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One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Why Prophet Married Aisha (r.a.) young

Dear Friends,

Please note: I am not a Muslim but would like to ask a few questions.

Can you please let me know as to what was Prophet Mohammad`s age at the time of his marriage to Aisha. I have heard different versions. I just want to have the correct information.

Also if it is not too much to ask, then regarding his other wives; please tell us their names, their ages at the time of their marriages to Prophet Mohammad, Prophet`s age at the time of each marriage, and the relationships (if any) of each of Prophet Mohammad`s wives to him before the marriage. …… This is to clarify a probable misunderstanding that the Prophet had married into some relations, which a believer in Islam is prohibited from marrying into.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Details of all Prophet’s Marriage and Wives

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Statement: I am not a Muslim but would like to ask a few questions.

Beloved brother in humanity, the ‘way of life’ revealed by the Creator and called Al-Islam is based on the Wisdom and Knowledge of the All Knowing Lord, and every single command of the All Wise Lord is abundant in common-sense and logic. Asking any type of questions in Islam to gain more knowledge, or to confirm the Truth so that one’s heart is more content, or to understand and thus follow with more conviction the dictates of the deen is not only permissible, but absolutely encouraged in Islam. It is the God-given right of every individual (regardless of whether one is a believer or not) to ask anything they wish and it is the responsibility and duty of the good scholars to address the question asked to the best of their knowledge and ability, and in the most polite and humble manner.

Blessed are those who exercise their right and ask and seek answers till their hearts are content with the Truth, for nothing satisfies the heart more than the Remembrance of Truth.

Your Question: Can you please let me know as to what was Prophet Mohammad`s age at the time of his marriage to Aisha. I have heard different versions. I just want to have the correct information.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.234 Narrated by Aisha

The Prophet (saws) engaged me when I was a girl of six (years). We went to Medina and stayed at the home of Bani-al-Harith bin Khazraj. Then I got ill and my hair fell down. Later on my hair grew (again) and my mother, Um Ruman, came to me while I was playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me, and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted to do to me. She caught me by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house. I was breathless then, and when my breathing became all right, she took some water and rubbed my face and head with it. Then she took me into the house. There in the house I saw some Ansari women who said, "Best wishes and Allah's Blessing and a good luck." Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me (for the marriage). Unexpectedly Allah's Messenger (saws) came to me in the forenoon and my mother handed me over to him, and at that time I was a girl of nine years of age.

At the time of the consummation of marriage, the Prophet (saws) was about 53 years of age and Hadrat Aisha (r.a.) was nine.

Your Question: Also if it is not too much to ask, then regarding his other wives; please tell us their names, their ages at the time of their marriages to Prophet Mohammad, Prophet`s age at the time of each marriage, and the relationships (if any) of each of Prophet Mohammad`s wives to him before the marriage. ……

Beloved brother, because age was not as big an issue in the times of the Prophet (saws) 1400+ years ago, and in the absence of exact dates of birth, please bear in mind that most of the ages quoted are close approximates.

1^st marriage to Hadrat Khadijah binte Khuwailad (r.a.)

Hadrat Khadijah (r.a.) was a widow with three children from her previous two marriages and aged 40 when her proposal of marriage was accepted by Prophet Mohamed (saws) who was aged only 25. Prophet Mohamed (saws) was thus married to Hadrat Khadijah (r.a.) 15 years before his appointment to the status of Prophethood, which occurred when he (saws) was 40 years of age.

There was no particularly close blood relationship of note between Prophet Mohamed (saws) and Hadrat Khadijah (r.a.) except that they were fourth or fifth generation descendants of their common ancestor Qusayye.

2^nd marriage to Hadrat Saudah binte Zama (r.a.)

After the death of Hadrat Khadijah at the age of 65 (Prophet Mohamed (saws) was then 50 years of age), the Prophet (saws) married Hadrat Saudah binte Zama (r.a.), who was also a widow with one child from her previous marriage. There is no authentic report of her exact age at the time of her marriage to Prophet Mohamed (saws), but some recorders of history have derived her age to be between 30-40 years when she married the Prophet (saws).

There was no particular blood relation of note between the Prophet (saws) and Hadrat Saudah (r.a.).

3^rd marriage to Hadrat Aisha binte Abu Baqr (r.a.)

Three years into the marriage with Hadrat Saudah (r.a.), the Prophet (saws) now aged 53 married Hadrat Aisha (r.a.) age nine, the daughter of his best friend and closest companion, Hadrat Abu Baqr as-Siddiq (r.a.).

Of all the wives of the Prophet (saws), only Hadrat Aisha (r.a.) was a virgin at the time of marriage; all the others being either widowed or divorced.

There was no particular blood relation of note between the Prophet (saws) and Hadrat Aisha (r.a.).

4^th marriage to Hadrat Hafsa binte Umar al-Khattab (r.a.)

About two years after the marriage with Hadrat Aisha (r.a.), the Prophet Mohamed (saws) now aged about 55 married another widow Hadrat Hafsa (r.a.), the daughter of one of his closest companions Hadrat Umar al-Khattab (r.a.). Hadrat Hafsa’s (r.a.) first husband was martyred from his injuries in the Battle of Badr, and she was about 19-20 years of age at the time of her marriage to the Prophet (saws).

There was no particular blood relation of note between the Prophet (saws) and Hadrat Hafsa (r.a.).

5th marriage to Hadrat Zainab binte Khuzaimah (r.a.)

About one year after the marriage with Hadrat Hafsa (r.a.), the Prophet (saws) now aged about 56 married another widow, Hadrat Zainab (r.a.) who was aged about 30. Hadrat Zainab’s (r.a.) marriage with the Prophet (saws) lasted only about two or three months after which she died.

There was no particular blood relation of note between the Prophet (saws) and Hadrat Zainab binte Khuzaimah (r.a.).

6^th marriage to Hadrat Umme-Salamah (r.a.)

Within about a year into the marriage with Hadrat Hafsa (r.a.), the Prophet (saws) now aged about 57 married another widow who had four children from her previous marriage, Hadrat Umme-Salama (r.a.). Although her exact age is not determined, she was of an advanced age of about 45-55 at the time of her marriage to Prophet Mohamed (saws).

The closest bond between Hadrat Umme-Salama (r.a.) and the Prophet (saws) was that her deceased husband Abu-Salama (r.a.) was a foster brother of the Prophet (saws); (ie. the Prophet (saws) and Abu-Salama (r.a.) had incidentally taken suck in their respective infancy from the same woman).

7^th marriage to Hadrat Zainab binte Jahsh (r.a.)

Within about a year into the marriage with Hadrat Umme-Salamah (r.a.), the Prophet (saws) now aged 58 was married to his 38 year old divorced cousin, Hadrat Zainab binte Jahsh (r.a.) who was the daughter of his paternal aunt.

8^th marriage to Hadrat Jowariyya binte Haris (r.a.)

In about the same year of his marriage with Hadrat Zainab (r.a.), the Prophet now aged 58-59 married Hadrat Jawariyya (r.a.) who was about 20 years of age at the time. Hadrat Jawariyya (r.a.) was the daughter of the Prophet’s enemy named Haris, and she was captured as a prisoner of war in the battle of her tribe against the muslim army. She subsequently accepted Islam and it is reported that the Prophet (saws) paid her ransom to free her and proposed marriage to her.

The interesting thing about the Prophet’s (saws) marriage to Hadrat Jowariyya (r.a.) was when the Prophet (saws) married her, all the prisoners of war of her tribe held by the muslims were immediately and voluntarily freed by the believers who had such high regard and respect for the Prophet (saws) and his family that they refused to hold them captives since they had now become the in-laws of the Prophet (saws). Witnessing the generosity of the muslims at their gesture, a great number of now freed captives of war of the tribe of Hadrat Jowariyya (r.a.) accepted Islam.

9^th marriage to Hadrat Umme-Habibah binte Abi-Sufyan (r.a.).

A year or two after the marriage with Hadrat Jowariyya (r.a.), the Prophet (saws) now aged 59-60 married another widow with two children from her first marriage, Hadrat Umme-Habibah. She was about 36-37 years of age at the time of her marriage to the Prophet (saws).

Although she was the daughter of Abi-Sufyan, the supreme leader and commander of the polytheist Quraish of Makkah and one of the strongest enemies of the Prophet (saws), she was an early convert to Islam against the will of her father and brothers, and to escape their tyranny and oppression had migrated with her first husband to Ethiopia. After the fall of Makkah, her father Abi-Sufyan also accepted Islam.

10^th marriage to Hadrat Maimunah binte Haris (r.a.)

Divorced from her first husband and widowed from her second, Hadrat Maimunah (r.a.) was married to the Prophet (saws) when he was about 60 years of age. Although her exact age is not determined, it is safe to assume that she was of middle age at the time of the marriage to the Prophet (saws).

11^th marriage to Hadrat Safiyyah binte Hayye bin Akhtab (r.a.)

Divorced from her first husband and widowed from her second, Hadrat Safiyyah (r.a.) was a Jew born to Jewish parents. Her father Hayye bin Akhtab was chief of the Jewish tribe of Banu Nazeer and an arch-enemy of the Prophet (saws) and Islam.

Hadrat Safiyyah (r.a.) was captured as a prisoner of war by the muslims in their war against her tribe of Banu Nazeer in the Battle of Khaybar. Being the daughter of the chief of the tribe, she was given under the guardianship of the Prophet (saws) who during the journey back from the battle of Khaybar itself, set her free and subsequently proposed marriage to her. The Prophet (saws) was about 60 years at the time of his marriage to Hadrat Safiyyah (r.a.) who having already gone through a divorce with her first husband and widowed from her second was about 17-18 years of age.

Your Question: This is to clarify a probable misunderstanding that the Prophet had married into some relations, which a believer in Islam is prohibited from marrying into.

We assume the misunderstanding relates to his 7^th marriage to his cousin and the daughter of his paternal aunt, Hadrat Zainab binte Jahsh (r.a.).

Firstly, cousins are not considered mehrams (those to whom marriage is prohibited in Islam), and thus it is absolutely legal in Islam for a believer to marry amongst his/her cousins, if they wish to do so.

The issue or controversy regarding the marriage with Hadrat Zainab (r.a.) was more to do with the erroneous pre-Islamic social notion and law that regarded an adopted son as their real son! The Prophet Mohamed (saws) had freed and subsequently adopted a slave name Zayd (r.a.) gifted to him by his first wife, Hadrat Khadijah (r.a.). Hadrat Zayd (r.a.) lived and grew up in the Prophet’s house and presence, and was even called Zayd son of Mohamed instead of his original name Zayd bin Haritha, until Allah Subhanah revealed in the Quran that every child should be called by the name of their original biological father and that the adopted children do not hold the same rights as one’s own blood children in the sight of Islamic Law.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verses 4-5:

4 Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his (one) body: nor has He made your wives whom ye divorce by Zihar your mothers: nor has He made your adopted sons your sons. Such is (only) your (manner of) speech by your mouths. But Allah tells (you) the Truth and He shows the (right) Way.

5 Call them (your adopted children) by (the names) of their fathers: that is juster in the sight of Allah; but if ye know not their father's (names call them) your Brothers in faith or your Maulas. But there is no blame on you if ye make a mistake therein: (what counts is) the intention of your hearts: and Allah is Oft-Returning Most Merciful.

After the revelation of the above command, the adopted son of the Prophet (saws), Zayd (r.a.) was called and recognized by his original name Zayd bin Haritha. To display the equality and break the barriers between slaves and nobility which have absolutely no bearing or weight in the Message of Universal Brotherhood declared by Islam, Prophet Mohamed (saws) proposed and concluded the marriage of his adopted son Hadrat Zayd (r.a.) to Hadrat Zainab (r.a.), who was considered amongst the nobility of the noble tribe of Quraysh. Unfortunately, the marriage between Hadrat Zayd (r.a.) and Hadrat Zainab (r.a.) did not work and ended in an amicable divorce.

Although it is absolutely impermissible and forbidden to marry the divorced wife of one’s real son in Islam, it is absolutely permissible for one to marry the wife of one’s adopted son. But since the erroneous social notion and custom of the pre-Islamic period of ignorance treated the adopted sons as one’s real son, there was a strict social taboo against one marrying the wives of one’s adopted son!

To break this erroneous and illegal social taboo once and for all, Allah Subhanah Himself commanded the Prophet (saws) to marry Zainab (r.a.), the divorced wife of his adopted son Zayd, so that there remained no doubt in the believer’s mind for ever regarding the permissibility of marrying the divorced wives of one’s adopted sons.

Although Allah Subhanah had made His Plan known to the Prophet (saws) regarding his marriage to Zainab (r.a.), the divorced wife of his adopted son Zayd, it was only natural that the Prophet (saws) was apprehensive of the reaction of the disbelievers and the hypocrites who, in their hatred for the new religion and its Prophet, were ever in wait to find something they could challenge and defame…and the breakage of this erroneous social custom of prohibition of marriage to the divorced wife of one’s adopted son would present the disbelievers the opportunity to vent their hatred against Islam and the Prophet (saws)!

Allah Subhanah does what He Wills, and to break this erroneous and established social prohibition once and for all, Allah Subhanah commanded the Prophet (saws) to marry Hadrat Zainab and thus revealed this verse in the Glorious Quran:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verses 36-40:

36 It is not fitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger to have any option about their decision: if anyone disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.

37 Behold! Thou (O Prophet) didst say to one who had received the grace of Allah (Zayd) and thy favor: "Retain thou (in wedlock) thy wife (Zainab) and fear Allah." But thou didst hide in thy heart that which Allah was about to make manifest: thou didst fear the people but it is more fitting that thou shouldst fear Allah! Then when Zayd had dissolved (his marriage) with her (Zainab) with the necessary (formality), We joined her in marriage to thee: in order that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the Believers in (the matter of) marriage with the wives of their adopted sons when the latter have dissolved with the necessary (formality) (their marriage) with them: and Allah's command must be fulfilled.

38 There can be no difficulty to the Prophet in what Allah has indicated to him as a duty. It was the practice (approved) of Allah amongst those of old that have passed away and the command of Allah is a decree determined.

39 (It is the practice of those) who preach the Messages of Allah and fear Him and fear none but Allah: and enough is Allah to call (men) to account.

40 Muhammad is not the father of any of your men but (he is) the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.

Your Statement: This is to clarify a probable misunderstanding that the Prophet had married into some relations, which a believer in Islam is prohibited from marrying into.

Thus exactly contrary to the statement that ‘the Prophet had married into some relations, which a believer in Islam is prohibited from marrying into’, the marriage of the Prophet (saws) to the divorced wife of his adopted son made it permissible and absolutely legal for the believers to marry into a relation which the man-made laws and customs of the ignorant society had erroneously and illegally prohibited them from marrying into!!! By this command of Allah and act of the Prophet (saws), it became absolutely legal for a believer to marry the divorced wife of his adopted son, if he wishes to do so…and thus this marriage of the Prophet (saws) to Hadrat Zainab (r.a.) broke forever the erroneous man-made social prohibition and custom that was so-strongly held in the pre-Islamic period of ignorance!

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan