Age of Aisha رضي الله عنها
An academic review of the doubts regarding the age of Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها at the time of marriage:
Doubt ➊:
At the time of marriage, her age was sixteen and at the time of consummation nineteen. The narrations mentioning marriage at six years and consummation at nine years are dismissed.
Refutation:
What is the evidence for dismissing these narrations? The mutawatir narrations mentioning marriage at six years and consummation at nine years cannot be rejected.
Doubt ➋:
Sayyida Asma bint Abi Bakr رضي الله عنهما died in 73 AH at the age of one hundred. Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها was ten years younger than her. At the time of Hijrah, Sayyida Asma’s age was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, so Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها would have been seventeen or eighteen. Her consummation took place in 2 AH. Therefore, at the time of marriage, Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها was nineteen years old.
Refutation:
It is not established that Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها was ten years younger than her sister Asma. The statement of Abdul Rahman bin Abi Zinad
is weak due to being munqati‘ (disconnected), because Abdul Rahman bin Abi Zinad did not witness the era of Sayyida Asma.
➊ Sayyida Asma bint Abi Bakr رضي الله عنهما died in 73 AH.
And Sayyida Asma lived to be one hundred years old.
➋ At the time of the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم death, Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها was eighteen years old.
Thus, Sayyida Asma’s age at the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم death was 38 years. Certainly, Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها would be twenty years younger than Sayyida Asma رضي الله عنها. Hence, the claim that she was ten years younger is incorrect. Now consider the age at marriage:
➊ At the time of Hijrah, Sayyida Asma’s age was 27 years.
➋ Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها is twenty years younger than Sayyida Asma رضي الله عنها.
According to this, at the time of Hijrah, Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها was seven years old, and her consummation took place in 2 AH, so at consummation she was nine years old, and three years earlier the marriage took place, so at marriage she was six years old.
Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها narrates:
إن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم تزوجها وهى بنت ست سنين ، وأدخلت عليه وهى بنت تسع ومكثت عنده تسعا
“My marriage to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was at six years of age, and consummation at nine years, and I remained with him for nine years.”
If her age at marriage was nineteen, then how was she eighteen at the time of the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم death, when she spent nine years with him?
Doubt ➌:
Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها was five years younger than Sayyida Fatimah رضي الله عنها. Sayyida Fatimah رضي الله عنها died in 10 AH at the age of thirty or thirty-five. Thus, at the time of Hijrah, her age would be fifteen or twenty. Two years later, consummation took place, so her age would be seventeen or twenty-two.
Refutation:
The claim that Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها was five years younger than Sayyida Fatimah رضي الله عنها is baseless and has no established evidence.
Doubt ➍:
All children of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه were born before the Prophethood.
Refutation:
➊ This is false, originating from Al-Kalbi, Al-Waqidi, and unknown sources.
➋ Imam Tabari رحمه الله states that children were born to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه even after the Prophethood, including Muhammad bin Abi Bakr and Umm Kulthum رضي الله عنهم.
➌ Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq رضي الله عنه gave wealth to Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها and said to distribute it among his siblings after his death. He had two brothers and two sisters. Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها said she had only one sister, asking who the other was. He replied:
ذو بطن بنت خارجة ، أراها جارية
“She who is in the womb of the outsider woman; it is likely she is a girl.”
Doubt ➎:
How did this narration reach Imam Bukhari exactly two hundred years after Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها’s death? Was it only oral or was there any written proof?
Refutation:
➊ Why is this objection only against Imam Bukhari رحمه الله? This narration was mentioned by many hadith scholars before Imam Bukhari رحمه الله in their books with their chains. See:
➋ Besides Imam Bukhari رحمه الله, Imam Muslim رحمه الله and others also narrated this hadith with their chains. If there is any objection to any narrator of this hadith, it should be raised against them, not Imam Bukhari رحمه الله. We mention Imam Bukhari for ease, otherwise this narration is mutawatir and mutawatir narrators do not require scrutiny.
Doubt ➏:
In Sahih Bukhari (3817) and Sahih Muslim (2435), Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها states: Khadijah رضي الله عنها died three years before my marriage. However, in Sahih Bukhari (3896), Urwah رحمه الله states:
توفيت خديجة قبل مخرج النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى المدينة بثلاث سنين ، فلبت سنتين أو قريبا من ذلك ، ونكح عائشة وهى بنت ست سنين ، ثم بنى بها وهى بنت تسع سنين
“Khadijah رضي الله عنها died three years before the Hijrah to Medina. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم stayed approximately two years. He married Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها when she was six years old and consummated at nine.”
The objection is: How could she be six years old two years later and also six years old three years later?
Refutation:
The narration stating Khadijah رضي الله عنها died three years before Sayyida Aisha’s marriage is correct.
The narration stating the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم stayed approximately two years is:
➊ Mursal (interrupted) and only the connected mursal narrations in Sahih Bukhari are authentic. Mursal narrations are weak, so there is no contradiction.
➋ Even if the second narration is accepted as authentic, there is no contradiction because it mentions two things:
1. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم stayed approximately two years after Khadijah رضي الله عنها’s death.
2. The marriage to Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها.
The application is that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had already married Sayyida Sawda bint Zam’ah رضي الله عنها, stayed two years, and then married Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها. The consummation of Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها took place later in Medina. Therefore, the words of فلبث سنتين أو قريبا من ذلك have no relation to Sayyida Aisha’s marriage or consummation.
Doubt ➐:
Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها states: “When I was young and playing, the verse 46 of Surah Al-Qamar was revealed and I memorized it.” Surah Al-Qamar was revealed in the 5th year of Prophethood. It is evident that Sayyida Aisha had enough understanding to memorize that verse. Now, if the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم marriage is considered in the 10th, 12th, or 13th year of Prophethood at six years of age, then logically she would not have been born in the 5th year of Prophethood. Which hadith should be accepted then?
Refutation:
Both hadiths are authentic.
➊ Surah Al-Qamar or the mentioned verse was revealed in Makkah as Sayyida Aisha stated, but the exact year of the 5th year of Prophethood is not established and requires evidence. Therefore, doubting based on this unproven date is inappropriate.
➋ The hadith means that the verse was revealed in Makkah when she was young and playing.
➌ No hadith states that she memorized the verse at the time of its revelation. Rather, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم or another senior companion must have taught her later, and the transmissions of the companions are authoritative. Thus, all objections raised against Sayyida Aisha and other companions regarding narrations about events before their acceptance of Islam or maturity are nullified.
Doubt ➑:
Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها states:
“Since I became conscious, I found my parents committed to Islam. There was no day when the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم did not visit us morning and evening.”
A child becomes conscious approximately at ten years of age. How then was Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها six years old at marriage?
Refutation:
The objection is invalid for several reasons.
➊ The age of maturity (consciousness) is not fixed. It depends on the capability of each child. Some become mature at four or five years, others remain immature their whole life. It is not unlikely for a clever and intelligent person like Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها to be mature at a young age.
➋ Sayyida Aisha is speaking about her consciousness that she found her parents committed to Shariah. This does not mean she was mature when they accepted Islam; rather, she is narrating her memory. As for the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم visits morning and evening, any child can remember that.
➌ Hadith scholars have accepted the age of acceptance of narration as five years. So why object to Sayyida’s memory and intelligence?
Khatib Baghdadi رحمه الله wrote: One of my teachers memorized the Quran at five years of age.
Even today, many children have astonishing memories at three or four years of age.
Doubt ➒:
Hisham bin Urwah is a “mudallis” (one who practices tadlis).
Refutation:
➊ There is consensus on Hisham bin Urwah’s reliability. The narrator Ibn Khurash, who criticized him, is himself weak, so his criticism is not established. The accusation of tadlis against Hisham is baseless. The claim
that he is mudallis is weak because the narrator Abdullah bin Ali bin Madini’s authentication is not established.
➋ In the Sahih collections, narrations of mudallis narrators are considered as heard (sama‘) transmissions.
➌ Hisham bin Urwah was followed by Az-Zuhri (Sahih Muslim: 1422), Ibrahim An-Nakha‘i (Sahih Muslim: 1422), and Abdullah bin Urwah (Sahih Muslim: 1423), etc.
➍ This narration has many chains reaching the level of tawatur (mass transmission). Why object only to Hisham?
Doubt ➓:
“Hisham’s mind failed in 132 AH. Hafiz ‘Aqili writes:
قد خرف فى آخر عمره
He became insane in old age. What proof is there that this narration is from before his insanity?”
Refutation:
➊ Hafiz ‘Aqili’s statement could not be found.
➋ None of the earlier scholars accused him of confusion. Even if confusion is proven, the narrations in Bukhari and Muslim from confused narrators are considered as heard transmissions. Hafiz Nawawi رحمه الله writes about a confused narrator:
وما كان فى الصحيحين عنه محمول على الأخذ عنه قبل اختلاطه
“The narrations in Bukhari and Muslim are considered from before confusion.”
➌ Hisham bin Urwah was followed by Az-Zuhri (Sahih Muslim: 1422), Ibrahim An-Nakha‘i (Sahih Muslim: 1422), and Abdullah bin Urwah (Sahih Muslim: 1423), etc.
➍ This narration has many chains reaching the level of tawatur. Why object only to Hisham?
Note:
Ibn Qattan Al-Fasi رحمه الله (d. 628 AH) called Hisham “confused.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله writes:
ولم نر له فى ذلك سلفا
“No one among the Salaf agreed with him.”
Hafiz Al-Dhahabi رحمه الله writes:
وهشام ، فلم يختلط قط ، هذا أمر مقطوع به
“Hisham was never confused; this is certain.”
He also says:
فقول ابن القطان: إنه مختلط ، قول مردود ومرذول
“Ibn Qattan’s calling him confused is rejected and insignificant.”
Further he says:
ولا عبرة
“It has no credibility.”
It is clear that Hafiz Ibn Qattan Al-Fasi رحمه الله’s statement is insignificant.
