Truth about the Prophet's wife His quote seems all the more
poignant in light of the Islamophobic film Innocence of Muslims,
which has sparked riots from Yemen to Libya and which, among
other slanders, depicts Muhammad as a paedophile. This claim is
a recurring one among critics of Islam, so it deserves close
scrutiny. Critics allege that Aisha was just six years old when
she was betrothed to Muhammad, himself in his 50s, and only nine
when the marriage was consummated. They base this on a saying
attributed to Aisha herself, and the debate on this issue is
further complicated by the fact that some Muslims believe this
to be a historically accurate account. Those who accept this
saying argue that, because the Qur'an states that marriage is
void unless entered into by consenting adults, Aisha must have
begun puberty early. They point out that, in seventh-century
Arabia, adulthood was defined as the onset of puberty. (This
much is true, and was also the case in Europe: five centuries
after Muhammad's marriage to