The hadith states that when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ married Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), she was six years old, and at the time of consummation, she was nine years old.
Reference: (Sahih Bukhari: 5134)
Marrying a girl at such a young age is considered oppression because she is not yet capable.First Point
The marriage of Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) to the Prophet ﷺ took place when she was six years old, and the consummation occurred when she was nine years old. The determination of her age at both events was not based on the ijtihad (independent reasoning) of scholars but is a historical fact established by such strong evidence that there is no alternative but to accept these dates as correct. This is also mentioned in the most authentic books after the Quran, namely Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, as detailed in the following link:
Second Point
Marrying Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) at a young age was not an injustice, and it is also proven with evidence that Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was eligible for marriage at that time. To understand this correctly, consider the following points:
➊ Human strength and ability, whether mental or physical capacity or the maturity of height and stature, are influenced by the environment, diet, and climate. Sayyida Aisha belonged to the Arabian climate. In such food and environment, it is possible to mature quickly.
Even today, if you study medical reports, the age of puberty and signs of puberty in girls are mentioned as ranging from 11 to 15 years, and this varies according to each country and era.
➋ When it comes to food, the diet of Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها is mentioned as follows: Umm al-Mu'minin Aisha رضي الله عنها says: My mother used to treat my weak body and wanted to present me in the service of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, but no plan worked out until I ate cucumber mixed with dates, and I became completely healthy.
Reference: (Sunan Ibn Majah: 3324)
.In this context, it is also asked why Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها was married at a young age? And was it not possible to marry a woman older than her?
First point
This was entirely possible, and the Prophet ﷺ married again later, in fact, after Lady Aisha رضي الله عنها, he married Lady Sawda رضي الله عنها, who was an elderly woman. However, the wisdom behind marrying Lady Aisha رضي الله عنها was not found in any other marriage, and above all, it was a command from Allah which the Prophet ﷺ saw in a dream. The Prophet ﷺ himself mentioned this dream. Accordingly, in Sahih Bukhari, there is a narration in which Aisha رضي الله تعالى عنها states that the Prophet ﷺ said to her:
"In a dream, I saw you twice. I saw you wrapped in silk cloth. It was said that this is your wife. When I removed the cloth, I saw that it was you. I said, if this is from Allah, then Allah will make it come true."
Reference: (Sahih Bukhari: 3682)
And the one who narrated this hadith is Lady Aisha رضي الله عنها herself.
Second point
There were several wisdoms behind this marriage, some of which are as follows.
Utilizing the intelligence and jurisprudence of Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) in the education of women
The Prophet ﷺ found Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) to be very intelligent and perceptive from childhood. Therefore, one of the wisdoms behind the marriage was that she could convey the actions and sayings of the Prophet ﷺ better than others. This is why the Islamic world greatly benefited from the intelligence and insight of Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). Consider the following statements in this regard.
➊ Imam Ata bin Rabaah (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was the most intelligent among the people, the most knowledgeable, and generally held the best opinion in matters.
Reference: (Muwatta Malik, Tarikh al-Islam by al-Dhahabi: 4/347)
➋ Sayyiduna Masruq, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
"I have seen the great and noble companions of the Holy Prophet ﷺ asking Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, questions regarding inheritance issues."
Reference: (Muwatta Malik: 1/92, Sunan al-Darimi: 2859)
➌ The same is narrated from Qabisa bin Dhuaib and Abu Musa al-Ash'ari.
Reference: (Tadhkirat al-Huffaz: 1/25)
In fact, Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash'ari says that whenever the companions had any difficulty in any matter and referred to Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, she had knowledge regarding that matter.
Reference: (Jami' Tirmidhi: 3883)
➍ Sayyiduna Urwah bin Zubair, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
"I have not seen anyone greater in knowledge than Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, in the Quran, obligations, halal, haram, poetry, Arabic speech, and genealogy."
Reference: (Tadhkirat al-Huffaz by al-Dhahabi 1/25, Sifat al-Safwa 2/32)
➎ Imam Dhahabi says: ”أفقه نساء الأمة على الاطلاق” The greatest jurist (understander of religion) of this Ummah is the lady Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her.
Reference: (Siyar A'lam al-Nubala: 2/135)
.From these statements, it is evident that Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) possessed unparalleled memory power, intelligence, and unique innate abilities, through which she learned the religion of Islam from the Holy Prophet ﷺ and conveyed it to the people. From the religious rulings that have reached us through Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), it can be well understood how great wisdom is hidden in the selection of Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) for the Messenger of Allah, the Noble Prophet ﷺ.
Third Point
This aspect is also important that one reason for this marriage was the extremely close relationship and bond of love with Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه. We generally see in society that friendships often turn into familial relationships. The relationship of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه with the Holy Prophet ﷺ was the most loving of all. One of the effects of this was that the Prophet ﷺ married Lady Aisha رضي الله عنها. This was essentially a reward from Allah Almighty for the sacrifices of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه and his loving relationship with the Holy Prophet ﷺ, that his offspring were also granted a high status.
