Is Underage Marriage Allowed in Islam?

[Raymann]

I admit, I haven't done a lot of research on the topic but I have listened to a lot of debates on it.
Now I came across Quran 65:4

"As for your women past the age of menstruation, in case you do not know, their waiting period is three months, and those who have not menstruated as well. As for those who are pregnant, their waiting period ends with delivery.1 And whoever is mindful of Allah, He will make their matters easy for them."

This verse refers to the period of time needed to remarry after a divorce.
It clearly states that women who are married and still have not menstruated have to wait 3 months after divorce to remarry.
We can draw the conclusion that Allah sees this situation as normal and therefore it doesn't look like there is any kind of prohibition about girls under age (pre-pubescent) getting married.
In other words, what we consider "pedophilia" is allowed under Islam.

 

[The Hammer]

"As for your women past the age of menstruation, in case you do not know, their waiting period is three months, and those who have not menstruated as well. As for those who are pregnant, their waiting period ends with delivery.1 And whoever is mindful of Allah, He will make their matters easy for them."

I doubt this is used in modern times.

This was common practice in the middle ages and before, not just in the middle east.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I doubt this is used in modern times.

This was common practice in the middle ages and before, not just in the middle east.

Adults marrying prepubescent children hasn't been common anywhere I know of. In most cultures I'm aware of, you were viewed as an adult when you started puberty, so around 12 or so. So adolescents, yes. But not literal children.

 

[We Never Know]

I admit, I haven't done a lot of research on the topic but I have listened to a lot of debates on it.
Now I came across Quran 65:4

"As for your women past the age of menstruation, in case you do not know, their waiting period is three months, and those who have not menstruated as well. As for those who are pregnant, their waiting period ends with delivery.1 And whoever is mindful of Allah, He will make their matters easy for them."

This verse refers to the period of time needed to remarry after a divorce.
It clearly states that women who are married and still have not menstruated have to wait 3 months after divorce to remarry.
We can draw the conclusion that Allah sees this situation as normal and therefore it doesn't look like there is any kind of prohibition about girls under age (pre-pubescent) getting married.
In other words, what we consider "pedophilia" is allowed under Islam.

I think you are assuming menstral ages don't change/evolve. What was the menstral ages 2000-3000 years ago?

For example "the average age at menarche in 1840 was 16.5 years, now it is 13 years."

The age of menarche - PubMed

 

[Father Heathen]

I doubt this is used in modern times.

This was common practice in the middle ages and before, not just in the middle east.

Raping kids isn't okay regardless of when and where it might've been common.

 

[icehorse]

The OP brings up an example of a wider point, and that is all of the problems associated with putting so much stock in scripture.

 

[Father Heathen]

Adults marrying prepubescent children hasn't been common anywhere I know of. In most cultures I'm aware of, you were viewed as an adult when you started puberty, so around 12 or so. So adolescents, yes. But not literal children.

Pedophilia refers to prepubescent. Older, but not fully adult, is hebophilia. Still creepy though.

 

[The Hammer]

Adults marrying prepubescent children hasn't been common anywhere I know of. In most cultures I'm aware of, you were viewed as an adult when you started puberty, so around 12 or so. So adolescents, yes. But not literal children.

This Quran quote states after menses.

That's not prepubescent. And yeah, it does still go on in parts of the world today (very small part). I'm not justifying it. Just saying it still happens. And I haven't heard of it occuring in the middle east in modern times.

 

[The Hammer]

Raping kids isn't okay regardless of when and where it might've been common.

Afaik, early/child marriages like this were never consumated until many years later. That's what we've discussed in Anthropology. I could be wrong.

 

[The Hammer]

Pedophilia refers to prepubescent. Older, but not fully adult, is hemophilia. Still creepy though.

Hebophilia. I think. Hemophilia is a love.of blood

 

[Father Heathen]

Hebophilia. I think. Hemophilia is a love.of blood

Oops. I goofed, but hemophilia is a condition that prevents clotting.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Pedophilia refers to prepubescent. Older, but not fully adult, is hemophilia. Still creepy though.

They were treated as adults, not kids at that age (or it could've been 13-15, as people were generally older when they started puberty in the past). The concept of "teenagers" as some distinct category didn't really exist until modern times. They had to do the work of adults, too. They also weren't necessarily married off to 50 year olds, either.

 

[fantome profane]

I think you are assuming menstral ages don't change/evolve. What was the menstral ages 2000-3000 years ago?

For example "the average age at menarche in 1840 was 16.5 years, now it is 13 years."

The age of menarche - PubMed

You might think an all knowing God would have known that menstrual age can and will very and would be different in the future. And knowing this might have picked a different way to delineate age of consent.

On the other hand this would be just the kind of think you would expect from men writing 1400 years ago.

 

[exchemist]

Raping kids isn't okay regardless of when and where it might've been common.

No one is suggesting otherwise.

 

[exchemist]

Afaik, early/child marriages like this were never consumated until many years later. That's what we've discussed in Anthropology. I could be wrong.

In Romeo and Juliet, Paris and Juliet's father discuss this. Capulet objects that she is not yet fourteen and then says: "Let two more summers wither in their pride ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.
Paris: Younger than she are happy mothers made.
Capulet: And too soon marred are those so early made.....

So they are arguing about whether 13 or 15 is a suitable age for her to be married - and to get pregnant.

That is late medieval Italy.

But real with real child marriages, i.e. pre-pubescent, I'm sure you are right.

 

[exchemist]

I admit, I haven't done a lot of research on the topic but I have listened to a lot of debates on it.
Now I came across Quran 65:4

"As for your women past the age of menstruation, in case you do not know, their waiting period is three months, and those who have not menstruated as well. As for those who are pregnant, their waiting period ends with delivery.1 And whoever is mindful of Allah, He will make their matters easy for them."

This verse refers to the period of time needed to remarry after a divorce.
It clearly states that women who are married and still have not menstruated have to wait 3 months after divorce to remarry.
We can draw the conclusion that Allah sees this situation as normal and therefore it doesn't look like there is any kind of prohibition about girls under age (pre-pubescent) getting married.
In other words, what we consider "pedophilia" is allowed under Islam.

OK, but you might as well conclude from reading the gospels that modern Christianity and Judaism condone stoning to death! Any scripture has to be read with an understanding of the cultural norms of the time, not read across without adjustment to life over a thousand years later.

 

[Father Heathen]

No one is suggesting otherwise.

Okay, but some people in the past have used social norms as a moral justification, particularly as a defense of religious views/figures.

 

[Father Heathen]

OK, but you might as well conclude from reading the gospels that modern Christianity and Judaism condone stoning to death! Any scripture has to be read with an understanding of the cultural norms of the time, not read across without adjustment to life over a thousand years later.

But these things are presented as representing god's own word and will (inerrant and unchanging), which should supersede cultural norms rather than beholden to them.

 

[exchemist]

But these things are presented as representing god's own word and will (inerrant and unchanging), which should supersede cultural norms rather than beholden to them.

Says who, though? In virtually every religion there is considerable interpretation of these ancient texts.

 

[Father Heathen]

Says who?

Those who claim their holy scriptures and religious figures are inerrant representatives of god?

For example, the bible gives instructions on how to sell one's own daughter into slavery (Exodus 21:7-8). People defend this by saying it was culturally acceptable at the time, but this suggests that social norms dictate morality rather than god.