Aisha's Age: The Facts
What if we fact-checked religious criticisms with the same rigor we use for code reviews?
Every claim is audited against historical context, primary sources, and comparative analysis. No double standards. Just facts.
The Criticism
The Prophet married a 9-year-old child.
Islamic Response:
Historical evidence from classical Islamic scholars (Tabari, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Ishaq) suggests Aisha was 17-19, not 9. In pre-Islamic Arabia, ages were counted from PUBERTY, not birth—a ceremony called 'wearing shirts' marked this. Most importantly: NO enemy of the Prophet—not Quraysh, not Jews, not anyone—EVER criticized this marriage. They attacked him for marrying Zainab (adopted son's ex-wife), proving they would criticize if something was wrong. The first criticism appeared in 1905 by Margoliouth. Their 1,300-year silence is the loudest evidence.
The 5-Point Audit
Historical Context
Does the criticism account for the historical setting and era?
Source Verification
Are claims backed by authentic primary sources?
Comparative Analysis
How does it compare to other religious scriptures?
Modern Application
How is the teaching applied in contemporary Muslim societies?
Scholar Consensus
What do Islamic and Western scholars conclude?
Quranic & Hadith Evidence
Primary Sources
FACT: Abu Bakr, Aisha, and the entire community AGREED to this marriage. No objection recorded.
FACT: Aisha was ALREADY BETROTHED to Jubair ibn Mut'im before the Prophet—proving she was of marriageable age.
FACT: Aisha herself narrated 2,210 hadith, was called 'the most learned woman,' and NEVER complained about her marriage.
FACT: The Prophet's enemies (Quraysh) criticized his marriage to Zainab but NEVER mentioned Aisha. If her age were scandalous, they would have used it.
FACT: The first criticism of Aisha's age came in 1905 from David Margoliouth—1,300 years of silence before that.
FACT: Even Edward Gibbon (18th century critic) mentioned the marriage without condemnation.
Al-Tabari: 'All four children of Abu Bakr were born during the pre-Islamic period' (before 610 CE)—making Aisha at least 14+ at marriage.
Ibn Kathir: 'Asma was 10 years older than Aisha and died at 100 in 73 AH'—making Aisha 17-19 at marriage.
Ibn Ishaq: Lists Aisha among early converts in 610 CE—impossible if she was born in 614 CE as the '9-year-old' claim suggests.
Pre-Islamic custom: At Darun-Nadwa, 'wearing shirts' ceremony held for girls at puberty. Ages counted FROM that day (Ibn Hisham, Azraqi, Balazuri).
Hadith: Aisha had the Prophet die in her arms, mourned him deeply, and dedicated her life to his memory—hardly the behavior of an abuse victim.
Hadith: When asked who he loved most, the Prophet said 'Aisha'—and she was jealous of Khadijah, showing a mature emotional relationship.
Biblical / Talmudic Comparison
Applying the same standards to all scriptures
Biblical & Talmudic References
Quraysh Attacks on Prophet
They accused him of being a poet, madman, magician. They mocked his message. They attacked his marriage to Zainab. They NEVER mentioned Aisha's age. Why?
Jews of Medina
They opposed the Prophet politically and religiously. They could have used Aisha's age as ammunition. They never did. Their silence speaks.
Christian Critics (7th-18th Century)
John of Damascus (8th c.), medieval polemicists, Edward Gibbon (18th c.)—all criticized Islam but NONE condemned this marriage.
First Criticism: 1905
David Margoliouth was the FIRST to raise this objection—1,300 years after the marriage. A modern invention, not historical scandal.
Talmud Kiddushin 11b
'Betrothal of a girl three years and one day old through intercourse is valid.' Critics ignore this while attacking Islam.
Mary, Mother of Jesus
Most scholars believe Mary was 12-14 when betrothed to Joseph (aged 30-90 in various traditions). No criticism ever raised.
European Royalty
King John married 12-year-old Isabella (1200 CE). Margaret Beaufort was 12 when she gave birth (1457 CE). Normal for the time.
Delaware USA until 1871
Age of consent was SEVEN years old. Many US states had ages of 10-12. Modern standards are modern.
Historical Timeline
Who Criticized This Marriage?
Quraysh: SILENT
The Prophet's fiercest enemies attacked everything—but never Aisha's age.
Jews of Medina: SILENT
Political opponents who would use any weapon. They never mentioned it.
John of Damascus: SILENT
First major Christian critic of Islam. Never mentioned Aisha's age.
Edward Gibbon: SILENT
Mentioned the marriage in 'Decline and Fall'—no condemnation.
FIRST CRITICISM
David Margoliouth finally raises the objection—1,300 years later.
The Evidence
Puberty Ceremony
Darun-Nadwa: 'Wearing shirts' ceremony. Ages counted FROM puberty, not birth.
Aisha Born (Based on Asma)
Ibn Kathir: Asma was 10 years older, died at 100 in 73 AH → Aisha born ~605 CE.
Aisha in Early Converts List
Ibn Ishaq lists her among first believers—impossible if born after 610 CE.
Marriage Consummated
If born ~605 CE, Aisha was ~17. If puberty ceremony at 9-10, plus '9 years' = 18-19.
Aisha's Legacy
2,210 hadith, greatest female scholar, Prophet died in her arms. Her own testimony: love.
Verify It Yourself
Don't take our word for it
Copy this prompt and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or any AI. Ask them to fact-check our claims.
Please fact-check these claims about Aisha's age: 1. Did the Prophet's enemies (Quraysh) criticize his marriage to Zainab bint Jahsh? Did they EVER criticize his marriage to Aisha? 2. When did the first criticism of Aisha's age appear? (Hint: Look up David Margoliouth, 1905) 3. Does Al-Tabari state that all Abu Bakr's children were born 'before Islam' (pre-610 CE)? 4. Does Ibn Kathir state Asma was 10 years older than Aisha and died at 100 in 73 AH? 5. Does Ibn Ishaq list Aisha among the early converts in 610 CE? 6. Was there a pre-Islamic Arabian custom of counting women's ages from puberty (the 'wearing shirts' ceremony at Darun-Nadwa)? 7. How many hadith did Aisha narrate? Did she ever express unhappiness about her marriage? Explain why 1,300 years of critics—including the Prophet's worst enemies—never raised this objection.
Try with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any AI you trust
💪 We challenge you to prove us wrong. If any claim is inaccurate, contact us.
Quraysh attacked everything. Jews opposed him. Christians criticized for centuries.
For 1,300 years—through Quraysh, Jews, Christians, Crusaders, colonizers—NO ONE criticized Aisha's age. The Prophet's worst enemies, who would use ANY weapon against him, stayed silent. This silence is the most powerful evidence that the marriage was completely normal for its time, and that Aisha was likely much older than modern critics claim.
Yet for 1,300 years, NO ONE mentioned Aisha's age. What does their silence tell you?