Malik claims that Islam is cruel to women, especially young girls, accusing it of degrading them by marrying them off at a tender age.
Islam encourages early marriage for both boys and girls—but this does not mean marrying those who are underage or not ready for nikah.
The Qur’an speaks about the age of marriage as follows:
> “And test the orphans [in their abilities] until they reach the age of marriage. Then if you perceive in them sound judgment, release their property to them...”
— Qur’an 4:6
There is a clear age for marriage in Islam, which is puberty, and puberty naturally varies between boys and girls. It is well-known that girls typically reach puberty earlier than boys.
Islam prioritizes morality and condemns sexual immorality, which is why early marriage is permitted once a person is physically and mentally mature.
Marriage in Islam is a contract between two consenting individuals. Forced marriage has no place in Islam.
There is a famous incident where a girl who had reached puberty came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and complained that her father had forced her to marry his nephew without her consent. The Prophet (peace be upon him) annulled the marriage contract.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) emphasized that a girl’s consent must be sought; if she is silent (in the case of a virgin), it is taken as consent.
What Islam allows is betrothal—a father may suggest or promise marriage for his underage daughter, but this is not the same as a consummated marriage.
Betrothal is not unique to Islam. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was betrothed to Joseph the Carpenter at a young age. Joseph was around 90, Mary between 10 and 12.
The Old Testament also mentions the betrothal of Isaac (at 40) and Rebecca (at 3).
Similarly, the Prophet Muhammad’s marriage to Aisha involved betrothal at six and consummation after she reached puberty at nine.
Some argue about the age gap, but note that Isaac was much older than Rebecca, and Joseph was older than Mary. Historical sources vary on their exact ages, but such age differences were common.
Historically, child marriage was also common in English culture, especially among royalty and nobility, for political or economic reasons. Girls as young as 5 or 6 were married, although consummation was usually delayed. The Church permitted marriage at 12 for girls and 14 for boys.
In old English and American societies, the age of consent was often as low as 10 to 12 years. Today, those societies permit sexual relations with consenting individuals, regardless of other considerations.
For more on this, see this article:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/mar/03/professionals-blamed-oxfordshire-girls-for-their-sexual-abuse-report-finds
There are many reports of abuse in those societies, but you will find none comparable in Muslim societies. Prove me wrong if you can.
Your warped idea of child marriage in Islam is just a figment of your delusional imagination—a typical narrative from an apostate influenced by feminist propaganda to malign Islam.
You even called Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) a pedophile! I challenge you to present any Arabian or historical source that ever accused him of this. He was called many things, but never that.
Do you really call a man who had no sexual relations with any woman until he married Khadijah—an older widow who stayed married to him for 25 years—a pedophile?
He married Sawdah, another widow, after Khadijah. His marriage contract (aqd) with Aisha came earlier, but consummation happened later in Madinah.
All his other wives were widows or divorced women.
Do you still call that pedophilia? You are truly out of your mind.
Let me tell you who a pedophile is:
A pedophile is an adult who experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children, usually under 13 years old. It is a psychiatric disorder when acted upon or causing distress.
For example, major scandals have revealed Catholic clergy accused of child sexual abuse worldwide—Boston Archdiocese (2002), Father Marcial Maciel, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, and many systemic cover-ups in Ireland and Pennsylvania.
These are documented cases of real pedophilia.
I see some Christians are cheering your accusations. Have you now embraced the Christian God as they do?
Hypocritical apostate!
What part are we? Party Five!
