This is a long, complex piece on research into a Hadith. It covers controversy around the Hadith, the reality of age of marriage in that era, the use of historical-critical analysis as a general valid tool applicable to Islam and Christianity and those that say it's not, possible reasons for the Hadith having been fabricated, the "isnad-cum-matn analysis" technique, "tadlis" (a form of academic deception), the history of when that Hadith appeared, the use of rival lineages for Sunni and Shiites to claim religious authority, the honor attached to the time of entry into Muhammad's household, that the "Hadith" about Aisha is not really a Hadith because it's not attributed to Muhammad and the use of age to indicate symbolic importance (40 years for example).
For those that care, it's well worth reading. I wonder what
@firedragon 's analysis of all of this is.
Oxford Study Sheds Light on Muhammad’s ‘Underage’ Wife Aisha
New scholarship suggests the story of Islam's prophet marrying a minor is baseless propaganda fabricated for political and sectarian motives
Author: Javad T. Hashmi Research Director at Muslim Public Affairs Council and a PhD candidate in the Study of Religion at Harvard University
It's rather convenient that in an age where having an underage wife is considered a bad thing suddenly we can call it propaganda. There are numerous hadith which clearly mention she was underage and at a certain point if you are going to call that into question you may as well call all of hadith into question.
"Liberal, modernist and reformist Muslims have long sought to deny the historical authenticity and religious authority of the Aisha marital hadith, while ultraconservative, fundamentalist and extremist elements forcefully defend it." This doesn't sound like someone has any bias at all either. The pure cool guy Muslims are just so cool not like those terrible fundamentalists!
As far as I can tell from reading this it's just a dude being like " Nu uh!" Which don't get me wrong you can do but at a certain point it seems like you just may as well throw out all Hadith. There isn't much to authenticate hadith in general other than a long chain of he said she said which doesn't really seem like the best basis for religious doctrine if you think it's the absolute truth.
Here is the line from Sahih Bukhari
(40)
Chapter: The marrying of a daughter by her father to a ruler
(39)
باب تَزْوِيجِ الأَبِ ابْنَتَهُ مِنَ الإِمَامِ
Narrated `Aisha:
that the Prophet (ﷺ) married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old. Hisham said: I have been informed that `Aisha remained with the Prophet (ﷺ) for nine years (i.e. till his death).
39)
Chapter: Giving one's young children in marriage
(38)
باب إِنْكَاحِ الرَّجُلِ وَلَدَهُ الصِّغَارَ
Narrated `Aisha:
that the Prophet (ﷺ) married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old, and then she remained with him for nine years (i.e., till his death).
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم تَزَوَّجَهَا وَهْىَ بِنْتُ سِتِّ سِنِينَ، وَأُدْخِلَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَهْىَ بِنْتُ تِسْعٍ، وَمَكَثَتْ عِنْدَهُ تِسْعًا.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5133
In-book reference : Book 67, Hadith 69
So here is the thing with this. Sahih al-Bukhari is considered one of if not the most authentic collections of hadith. If he got something this fundamental wrong doesn't it call into question all of his collection?
Reportedly Bukhari examined close to 740,000 hadith and only came away with 7,400. He concluded that numerous hadiths he had thrown away were just fabrications, often made for political gain. He isn't the only one to do this either.
I suppose my criticism here is if you start throwing out some of the most attested hadiths as propaganda you may as well throw them all out. Don't get me wrong I am all for Quranism over the modern orthodoxy we have I just think it's a little inconsistent to throw away hadiths you don't like yet stick to most of the others.