Musleh Khan is a Canadian Saudi born imam affiliated with the Islamic Institute of Toronto (IIT) who serves also as a chaplain for the Toronto Police.
He served as an instructor in AlKauthar Institute in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
On his Facebook page Musleh Khan states he’s committed to spreading a message of wisdom and understanding through Quranic analysis which empowers Muslims to integrate within the broader community.”
Here are Musleh Khan’s statements in a Q&A session held in 2015 at Ummah Nabawiah Mosque in Etobicoke, Ontario:
Question:
[Aisha] was 9-year-old… she was young and why is this it allowed?
Musleh Khan:
OK, you tell me what the age is to get married. What is the age that you should get married? Puberty. What else?
What’s the age here in Toronto in Canada to get married? What’s the minimum age? 16 with parental consent. Right?
You actually have to have a guardian to sign a document that allows you to get married at that age. When you’re I believe 18 then you can do it on your own. In some parts of Europe it’s 15, OK. In some parts of Africa it’s even lower than that. Everywhere you go in the world you’re finding different ages.
So what is the real age to get married if it’s so different everywhere you go? The answer it’s our prophet [Mohammad] peace and blessings be upon [who ruled] at the age of puberty.
Now pause, because for some people who don’t understand this, they’ve already gotten the heart attack. So let’s just explain ourselves here. The first mistake you make with this issue is don’t compare that time to 2015.
Don’t compare that time to 2015. A 9-10-year-old back then is what most 25 and 30 year olds are now. OK. The maturity level is completely different.
People in these days and age mature very slowly. That’s why you have guys that are still living at home. They’re like 35 years older still playing video games. They don’t want to get married, they can’t get a job they can’t do this, they can’t do that.
But back then 9 years old, you know, you were mature enough and you could get married. You could have a child.
But our society is so socially poisoned, then when we hear the figure [9-year-old girl], we jump at the conclusion right away without looking at the circumstance, without looking at the culture and by the way, statistically guess how many 9 year old got married from the time of the prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, and until today.
Guess how many 9 year old in the world have been have been married. Less than one percent. It’s literally nothing from all the way to the prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, until now.
I don’t know anybody who’s done this, and I honestly believe the average Muslim doesn’t even know anybody who’s done this. Why? Because our culture doesn’t allow or know how to accept that practice today. If you try to implement that practice today you’re going to get into a lot of problems.
However, your belief (عقيدة), your belief is, if the prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, did it, you have to believe that it was permissible. It’s permitted in our Sharia [Islamic Law] but it has its time and place. That’s what I to tell non Muslims.
I don’t get into these theoretical discussions and talk about: well, you know, when he was there, he actually didn’t consummate the marriage until later on, so it’s two different things, when he did that the marriage (نكاح) it was far earlier. I don’t even get into none of that.
I just start talking about: look, look around you do see anybody doing this stuff? No. It was a different time, a different place, a different culture.
Yes, it’s in our Sharia [Islamic Law], but we don’t shove it down anyone’s throat. We don’t tell people: Hey, make sure, you know, this is also a candidate as well. We don’t do that.
No Islamic culture in the world is doing that. Why? Because the times are different. That’s what I would say to a non-Muslim.
But certainly I want to just at least say: Don’t deny this. Because some Islamic teachers and speakers have started getting into a lot of doubts (شبهات) about this, a lot of doubts about this. So a lot of them actually deny and reject that this actually ever happened. They say that the prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, never actually married Aisha at that age [9-year-old girl] and they start denying it, and start finding all of these cracks in the wall in certain ahadiths [Islamic narrations attributes to Mohammad’s sayings and deeds] and using them as evidence to support: look, this is not true. This hadith [narration] is still questionable. There’s a problem here, there’s a problem and got into so much doubts (شبهات), so many doubts.
Don’t do that. This religion is very simple, just keep it that way which you have to have wisdom with this religion. It has its time and place.