In the name of Allāh,
the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Peace and Blessings of Allāh on Mohammad.
DEDICATED TO
Allāh–the Glorious and the High,
Lord of the worlds
AND TO
Mohammad–who brought the world
to our feet and eternity to our arms.
*
AGE OF SEXUAL CONSENT
(See also Allāh vs. Historians – Jesus not killed on cross)
Christians and other critics of Islam invariably pounce upon Muslims to ridicule us and denigrate our Prophet Mohammad for his marriage to nine-year old ‘Aisha.
While Christians blare the foghorn on Mohammad’s several wives, when it comes to speaking and writing about their God (“Jesus”) relegating little virgin girls as sex slaves, and about the thousand wives and concubines and sex-ploits1 of the prophets they believe in Christians become dumb and illiterate.
And the non-Christian critics seem too bigoted or too blind (or both) to the fact that whereas Mohammad put an end to marriage/sex with young girls fourteen hundred years ago (as noted in ‘Aisha & Mohammad), modern man was yet sanctioning this abomination and even with little boys.
I note a few examples taken from the website: https://discover-the-truth.com/2013/09/09/age-of-consent-in-european-american-history/
“It needs to be remembered that many Medieval widows were not old, Important heiresses were often married between the ages of 5 and 10 and might find themselves widowed while still in their teens.” [1]
“In Medieval and early modern European societies, the age of marriage remained low, with documented cases of brides as young as seven years, although marriages were typically not consummated until the girl reached puberty (Bullough 2004). Shakespeare’s Juliet was just 13, and there is no hint in the play that this was considered to be exceptional. The situation was similar on the other side of the Atlantic; Bullough reports the case in 1689 of a nine-year-old bride in Virginia. At the start of the nineteenth century in England, it was legal to have sex with a 10 year-old girl.” [2]
“In 1962, the American Law Institute recommended that the legal age of consent to sex- that is, the age below which sex is defined as statutory rape- be dropped in every state to age 10 (Katchadourian and Lund 1972: 439). In fact, until the mid 1960s, the legal age of consent in Delaware was 7 (Kling, 1965: 216). So a 50 year old man could legally have sexual intercourse with a 7 year old boy or girl.” [6]
“Until the late 20th century U.S. age of consent laws specifically names males as perpetrators and females as victims. Following English law, in which the age was set at 12 in 1275 and lowered to 10 in 1576, ages of consent in the American colonies were generally set at 10 or 12. The laws protected female virginity, which at the time was considered a valuable commodity until marriage. The theft of a girl’s chastity was seen as a property crime against her father and future husband. If two people were married and had sex, no matter what their age, no crime was committed because a woman was her husband’s property. In practice, too, the consent laws only protected white females, as many non-white females were enslaved or otherwise discriminated against by the legal system.” [3]
“At what age is a person capable of making and informed decision about whether or not to engage in sex? Would it be7,10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, or 21? Over the last 300 years, all the ages listed above were thought to be that magic age at which one could make such a decision, and all the ages listed above have, at various times, been inscribed into law as the age of consent to sex.” [13]
What then is the age of sexual consent?
Considering that a female may be in her late teens and more full-figured but may yet be mentally challenged; whereas a girl may be pre-teen and flat-figured but is mentally advanced; thus a higher number of years and/or a full figure is no guarantee of a mature intellect.
Allāh tells us in His Qur’an: “And test the orphans until they reach the age of marriage. Then if you find in them maturity of intellect, make over to them their property”–(Qur’an 4:6). Thus, the verse indicates that the age of marriage is relative to maturity of intellect. And age of intellect may vary.
However, though a girl may have maturity of intellect this does not mean she is to be given in marriage against her will. There is NO forced marriage in Islam; a woman has the right to choose her husband. Says the noble Messenger of Allāh:
- -“A matron should not be given in marriage except after consulting her; and a virgin should not be given in marriage except after her permission”–(Bokhari Vol. 7, #67, 68; Vol. 9, # 98, 100);
- -a virgin’s consent, because of bashfulness, is expressed by her silence–(Bokhari Vol. 7, #68; Vol. 9, #98, 100-101);
- -and “If a man gives his daughter in marriage in spite of her disagreement, such marriage is invalid” –it notes the dissolution of such a marriage by the Prophet on behalf of a “matron” who disliked the marriage her father had arranged–(Bokhari Vol. 7, #69; Vol. 9, #78).
A woman may also propose to a man–(Bokhari Vol. 7 #’s48, 53, 54). There is a report of a woman proposing marriage to the Prophet–(Bokhari Vol. 3, #505). (For more on marriage see Islam-women).
Even the Bible supports Mohammad marrying ‘Aisha. Christians and other critics can make whatever charge they like against Mohammad, facts belie them.
In contrast, the claim that Christianity liberates women is mere lip-talk and clap-trap. Christianity is rabidly and brutally misogynistic. See Christianity-women.
The Prophet Mohammad was born into a custom that engaged in child marriages. As he could not change a practice of society until he received Divine revelation, the Prophet, in recommending “thighing” –simulated intercourse– with child brides, was anticipating an end to intimacy with young girls; and by marrying ‘Aisha and delaying consummation of his marriage to her, he was hoping to change society of pre-teen marriages by his action. This practice did end, as Muhammad Ali notes:
“there is no case on record showing that the marriage of a minor through his or her guardian was allowed by the Prophet after details of the law were revealed to him at Madinah. His own marriage with ‘Aishah which took place when she was nine years of age, is sometimes looked upon as sanctioning the marriage of a minor through his guardian, but there are two points worth consideration in this matter. In the first place, ‘Aishah’s nikah at nine was tantamount only to an engagement, because the consummation of marriage was postponed for full five years, to allow her, no doubt, to attain majority. In the second place, ‘Aishah’s nikah was performed in Makkah long before the details of the Islamic law were revealed to the Prophet, and therefore her marriage at nine can be no argument for the marriage of a minor.”(The Religion of Islam, p. 601).
Muslims who marry minors have no recourse to Islam for such a marriage. The Prophet’s marriage to ‘Aisha is no precedent for Muslims. The Prophet not only postponed consummation of his marriage to ‘Aisha for five years, he also married women of advanced age, and had their free consent. He was not pandering to prurient desire(s).
(See also Allāh vs. Historians – Jesus not killed on cross)
*
NOTES
Christianity not only allows polygamy but also concubinage and incest:
-
- -Abraham had a wife and concubine (as Christians say Lady Hagar was a bondswoman)-Gen. 20:11-12; Lev. 20:17; Gen. 16:1-4;
-
- -Lot built two nations with his two daughters–(Genesis 19:30-38); (incest).
-
- -Jacob joyed with Bilhah and Zilpah, handmaids of his wives Rachel and Leah, and built tribes from their children–(Gen. 30:1-13);
-
- -Judah, Jesus’ grandfather, played hide-and-seek with his daughter-in-law, Tamar, and made her fruit–(Gen. 38:11-18);
-
- -Lamech had two wives (Gen. 4:19);
-
- -God gave to David the wives of David’s master and gave David’s wives to David’s neighbor–(2 Samuel 12:7-11).
- -Solomon and his son, Rehoboam, had almost 1100 wives and “concubines” between the two of them–(1 Kings 11:3; 2 Chronicles 11:21).