The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 244
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 244 and reached so close to seven, that general expression permitted the use of seven years to describe her age. Due to a very minute time left in her becoming seven years of age, which was almost insignificant, she would refer to herself as being six years, otherwise, she was practically seven years of age. Therefore, it is by this consideration that some historians have altogether abandoned the mention of six years and have only mentioned seven years. For example, Ibni Hishām 1 has not even mentioned six years, and has only alluded to the seven year estimate. In contrast, I have not come across any authentic book of history, which alludes to the six year estimate alone. Then, where the author of Sīrat-e-Halabiyyah has referred to the wives of the Holy Prophet sa , he has only mentioned the age of Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra as being seven years and has made no mention of six years. 2 Whilst alluding to the Nikāḥ of Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra , both ages have been mentioned, but he has clearly written that the narration of seven years is more correct. 3 In these circumstances, although both types of narrations are correct in terms of Riwāyat , but in terms of Dirāyat , there can be no room for doubt or uncertainty that at the time of her Nikāḥ , the age of Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra was so close to seven, that she was seven years of age as it were. Now that it has been proven that on her Nikāḥ , Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra was seven years of age, the subsequent calculation is not a difficult one. It has already been mentioned that the marriage 4 of Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra took place in Shawwāl 10 Nabawī 5 and this is the date which is accepted by most historians. In other words, in Shawwāl 10 Nabawī , Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah was seven years of age, or very close. After this, the migration took place in Rabī‘ul-Awwal 14 Nabawī. 6 In this manner, the time between the marriage and the migration equates to three years and a few months, and at the time of migration, the age of Ḥaḍrat 1 As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, p. 891, Dhikru Azwājihī sa Ummahātil-Mu’minīn, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001) 2 As-Sīratul-Ḥalabiyyah (Insānul-‘Uyūni Fī Sīratil-Amīni Wal-Ma’mūn), By ‘Allāmah Abul-Farj Nūruddīn ‘Alī bin Ibrāhīm bin Aḥmad Al-Ḥalabiyy, Volume 3, p. 440, Bābu Dhikri Azwājihī Wa Sarārīhi sa , Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2002) 3 As-Sīratul-Ḥalabiyyah (Insānul-‘Uyūni Fī Sīratil-Amīni Wal-Ma’mūn), By ‘Allāmah Abul-Farj Nūruddīn ‘Alī bin Ibrāhīm bin Aḥmad Al-Ḥalabiyy, Volume 1, p. 491, Bābu Dhikri Wafāti ‘Ammihī Abī Ṭālibin Wa Zaujatihī sa Khadījah, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2002) 4 That is, the formal announcement of the marriage, after which the Holy Prophet sa and Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra were contractually bound together in a tie of matrimony. [Publishers] 5 Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 8, p. 271, Dhikru Azwāji Rasūlillāhi sa / ‘Ā’ishata bintu Abī Bak riṣ-Ṣiddīq , Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 6 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)