AISHA’S DOLLSFew enemies of Islam have produced some new Allegations which claim that Aisha(May Allah be pleased with her) did not hit puberty at 9.
REASONS GIVEN BY THEM: Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) brought her dolls along when she moved into the Prophet’s house. Islamic Law (Shari’ah) forbids post-pubertal girls from playing with dolls. Only pre-pubertal girls are allowed to play with dolls. THEY say this as a proof, as if Aisha ( May Allah be pleased with her) bringing her dolls proves that she was an immature girl.
RESPONSE Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) was a mature woman. The fact that she brought along her dolls doesn’t at all disprove that she was immature. The point is that Aisha ( May Allah be pleased with her) bringing her dolls along—or even playing with them—does not prove anything at all, especially when we factor in that she lived over a thousand years ago. And also there is absolutely no instruction in the Islamic Shariah(Islamic Law) that says dolls are permissible to prepubertal girls and forbidden to post-pubertal girls.
Even today, many mature girls have dollsMany mature girls have dolls; we just call them “stuffed animals” nowadays. It is well known that sexually active young women in America love to receive stuffed animals— such as teddy bears, Winnie the Pooh etc from their near and dear ones.
Denise Van Patten writes,“….and it was with great reluctance that I packed up my Barbie dolls in their doll trunk for the last time at 14. Back in Barbie's early heyday, in the 1960s and 1970s, my story wasn't unusual--girls often played with Barbie until their early teens.”
http://collectdolls.about.com/cs/barbiemodern/a/barbieoutgrow.htm
So we see that in the 1970s, girls as old as 14 were playing with Barbie dolls. And a hundred years ago, the average age at which girls stopped playing with dolls was substantially older. And a thousand years ago, girls—and even young women—had few other ways to spend their free time, and thus, playing with dolls was routine. They had no other source of entertainment—no MTV or Channel V, no shopping malls, no internet (general scenario of the world). Today, girls outgrow dolls very fast, because of all the other more catchy gizmos people have to entertain themselves with.
Anything from Teddy Bears to Plushies will help make it clear that even if this character is a woman, she's young at heart. For instance dailymail UK reports on 23 January 2104, Mother-of-one so in love with her plastic DOLL she takes him shopping, cycling, kayaking - and even brings him to bed.
It is reported in dailymail, UK on 22 February 2012 that 35 per cent of British adults 'still take a teddy to bed with them'
It’s not just kids who need a bed time cuddle from their favourite teddy to send them to the land of nod. Over a third of British adults also rely on a bear hug, to send them to slumber; new research has revealed.
The survey conducted with 6,000 Britons by Travelodge revealed 35% of adults admitted they sleep with their teddy because they found cuddling their bear comforting. Also the calming feeling of a bear hug also helps them to de-stress after a hard day - which aids sleep.
University of Bristol psychologist Bruce Hood told LiveScience that people's sentimental attachments to objects, and he said the studies never lack for participants. "We've had no problem finding adults, especially females, who have their child sentimental objects with them," Hood said.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2849777/posts,
http://www.livescience.com/8737-grown-ups-security-blankets.html
The dolls with which Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) used to play were nothing like what we know as dolls nowadaysHowever, it should be known that there is absolutely no directive in the Quran or the ahadith that says dolls are permissible to prepubertal girls and forbidden to post-pubertal girls. No statement like such can be attributed to either Allah or His Messenger. So what did Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) say? Actually, we have a hadeeth (Prophetic saying) in which he categorically forbade people from making graven images of living things. In this narration, Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him) says that the angels do not enter houses in which there are such sculptures. [As an interesting aside, the Bible also carries such a prohibition: “You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” (deuteronomy 5:8)]
The consequences of this command from Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is that Muslims are forbidden to make or keep sculptors of living things. It was feared that people would start worshipping them as idols, and hence the prohibition. For details, referTHE ORIGINS OF SHIRK- http://www.askislampedia.com/wiki/-/wiki/English_wiki/The+origins+of+Shirk#.Uv86kfseWt8
Additionally, the only Creator is Allah (The God), and it does not befit the creation to create any living thing, or even an image of a living thing. This is to “compete” with God’s Power, and God will challenge such a person to bring the living thing to life. In any case, this hadeeth (Prophetic saying) clearly prohibits the creation of three dimensional figures that resemble human beings or animals.
Now one would say, Islamic Law (Islamic Shari’ah) forbids post-pubertal girls from playing with dolls. Only pre-pubertal girls are allowed to play with dolls. Then why did Aisha ( May Allah be pleased with her) used to play with doll if they reached puberty at 9?
The simple and clear answer is :- Aisha’s dolls were not forbidden because their faces did not resemble human or animal creation.
It is known that the dolls back then were just made of wool, so they were more like sock puppets than intricately designed Barbie dolls. This is confirmed by the following hadeeth:
We used to make toys of wool for the boys, and if anyone of them cried, he was given those toys until it was time of the breaking of the fast. Sahih Al Bukhari 1960 (Volume 3:181)
The above Hadeeth proves that dolls of previous days were nothing like what we know as dolls nowadays, since they are nothing but stick wrapped with wool that take no shape and if someone looked at it he won't be able to recognize what they symbolize. Knowing that, we can explain why the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not recognize the toy of Aisha (he didn't know that it was a horse), therefore inquired about it to the extent that he could not tell the wings as it was just extra piece of wool or sheet added to the toy.
Scholars have said that children below the age of puberty may play with dolls that are forbidden for adults. However, that doesn't mean that adults are forbidden to play with dolls that are not haram.
The dolls that are forbidden to play with (for adults) are those that have a face.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: With regard to those in which the shape is incomplete, in which there is only a part of the limbs or head, but the shape is not clear, there is no doubt that these are permissible, and these are like the dolls with which ‘Aa’ishah used to play. Sahih al Bukhaari, 6130; Sahih Muslim, 2440
But if the shape is complete, and it is as if you are looking at a person – especially if it can move or speak – then I am not entirely at ease with the idea of them being permissible, because this is a complete imitation of the creation of Allaah. It seems that the dolls with which ‘Aa’ishah used to play were not like this, so it is preferable to avoid them. But I cannot say that they are definitely haraam, because there are concessions granted to young children that are not granted to adults in such matters. It is natural for young children to play and have fun, they are not obliged to do any of the acts of worship so we cannot say that that they are wasting their time in idle play. But if a person wants to be on the safe side in such matters, he should cut off the head or hold it near the fire until it softens, then he should press it until the features disappear. (Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), 2/277-278, http://islamqa.info/en/23445
As Shaykh Uthaymeen argues it was possible that Aisha's dolls were shaped in a way that it wasn't haram for an adult to "play with" or entertain one's self with. Maybe the doll had no eyes or facial components, thus making it halal.
Ibn Abbass said: "What constitutes the picture is the face so if it were to be removed then it is not a picture anymore" Sheikh Albani declared this narration to be authentic in Silsilah Al-Saheeha, Hadith no. 1921
Shaykh Salih al-Munajjid was asked about Aisha’s dolls to which he said: “Those toys which are made of wool are not considered to be [graven] images, because they do not have a head apart from a piece of wool, and it does not have the features of the faces such as eyes, nose, mouth, or ears. If an image does not have a head or any [distinct] facial features, it is exempt from the ruling prohibiting images.”
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Adam said: “If the dolls do not have a head, meaning they do not have eyes, ears, nose, and mouth which make them incomplete, then it will be permissible to make them…It has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with them) and others, that a picture without a head is not a picture, thus permissible…The dolls which Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) played with was not of the type we have today. Her dolls were made out of rags without any prominent features.”
Thus, if Aisha's dolls had no face or if it wasn't structured in a way that it was haram then we don't have to argue that it was permissible for her to have them or play with them because she didn't hit puberty.
Many commentators of Hadith have explained that the doll of Aisha (Radhi Allahu Anha) was not of the type that its features and organs of the body could be clearly seen; rather it was made from cloth and cotton as how it is generally made in the villages.
One may argue that this still doesn't mean that all nine year old girls are physically or psychologically capable of engaging in sexual intercourse and could be physically or psychologically harmed if they did so.
It is a requirement of Islamic Law (Shari’ah) that a girl reach physical maturity before marriage is consummated;
What then is the level of sexual maturity that must be reached ?The answer is simple: The girl must be sexually mature enough that sexual activity will not be harmful to her in any way whatsoever. Moreover, we must remember the "don't harm yourself or cause harm to others" principle in Islam. Something might generally be deemed to be permissible or even recommended, yet could be forbidden at times.
For instance, fasting could be prohibited for a person with diabetes: If fasting is difficult for him and will cause him harm, such as a man who has kidney disease or diabetes and similar cases where fasting will cause harm. In this case fasting is haram for such person.
We must remember to apply this principle to all situations. Therefore, if it happens to be that a woman will undergo physical or psychological harm if she were to engage in sexual intercourse at an early age, then doing so will be haram for her.
We have no reason to believe that Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) has undergone such problems.
Furthermore, we know this for certain because that is the very reason that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delayed consummating the marriage with her for three or four years. If he had not cared about her safety, then nothing prevented him from consummating the marriage in those three years. Instead, the Prophet (peace be upon him) waited until she was ready for it.
This means that when Aisha ( May Allah be pleased with her) consummated the marriage with the Prophet ( May Allah be pleased with her), she had reached a stage at which it was not harmful for her.
When was the first Doll made which had eyes, mouth, face etc “……….Early in the 20th century, some manufacturers began to produce "character" dolls. These are dolls that had a fixed expression, often with exaggerated features. The most prolific of the companies that produced……..” http://www.nadda.org/edpages2.html
Dollreference.com says, “……..Ideal Toy Company originally produced teddy bears, they were first in their industry to make hard plastic dolls after World War II………. , in 1950’s” http://www.dollreference.com/ideal_toy_dolls1950s.html
Also, “……..The Ideal company was one of the first companies to produce dolls made of plastic material beginning in 1946, soon followed by the rest of the industry………” (http://www.dollreference.com/hard_plastic_dolls1950s.html)
Now let us read Sahih Bukhari Volume 3, Book 31, Number 181: We used to make toys of wool for the boys, and if anyone of them cried, he was given those toys until it was time of the breaking of the fast.
The above Hadeeth proves that dolls of children were nothing like what we know as dolls nowadays, since they are nothing but stick wrapped with wool that take no shape and if someone looked at it he won't be able to recognize what they symbolize. Knowing that, we can explain why the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not recognize the toy of Aisha (he didn't know that it was a horse), therefore inquired about it to the extent that he could not tell the wings as it was just extra piece of wool or sheet added to the toy.
Scholars have said that children below the age of puberty may play with dolls that are forbidden for adults. However, that doesn't mean that adults are forbidden to play with dolls that are not haram.
Few enemies of Islam quote Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari to validate their viewThe reason why Aisha was even allowed to play with dolls is because she hadn't reached puberty! (Fath-al-Bari, Volume 13, page 143)
Actually, it was not Ibn Hajar that said that. It was Al Khattabi and Ibn Hajar was simply quoting him.
Let us quote Ibn Hajar'sview in context:
[al-Haafiz says:] I say: To say with certainty, is questionable, though it might possibly be so. This, because Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was a fourteen year old girl at the time of the Battle of Khaibar - either exactly fourteen years old, or having just passed her fourteenth year, or approaching it (the fourteenth year).
This would mean that Aisha (peace be upon her) was at least fourteen years old at the Battle of Khaybar. The average age of pubarche (onset of pubic hair) is eleven years old.
We read: Delayed Puberty (http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Delayed:puberty.html)
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Adam said: “Some commentators of Hadith explain that Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) used to play with dolls before the prohibition of Tasweer (picture-making), and the Hadith was abrogated by the Narrations which prohibit picture-making.”
And there are many examples of this: For example, there is a hadeeth (narration) in which one of the Prophet’s disciples is drinking alcohol. This hadeeth is easily reconciled with another hadeeth—in which alcohol is forbidden—by saying that the first hadeeth occurred before the second one. In other words, the Prophet’s disciple drank alcohol before it was forbidden.
Another example is that of temporary marriage(Mutah) which many of the Prophet’s disciples engaged in until it was forbidden by Allah and His Messenger.
Notice that Ibn Hajar said that the idea that Aisha did not hit puberty is only a possibility, not a certainty. Why did Ibn Hajar say this?
This was one of the views stated by Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari.
Now what the Islamaphobes do is pretend that this is the one and only view amongst Islamic scholars. It is important to recognize that Islamic scholars differ on many things, and it would be incorrect to present a monolithic view on the matter. In fact, Ibn Hajar himself mentioned numerous views of this issue in Fath-al-Bari. Actually the problem is that Islamaphobes are unfamiliar with Ibn Hajar’s writing style or with his book. Whenever he used to discuss a controversial issue, Ibn Hajar would list all the various views on the matter; many of the views would in fact be contradictory. His intention was not to be dogmatic, but rather to share with the reader the various views. Therefore, it would be incorrect to claim that just because one view is in Ibn Hajar’s book that this is his view.
In fact, in the very same book, Ibn Hajar wrote, “If the doll of Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) had clear features, then this was before the prohibition of picture-making.” (Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari)
There is a third view—which is also mentioned by the same Ibn Hajar as well as by many other scholars. The two narrations—one forbidding statues resembling living creatures and the other mentioning Aisha playing with dolls—can be reconciled by mentioning a third narration in which the Arch-Angel Gabriel refuses to enter the Prophet’s house because there is a statue by its door. So Gabriel tells Prophet Muhammad(S): “Order that the head of the sculpture be broken off so that it resembles the trunk of a tree.” Abu Dawood 4158,at-Tirmidhi 2806
After the head of the sculpture is disfigured so that it does not have clear facial features, Arch-Angel Gabriel enters the Prophet’s house. Applying this hadeeth (narration), it is possible to reconcile the conflict between the prohibition of sculptures and Aisha’s dolls. The prohibition on sculptures did not apply to those whose heads were disfigured.
Therefore, it is likely that Aisha’s dolls did not have clear facial features, and as such the creator of these dolls is not “competing” with God by copying His creation. It is known that the dolls back then were just made of wool, so they were more like sock puppets than intricately designed Barbie dolls.
This is confirmed by the following hadeeth: We used to make toys of wool for the boys, and if anyone of them cried, he was given those toys until it was time of the breaking of the fast. Sahih al Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 181
Many commentators of Hadith have explained that the doll of Aisha (Radhi Allahu Anha) was not of the type that its features and organs of the body could be clearly seen(as shown above); rather it was made from cloth and cotton as how it is generally made in the villages.
Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Ahmad ad-Durayhim, a well-renowned Islamic scholar, was asked about marriage to such a young girl. In response, he said:
Shaykh Abdul Wahhab at-Turayri wrote: The lawfulness of consummating a marriage at such an age is contingent on the maturity of the girl and that no harm would come to her.
Puberty in GirlsAn Australian government Public Health organization, says: "The first sign of puberty is usually a surge of growth: you become taller; your breasts develop; hair begins to grow in the pubic area and under the arms. This may start from 10 years to 14 years - even earlier for some and later for others." (http://www.population.health.wa.gov.au/Communicable/Resources/2107%20PubertyinGirls.pdf)
According to Medline Plus Medical Encyclopaedia "Precocious puberty is premature development of body characteristics that normally occur during puberty. (Puberty is the period in life when the body changes rapidly and develops reproductive capability). Puberty normally occurs between 13 and 15 years old in boys, and between 9 and 16 years old in girls.
(http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001168.htm)
In girls, precocious puberty is when any of the following develop before 8 years of age: Breasts, Armpit or pubic hair, Mature external genitalia, First menstruation"
When Aisha رضي الله عنها had reached puberty the marriage was consummated, as Karen Armstrong writes in her book Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet, Harper San Francisco, 1992, page 157: "Tabari says that she was so young that she stayed in her parents' home and the marriage was consummated there later when she had reached puberty."
So note, a period for a girl occurs from the age of 8 to 14, though this is not always the case as a girl can also start her period by 14 or maybe 15. However so for Aisha رضي الله عنهاit is most likely her puberty started at 8, and continued till she was 9, and once she was going through puberty and her menses, this made her a lady and not a girl anymore since she was fit for a baby therefore she is no child anymore.
Proof: Moreover, through certain narrations we come to know of the fact she was going through her puberty. Modern science testifies that puberty causes hair loss and this is exactly what we read in a Hadith: Narrated byAisha رضي الله عنها: “The Prophet engaged me when I was a girl of six (years). We went to Medina and stayed at the home of Bani-al-Harith bin Khazraj then I got ill and my hair fell down…” (Sahih Al Bukhari Hadith no. 3605)
To conclude the matter, Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) was most likely post-menarchal. But even if she was not, that is not a big deal because her body had undergone the pubertal changes that cause physical maturity.
Details on the meaning of MenarcheSome laypersons should stop claiming that menarche (onset of periods) is the minimum age for the consummation of marriage; Islamic scholars do not agree to this, and such a So if we demanded stubbornly that a girl must pass through menarche before consummation can take place, then this would create the unusual situation where we were allowing some post-menarchal seven year olds to be married, whereas forbidding some pre-menarchal twenty year olds from this! Therefore, the Islamic Law (Shari’ah) does not want this absurdity to occur, and that is the reason that menarche is not used as an indicator of a girl’s readiness for sex.
In reality, puberty has two usages. The first usage is with regards to physical development, whereas the second usage is with regards to menses. For (sexual) intercourse, developmental puberty is a precondition. Whereas for other rulings—such as being ordered to pray—the menses usage applies.
This is the only reason why Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delayed consummating the marriage with her for three or four years.
Did the Prophet’s companion View Aisha as Immature?Few websites claim that one of the Prophet’s disciples, Abu Hurairah(R), thought of Aisha ( May Allah be pleased with her) as immature.
To back this claim, the site mentions the following narrations: Abu Hurairah(R) said: “I cannot accuse her of any defect except that she is still a young girl who sleeps (on the job), neglecting her family’s dough which the domestic goats come to eat.” Sahih al-Bukhari 2637 (Volume 3, Book 48, Number 805)
Abu Hurairah(R) said, “No, by God Who has sent you with the Truth, I have never seen in her anything faulty except that she is a girl of immature age, who sometimes sleeps and leaves the dough for the goats to eat.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 48, Number 829)
Abu Hurairah(R) said: “By Him Who sent you with the truth, I have seen nothing objectionable in her duty only this much that she is a young girl and she goes to sleep while kneading the flour and the lamb eats that.” (Sahih Muslim, Book 37, Number 6673)
In fact, this is an incorrect translation; nowhere does the text say that Aisha (peace be upon her) was immature. The word ‘immature’ does not exist anywhere! It only states that she is a young girl, which we already know. If someone translate it as ‘IMMATURE’ then that translation is not appropriate.
The wordings used in ahadith are “أَنَّهَا جَارِيَةٌ حَدِيثَةُ السِّنِّ” or “حَدِيثَةُ السِّنِّ”which means “she is a young girl or a girl of less age” But if someone is young or of less age, that does not necessarily imply that he or she is immature.
Secondly, the Companion [Abu Hurairah, May Allah be pleased with her] was not criticizing Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) for her age. Rather, she was saying that her fault was that she “goes to sleep while kneading the flour.
Imam Nawawi states in his commentary: “and the meaning of this statement is that there are no faults about her (Aisha) to begin with. There is nothing wrong about her except that she sleeps while kneading the flour. “ (Imam Nawawi, Sharh Saheeh Muslim, Kitab: Al Tawbah, Bab: Fee Hadeeth Al Ifk Wa Qubool Tawbat Al Qaazhif, Commentary on Hadith no. 4974)
The companion might have attributed her carelessness due to the fact that she was young and did not take seriously her responsibility over her tasks. However, this does not imply she was immature or psychologically incapable of being married.
Therefore, the Prophet’s disciple was not talking about Aisha’s physical body! He was merely saying that she was acting irresponsibly. For example, we often hear how eighteen year olds are “immature kids”, even though by law they are considered adults. Her “immaturity” was not that she was physically or psychologically incapable of sexual intercourse, but rather that she was irresponsible in regards to her chores.
We admit that Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) was young, but she was sexually mature and capable of having sexual intercourse without harming her.
The marriage may seem odd by today’s standards, but it was nothing unusual 1,000 years ago, it was a common Arab practice.
Common Arab PracticeIt was also a normal tradition of the Arabs at that time Imam Al-Shafi'e said: "During my stay in Yemen I have come across girls at the age of nine whom menstruated so often" Siyar A'lam Al-Nubala', Volume 10, p. 91
Imam al-bayhaqi also narrated the words of imam shafi’Ias: “I have seen in the city of Sana’a (In Yemen) a grandmother while she was twenty one. She menstruated at the age of nine and gave birth at the age of 10. Sunan Al-Bayhaqi Al-Kubra, 1/319
Ibn Al-Jawzi narrated similar stories from Ibn U'qail and U'bad Al-Mahlby: Abbad ibn Abbad Al-Muhlabi said: “I have witnessed a woman from Muhlabah who become a grandmother at the age of eighteen. She gave birth (to her daughter) at the age of nine and her daughter gave birth to her child at the age of nine (as well), so the woman became a grandmother at the age of eighteen.”Tahqeeq Fi Ahadith Al-Khilaf, Volume 2, p. 267
See also: PROPHET’S MARRIAGE TO AISHA
References[1] http://www.ebnmaryam.com/vb/t196253-3.html [3] http://www.call-to-monotheism.com/rebuttal_to_sam_shamoun_s_article The_Islamaphobes_Glass_House pdf by Ibn al-Hashimi
1951 Bonnie Braids doll, 14" (first dolls from Ideal Toy Company)
1951 Snookie doll, 10" (first dolls from Ideal Toy Company)
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John Clendenien of Nadda.org says,
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