophet marrying a 4 year old.
It’s not a Shia Sunni issue. Like I said earlier, many cleircs from both Shia and Sunni side approve of such marriages.
Just like Sunnis, Shias also have different traditions about the age of hazrat Aisha, including her being 4 year old.
but i doubt women in any culture getting to adolescent in their pre-teen years. or have you seen cultures where it happens? there is something called common sense. we know that a six month old baby will not walk etc etc
Have you seen a 6 months old getting married? I have never.
It is ok to be a little vague, but let me tell you that for most maulanas there is no age limit at all. Thus not just a 4 year old but even a 1 month baby could be married to a 70 year old guy.
And this is true for most Muslims maulanas, whether shia or Sunni.
are you referring to a certain region or country or something because "most maulanas" is an exaggeration of enormous proportion......
Let me tell something also ... My grandmother was 9 when she was first married and probably 13 on her first child ... she lived a long life and eventually had married another time when her first husband died, she was self-sufficient at the age of 20 or so with 3 children and one infant who had died in infancy. She got married in her late twenties to my grandfather who was several years younger than her and had 4 more children and she ruled the house with an iron fist.
Trust me we talk with such lack of understanding basing the correct way to live as per our own experiences ... I was approaching 13 years old when my grandmother told me about how she had become a mother at my age and I was surprised ... but she was amazingly calm and proud about it.
Taliban are clerics? That news to me. I thought they were a bunch of fighters funded by ISI and US.
Anyone can claim to be a cleric. We might disagree with it but there are many who think they are the only true clerics.
BTW, I mentioned Taliban only because the discussion was about Afghanistan. The same holds true for others.