The established report
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ تَزَوَّجَهَا وَهِيَ بِنْتُ سِتِّ سِنِينَ، وَأُدْخِلَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَهِيَ بِنْتُ تِسْعٍThe Prophet ﷺ married her when she was six years old, and she was brought to him when she was nine.
Historical context
Early marriage was well known in Arabia and in the surrounding civilisations, Roman, Byzantine and Hebrew among them. Quraysh was fiercely hostile to the Prophet ﷺ and accused him of many things, yet none of his enemies is reported to have criticised this marriage, which shows it was not seen as objectionable then. The proposal came through Khawlah bint Hakim and was accepted by Aisha’s father Abu Bakr. Aisha was known for her intelligence and memory, narrated thousands of hadiths and became one of the foremost scholars among the Companions.
What about today?
Islam requires a woman’s consent and her ability to bear the responsibilities of marriage, and leaves the suitable age to custom and public interest, which is why many Muslim-majority countries set a minimum marriage age. The event took place in its own circumstances and is not a licence for anything that harms girls today.
Frequently asked questions
Do Muslims deny this report?
No. It is established in the authentic collections and Muslim scholars do not deny it; they differ only on how to understand it and its context.
Quran text and translations: QuranEnc. Hadith translations: HadeethEnc. Sources are shown on each item. Found a mistake? Tell us.