The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 241
VI - Rukhsatānah of Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra and an Exposition of Her Age at the Time, the Issue of Polygamy and Two Fabricated Incidents 241 that at another place, 1 ‘Allāmah Zarqānī himself has given precedence to the statement of Shawwāl 2 A. H. In these circumstances, the narration of Shawwāl 1 A. H. , cannot be considered as being worthy of acceptance in comparison to the narration of Shawwāl 2 A. H. The reality appears to be that the Rukhsatānah of Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra took place in Shawwāl 2 A. H. Now, when the date of birth and date of the Rukhsatānah have been determined, it is no difficult task to deduce an age. This remains to be a basic question of mathematics, which can be calculated even by a child. Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra was born in the beginning of 4 Nabawī and the migration of the Holy Prophet sa took place in Rabī‘ul-Awwal 14 Nabawī. 2 In this manner, up until the migration, the age of Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra proves to be a few months over ten years. After the migration, which took place in Rabī‘ul-Awwal 1 A. H. , up until Shawwāl 2 A. H. , when the Rukhsatānah of Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra took place, there is a period which equates to a little under two years. By adding both of these periods together, we acquire the very same result of twelve years, which is exactly what we stated in the beginning. According to Ibni Sa‘d if the Rukhsatānah is accepted as having taken place in the first year of migration, even still this period equals eleven years and not nine or ten years. This is a mathematical calculation in comparison to which no approximate guess can be accepted. The question which now remains is why Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra has related her own age as being nine years in numerous Aḥādīth. The answer to this is that we do not label these narrations as being false. In other words, we accept the opinion of Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra that she was nine years of age on the occasion of her Rukhsatānah. However, invariably, this view was merely an estimate, not definite. This is nothing strange because any individual can understand that at times, a mistake may be committed by people in estimating ages. Therefore, if the mathematical calculation deduced from the date of birth and date of Rukhsatānah do not result in the age of Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra as being nine 1 * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 2, pp. 357-358, Dhikru Tazwīji ‘Aliyyin Bi-Fāṭimah Raḍiyallāhu ‘Anhumā, Dārul-Kutubil- ‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 4, p. 333, Fī Dhikri Aulādihil-Kirām, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 2 * Tārīkhur-Rusuli Wal-Mulūk (Tārīkhuṭ-Ṭabarī), By Abū Ja‘far Muḥammad bin Jarīr Aṭ-Ṭabarī, Volume 3, p. 5, Dhikrul-Waqtilladhī ‘Umila Fīhit-Tārīkh, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002) * Tārīkhul-Khamīs Fī Aḥwāli Anfasi Nafīs, By Ḥusain bin Muḥammad bin Ḥasan, Volume 1, p. 322, Al-Mauṭinul-Awwalu Fī Waqā’i‘is-Sanatil-Ūlā Minal-Hijrah, Mu’assasatu Sha‘bān, Beirut