Cleveland Imam Islam Hassan: Muhammad Was Not Marrying a Child When He Married 9-Year-Old ‘Aisha

Speaking at the Islamic Center of Cleveland, Ohio, Egyptian-American imam Islam Hassan defended the Prophet Muhammad’s marriage to ‘Aisha, mentioning various Christian personalities, from St. Augustine to the kings of England, who, he claimed, had taken child brides, and saying that the Prophet’s marriage was in line with the customs and traditions of his day. Islam Hassan, who served as the Imam of the Islamic Society of Vermont for the past seven years, further said that the age of puberty was between 9-15 years and concluded that ‘Aisha had already reached puberty at the age of nine, when she was married off to the Prophet. “So he did not marry a child,” he said. The address was his debut appearance as the imam of the Islamic Center of Cleveland, and it was posted on the center’s YouTube channel on November 3.