A response to the Aisha discussion, brothers and sisters

Assalamu alaykum brothers and sisters. Hear me out - I learned this line of thought from the Arabic dawah community and it’s quite convincing. Start by asking the critic: what exactly is the problem with the Prophet ﷺ marrying Aisha at a young age? If they’re honest they’ll usually say it’s because it’s harmful for an adult to marry a child. I don’t deny that concern - harm is the real issue. Then pose a follow-up: imagine a hypothetical machine that could remove every harmful effect - no physical damage, no psychological trauma, no lasting harm at all. If they’re consistent they’ll admit that in that case it wouldn’t be a problem. If they still insist it’s wrong, ask why. If their answer is simply “because she was young,” remind them you already removed the harm, so there’s no remaining reason for that claim. At that point they’ll often ask, how do you know that Allah removed harm from Aisha’s marriage? That’s where the actual discussion starts. We believe that when Allah chooses someone for a special task, He prepares and strengthens them for it. As the Qur’an says, “We do not burden a soul except [with that which is] within its capacity.” There are authentic narrations showing Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was chosen for the Prophet’s companionship and role, and hence she was uniquely prepared for it. Comparing her to any ordinary girl today is not an accurate comparison, because she was not an ordinary nine‑year‑old in that divine context. If someone then asks whether the Prophet ﷺ is a moral example for all acts, and whether that would make such relations acceptable for others, the answer is no. No one else was given that special divine preparation. The general Islamic principle is to avoid harm: ‘‘Do not harm and do not reciprocate harm.’’ If something causes harm, it is impermissible. Modern medical knowledge shows intercourse with a child is harmful, which is why it is forbidden now. Historically, scholars judged based on the signs and medical understanding available then (e.g., physical maturity or menstruation) out of the same concern to prevent harm. Today medicine gives us clearer guidance that avoiding harm points to a later age - roughly around adulthood - as the safe standard. So someone trying to cast doubt should look at the whole body of evidence and context, not pick one isolated fact and ignore the broader scriptural and historical framework. If the critic suggests the Prophet could have simply permitted this for himself, answer that you can’t treat a single claim in isolation. Just as one wouldn’t reinterpret a core claim of another faith by suspiciously picking at one verse, you must read the full text and context to understand the matter. The explanation and justification come from the wider revelation and authenticated reports, not from cynical conjecture. What do you think, akhi? JazakAllahu khair.