Reno Omokri opens up on Prophet Muhammad marriage with nine-year-old Aisha

Reno Omokri, a prominent Nigerian author and public commentator, has addressed a widely held misconception about Prophet Muhammad’s marriage to Aisha, describing it as a result of ignorance of historical facts.

“Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alayhi Wasalaam, did not sleep with a nine-year-old Aisha. Nowhere does al-Quran say that,” Omokri stated in response to a netizen’s comment.

He explained that during Prophet Muhammad’s era, it was customary to betroth young girls, with the marriage consummated only when they reached maturity, typically after their first menstruation.

Omokri emphasized that such practices are still prevalent in regions like the Middle East, North Africa, and Northern Nigeria. Citing data, he added, “More than 50% of women in Northern Nigeria marry before the age of 18.”

Omokri called for deeper reading and understanding of historical contexts, particularly within Black African societies, to dispel such myths.

He said: Dear Adeshina,

Thank you for your feedback. Your comment is based on ignorance of historical facts, and this is common in Black Africa because we largely do not read as a people.

Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu Alayhi Wasalaam, did not sleep with a nine-year-old Aisha. Nowhere does al-Quran say that.

In those days, it was customary to betroth girls to men when they were young, and the marriage would be consummated when they came of age, which usually would be after their first menstruation.

This is still happening in the Middle East and North Africa today, as well as in Northern Nigeria. For example, and you may want to fact-check this, more than 50% of women in Northern Nigeria marry before the age of 18.

For instance, how old do you think Mariam (Mary) was when she was betrothed to Joseph? She was believed to be between the ages of 10 and 12. How do we know this? Jewish Hebrew girls of that era typically got married after their Bat Mitzvah, which is a ceremony declaring that they were now women.

Bat Mitzvahs were celebrated when Jewish girls hit the age of 13. It was believed that Maryam was 14 when she gave birth to Yeshua.

King David married Abishag, who was believed to be between 12-15, when he was in his late sixties-1 Kings 1:3.

And God Himself designed it that way, which is why a girl starts to menstruate at the age of 12-13. Menstruation is a natural monthly cycle confirming that a girl is now physically capable of having children. Are you now going to question God?

The challenge you and the poster have is that you are using modern trends to judge things that occurred over a thousand years ago.

This world is evolving, and customs and cultures change with it. However, we must be careful when using today’s value systems to judge events from different eras.

Thanks again, and may God bless you.