Ouachitasas
13-07-2005, 10:20
http://www.exmuslim.com/com/evidence.htm
This is just the most comprehensive source on the subject I could find, but it appears that this was well documented.
Here is another one: http://www.muhammadanism.org/Hadith/Topics/Marriage.htm
Ouachitasas
13-07-2005, 11:01
First I'd heard of it. Although I have heard of similar practices today an certain enclaves across the islamic world. Apparently some have used this example of Muhammad's to justify such acts. I mean thats not quite holy in my eyes.
Niccolo Medici
13-07-2005, 11:06
Well, I've been reading the Tale of Genji for the first time. For those not in the know, its a work of fiction penned by a court lady in Ancient Japan, set in around 900AD or so.
In it Genji finds his darling love of his life when she's about the same age as the little girl mentioned here (6), and then takes her to his home to live with him when he's 18 or so. He raises her to be as cultured and sophisticated as possible and then sleeps with her when she's 12 or so, consumating the marriage.
Strangely enough, he's sleeping with about 4,000 women all throughout this time period...and he doesn't stop after he sleeps with her. Yet this is not treated as especially scandalous or anything by the author. I don't know WHY she is so blase about this really, since I'm not up on the social norms of that particual time period in Japan.
But my point is this; people were screwing youngsters for a LONG TIME, talking about, doing it, etc, all over the world. Read up on how young some of the American settlers Wives were back in the day...
It is not acceptable now, and a good thing too, 'cause its dangerous for a young lady to become pregnant so early in the stages of their body's development. But in the past it wasn't always so difficult to consider even young girls as potential marriages...especially when they made for a good political alliance.
How much we wish to condemn someone for the cultural norms of the past is up to each one of us. Sometimes its best to accept it and move on, other times its better to regard such things as dangerous precedents to be condemned.
Ouachitasas
13-07-2005, 11:57
You guys should read the Hadiths. Though a bit lengthy, theres all sorts of good stuff in there. Also peruse some of the writings of Ayatollah Khomenhi. Now theres a winner! :D
Also the Hebrew Talmud, an odd 'analogue' of the Muslim Hadiths, has some similar traditions as well :D :D