Aisha's age has never been one of controversy among Muslims up until recently. In fact, Aisha herself has been quoted in several hadiths that are considered credible historical sources where she admitted her age at the time of her marriage and consummation of marriage.
"The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) married me when I was six years old. We came to Madinah and stayed among Banu’l-Haarith ibn Khazraj. I fell sick and lost my hair, (then I reovered) and my hair grew down to my earlobes. My mother Umm Roomaan came to me when I was on a swing and some of my friends were with me. She called me loudly and I went to her, and I did not know what she wanted of me. She took me by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house, as I was gasping for breath, until I had calmed down. Then she took some water and wiped my face and head with it, then she took me into the house. There were some women of the Ansaar in the house, who said: With good wishes and blessings and good luck. She handed me over to them and they adorned me, and suddenly I saw the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) at mid-morning, and they handed me over to him. At that time I was nine years old." (source)
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I used to play with the dolls in the presence of the Prophet, and my girl friends also used to play with me. When Allah's Apostle used to enter (my dwelling place) they used to hide themselves, but the Prophet would call them to join and play with me. (The playing with the dolls and similar images is forbidden, but it was allowed for 'Aisha at that time, as she was a little girl, not yet reached the age of puberty.) (source)
The accounts of Mohammed marrying a 6-year-old are no less reliable than those on which the
five pillars of Islam are based. The evidence is overwhelming, and it doesn't take one to be a genius to figure out that the hadiths are only being questioned now by some westernized Muslims because the social norms have shifted. In other words, child marriage is now considered "bad", therefore the hadiths are invalid.
Are the claims that Aisha was actually in her teens when she married accurate and are they strong enough to make us discard ʿĀʾisha’s ḥadīth? Why did this become an issue in modern times when it was not an issue at the time the marriage took place?
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