The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) married me when I was seven years old. The narrator Sulaiman said: or Six years. He had intercourse with me when I was nine years old.
Hadith Text
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) married me when I was seven years old. The narrator Sulaiman said: or Six years. He had intercourse with me when I was nine years old.
Source Reference
Book: Marriage (Kitab Al-Nikah)
Author: Sunan Abi Dawud
Hadith: Sunan Abi Dawud 2121
Scholarly Commentary
This narration from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) establishes the permissibility of marriage with young girls in Islamic law, provided they reach physical maturity. The scholars explain that the marriage contract was concluded during her childhood, but consummation only occurred after she reached puberty at age nine.
Classical jurists from all major schools of thought have cited this hadith as evidence for the validity of minor marriage. They emphasize that the welfare and protection of the child remain paramount considerations, and the husband is prohibited from consummating the marriage until the wife is physically capable.
The variation in age reporting (six or seven) reflects the normal discrepancies in human memory and does not affect the legal principles derived. What matters is that the marriage was contracted during childhood and consummated after maturity.
Historical Context
This practice was common in seventh-century Arabia and many pre-modern societies. The wisdom behind such marriages included strengthening tribal alliances, protecting orphans, and ensuring the preservation of lineage.
Islamic law incorporated existing customs while adding protective measures. The requirement to wait until physical maturity before consummation represents a significant reform from pre-Islamic practices where no such safeguards existed.