Responses to the false allegations thrown by typical anti Islamic polemics, critics and hypocritical Islamaphobes. Recommended sources: http://islamicreplies.110mb.com http://islamic-replies.ucoz.com/ http://islamicreplies.50webs.com http://islamicreplies.hostoi.com http://islamicreplies.ucoz.com/ http://islamicreplies.ucoz.net/ http://www.muslim-responses.com http://www.call-to-monotheism.com/ http://www.answering-christianity.com/ Many skeptics and Islamaphobes will mock and insult Prophet Muhammad by calling him a "child molester" because of his marriage with Aisha. Basically, these skeptics claim that Aisha was 6 years old when they married and that he "allegedly" molested her, which is against the law. This allegation is one of the common ones thrown against Muhammad. It is also an allegation based on no authentic proof, just guess work and mocking. Firstly, let us analyse from the authentic sources of Islam (Quran and authentic Hadith) what the minimum age for marriage is for a human being. The Quran says in: Surah Nisa 4:6: "Make trial of orphans until they reach the age of marriage; if then ye find sound judgment in them, release their property to them; but consume it not wastefully, nor in haste against their growing up. If the guardian is well-off, Let him claim no remuneration, but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable. When ye release their property to them, take witnesses in their presence: But all-sufficient is God in taking account." From this verse, we can see that there is an age limit of marriage in Islam. The Arabic word used in this verse is "alnnikaha," (*) which some translators have translated as "puberty." Surah Nisa 4:6: Shakir: "And test the orphans until they attain puberty; then if you find in them maturity of intellect, make over to them their property, and do not consume it extravagantly and hastily, lest they attain to full age; and whoever is rich, let him abstain altogether, and whoever is poor, let him eat reasonably; then when you make over to them their property, call witnesses in their presence; and Allah is enough as a Reckoner." Surah Nisa 4:6: Khalifah: "You shall test the orphans when they reach puberty. As soon as you find them mature enough, give them their property. Do not consume it extravagantly in a hurry, before they grow up. The rich guardian shall not charge any wage, but the poor guardian may charge equitably. When you give them their properties, you shall have witnesses. GOD suffices as Reckoner." Moreover, let us read a few scholars exegesis' on this verse: Tafsir al-Jalalayn: "Try, test, well the orphans, before reaching maturity with regard [the duties of] religion and [before] they can [legally] manage their own affairs, until they reach the age of marrying, that is, until they have become eligible for it through puberty or [legal] age, which, according to al-ShÄfiâÄ«, is the completion of fifteen years; then, if you perceive in them maturity, that is, right [judgement] in matters of religion and their property, deliver their property to them; consume it not, O guardians, wastefully, without due merit, and in haste, that is, hastening to expend it, fearing, lest they should grow up, and become mature, at which time you will be obliged to hand it over to them. If any man, who is a guardian, is rich, let him be abstinent, that is, let him abstain from the orphanâs property and refrain from consuming it; if he is poor, let him consume, of it, honourably, that is, in line with the wage for his work. And when you deliver to them, the orphans, their property, take witnesses over them, that they have received it and that you are absolved [of the obligation], so that if any dispute occurs, you are able to refer to a clear proof: this is a command [intended] for guidance. God suffices as a reckoner, as a guardian of His creaturesâ deeds and as a reckoner of these [deeds] (the bÄâ [in biâLlÄhi] is extra)." Tafsir Ibn Abbas: "(Prove orphans) test the intelligence of orphans (till they reach the marriageable age) the age of puberty; (then, if ye find them of) if you see that they possess (sound judgement) righteousness in Religion and a tendency to protect their wealth, (deliver over unto them their fortune) then give their wealth which is with you; (and devour it not squandering) it in transgression and unlawfully (and in haste) in haste lest the orphan grows older and consumes it little by little (lest they should grow up) for fear that they grow older and stop you from devouring their wealth. (Whoso (of the guardians) is rich) and needs not the orphan's wealth, (let him abstain generously) because of his richness from taking of the property of orphans, nor should he diminish anything from their wealth; (and whoso is poor) and needy (let him take thereof in reason (for his guardianship)) in measure, such that he is not in need for the wealth of orphans; it is also said that this means: he should take from the wealth of orphans in proportion with the measure of his work regarding this wealth; and it is also said that this means: he can take from the wealth of orphans as a loan to be paid back. (And when ye deliver up their fortune unto orphans) when they reach the legal age, (have (the transaction) witnessed in their presence) when you deliver it to them. (Allah sufficeth as a Reckoner) Allah suffices as a witness. This verse was revealed about Thabit Ibn Rifa'ah al-Ansari." We also read in the following verse that marriage is a strong promise/covenant according to: Surah Nisa 4:21: "And how could ye take it when ye have gone in unto each other, and they have Taken from you a solemn covenant?" From these 2 verses in combination, we understand that marriage is a agreement between men and women at the age of maturity where they can make good judgments. When a person reaches puberty, he/she can decide to get married if he/she wants to. If you marry someone before puberty, the marriage is NOT complete till both reach puberty. You cannot have intercourse with the person you marry, till the marriage is completed (which is at puberty). No-one can force you to marry, or stay married. We see that there is no specific limit to when a person can complete the marriage, because puberty can start earlier for some people and late for others. Is this a bad thing that people can marry when they reach puberty? Not at all, because if they do it, it can ONLY be done with the will of the person and if the family are okay with it. Moreover, in the Islamic ruling, a male/female who marry when they reach puberty are NOT allowed to be treated differently, because they're a rather young couple. In fact, in the USA about 100 years ago, people could participate in sexual activity, at the age of 10: "The common law, from which America gets much of its precedents in the legal field, set the age of consent at age ten. In other words, participating in sexual activity with someone above the age of ten did not result in the crime of "statutory" rape or child molesting. The activity may have come under other statutory or informal social regulations, but anyone over the age of ten could consent to a sexual activity." Source: http://www.ageofconsent.com/comments/numberone.htm Notice that USA over 100 years ago set a SPECIFIC age in which you can marry and participate in sexual activity. In other words, if you have not reached puberty at 10 years old, you could easily 100 years back in USA, have had prepubescent intercourse! Why? Because NOT EVERYONE REACHES PUBERTY AT 10. The USA law back then and now is based on guess work and conjecture. In contrast, the Islamic law which came centuries before the USA law, it is far superior because it does NOT give any chance of prepubescent intercourse to occur, based on the teachings. This is because there is no specific age limit of marriage, because puberty can occur at different ages for different people. This means that you can marry at puberty and cannot have intercourse with the spouse until the marriage is completed (puberty), which shows that the Islamic teaching make it IMPOSSIBLE for you to commit prepubescent intercourse, which shows superiority of the Islamic teachings. Science tells us today that females attain puberty quicker than the males. We also come to know from modern science that a person CAN reach puberty at the age of 9 years old, or even at the age of 8. Let us read a few medical health sources regarding puberty for females: "Although puberty usually starts between ages 8 to 13 in girls, it may start earlier or later." Source: http://www.healthtouch.com/bin/EContent_HT/cnoteShowLfts.asp?fname=07103&title=PUBERTY+IN+GIRLS+&cid=HTHLTH "Puberty in girls usually starts at any time between 8 and 13 years of age, periods usually start about two years after the start of puberty." Source: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/teenagehealth/becomewoman.htm "Many girls begin puberty as early as age 7. In some cases a girl may begin to show signs of puberty at a younger age, this is known as 'precocious puberty'. Source: http://www.avert.org/puberty-girls.htm So we see modern science confirms it is very plausible to reach puberty at 9 years old, and can even occur as early as 7 or 8. a) In today's civilized society and in the west, they brag upon their civility. In today's civilized society, if your going to accuse someone of a crime (like the critics and Islamaphobes do) it has to be within your jurisdiction. For example, a policeman in Oklahoma cannot arrest someone in Texas. If he is an Oklahoma policeman, he cannot go to Texas and arrest that person of a crime. Why? Because they are out of it's jurisdiction. So, this needs to be established and understood, before you can convict someone of a crime. There is something called an Ex post facto law. This basically is a law that retroactively changes the consequences of certain actions, before the law was passed. For example: If America was to pass a law that chewing gum is prohibited, they could NOT convict someone of chewing that gum BEFORE the law was passed. Similarly, you cannot convict a man 1,420+ years ago, on the laws of 2010. You cannot apply the American or western law to the law 1,420+ years ago, in the 7th century. Skeptics here have a problem with being consistent. The reason why these critics want to go back 1,420+ years ago and leave their jurisdiction by trying to convict Prophet Muhammad by an Ex post facto law, is to distract the people of what of what blacksheeps are doing today. Muhammad's marriage of Aisha (at 9 years old) was 100% acceptable and legal by all laws and religions. Moreover, there isn't a social, moral or any law which he broke in his entire lifetime. The critics cannot bring a 21st Century law, that's established in a western country, because the law is Ex post facto, and out of it's jurisdiction which makes it irrelevent. b) When we read these Hadiths, we will clearly see that Muhammad NEVER consummated the marriage at 6 years old, but rather at 9. Now, let us analyse what age Muhammad actually married Aisha, based on the following authentic Hadiths: Sahih Bukhari, Book 58, Number 234: "Narrated By 'Aisha : The Prophet engaged me when I was a girl of six (years). We went to Medina and stayed at the home of Bani-al-Harith bin Khazraj. Then I got ill and my hair fell down. Later on my hair grew (again) and my mother, Um Ruman, came to me while I was playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me, and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted to do to me. She caught me by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house. I was breathless then, and when my breathing became Allright, she took some water and rubbed my face and head with it. Then she took me into the house. There in the house I saw some Ansari women who said, "Best wishes and Allah's Blessing and a good luck." Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me (for the marriage). Unexpectedly Allah's Apostle came to me in the forenoon and my mother handed me over to him, and at that time I was a girl of nine years of age." Sahih Bukhari, Book 62, Number 64: "Narrated By 'Aisha : That the Prophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old, and then she remained with him for nine years (i.e., till his death)." As we can see, Muhammad NEVER consummated the marriage at 6 years old, but rather at 9 years old. A "child molester," "womanizer" or a "pedophile," would accept to consummate the marriage on day 1. In other words, if Muhammad was a "child molester," "womanizer" or a "pedophile," he could have consummated the marriage BEFORE she even reached 7, leave aside 9. A womanizer WOULD NOT WAIT FOR 3 YEARS to get married to someone, YET Muhammad did. Does this sound like a pedophile to a rational and truthful person? NO. A "child molester," "womanizer" or a "pedophile," would NEVER wait to marry someone as Muhammad did, which shows he was NOT what the critics falsely claim he was. c) Science tells us that the younger a man, the higher is urge is. Science also tells that when a man gets older, his sexual urge decreases. Let us read an article which agrees with what I say: "Men often write off a loss of libido as a normal part of ageing. While some loss of sex drive usually occurs as you age due to falling levels of male hormones, having no interest in sex is unusual and needs to be dealt with." Source: http://health.virginmedia.com/is-your-lifestyle-killing-your-sex-drive.htm When Muhammad was around 53 years old, he consummated the marriage at 9 years old. If Muhammad married Aisha for his own sexual urge and own selfishness, HE WOULD HAVE MARRIED WOMEN THIS AGE WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER! In fact, we know that the he 1st marriage of Muhammad took place when he was 25 years of age and he married Khadija who was twice widowed, and was 40 years old. Muhammad's first marriage was at 25, so why didn't he marry a much younger woman? A man who would want to marry for his own sexual lusts would have married at a younger age, to a much younger woman. Moreover, the elder a man gets, the less sexual he gets. This disproves that Muhammad wanted to marry Aisha for his own sexual interests, and prove he was NOT what the critics falsely claim he was. In addition, we read in an authentic Hadith that Muhammad could control his sexual desires better than anyone: Sahih Bukhari, Book 6, Number 299: "Narrated By 'Abdur-Rahman bin Al-Aswad: (On the authority of his father) 'Aisha said: "Whenever Allah's Apostle wanted to fondle anyone of us during her periods (menses), he used to order her to put on an Izar and start fondling her." 'Aisha added, "None of you could control his sexual desires as the Prophet could." A child molester would NEVER be able to control his sexual desires better than the rest, so this clearly disproves that Muhammad married for his own sexual interests. d) People back then (over 1400 years ago) used to have very short life-spans in Arabia. They used to live between 40 to 60 years maximum. In fact when we analyze the world today, we find countries which have a rather low life expectancy. The average life expectancy for the following countries are: In Malawi, it is 49. In South Africa, it's 49. In Somalia, it's 48. In Rwanda, it's 46. In Afghanistan, it is 44. In Zimbabwe, it is 43.5. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy There a various other countries which have a lower life expectancy. Hence, even for these countries who have a low life expectancy, Islam gives them the solution which is to marry at puberty, by choice. The countries I mentioned above & countries which have low life expectancy, most of them set an age limit of around 16-18. This prevents the people from marrying and having kids earlier, which would lead them to have kids later in their life, and decrease the chances of them looking after the kids for a long period of time, due to the low life expectancy back then. Similarly, the age expectancy was rather low back then in Arabia, which meant it was better for them to marry at pubert (by their choice) in order to have kids quicker. In contrast, if there was an age limit of 16 back then (for example), this would prevent the people from marrying and having kids, which would lead them to have kids later in their life, and decrease the chances of them looking after the kids for a long period of time, due to the low life expectancy back then. e) It was only normal and natural for girls to be married off at ages 9 or 10 or similar, INCLUDING the non Muslims. Non Muslims married at young ages during that time period in Arabia because of the period at that time. That is why girls as young as 9 or 10 were married to men as old as 30 or even older. This is because the females who reached puberty back then, were not considered as little immature kids, but rather as sensible young women. The culture back then and in many third world countries (NON-MUSLIM ONES TOO) is quite different than what you live in today. If the skeptic claims Muhammad was a pedophile for marrying Aisha with her consent, then the same standards should be applied to the people who did the same thing (i.e. Christians, Jews, etc) Furthermore, from the ages 9-14 in Europe, Asia, Africa etc, females were married at these ages. In the USA about 100 years ago, people could participate in sexual activity, at the age of 10: "The common law, from which America gets much of its precedents in the legal field, set the age of consent at age ten. In other words, participating in sexual activity with someone above the age of ten did not result in the crime of "statutory" rape or child molesting. The activity may have come under other statutory or informal social regulations, but anyone over the age of ten could consent to a sexual activity." Source: http://www.ageofconsent.com/comments/numberone.htm No historian or critic will throw allegations at these people that they're child molesters. But when it comes to Muhammad, they have a different standard which shows the double standards and inconsistencies. According to the standards which critics use for Muhammad, that means they should also claim that the many people who married females at the ages of puberty, are child molesters and pedophiles. They weren't pedophiles, just like Muhammad was not a pedophile. f) People back then in Arabia, they reached puberty quicker due to food habits and the weather there. It is also a scientific fact that the food habits does indeed help a person attain puberty quicker. Let us read a scientific source: "Although available dietary energy (simple calories) is the most important dietary influence on timing of puberty, quality of the diet plays a role as well." Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puberty#Nutritional_influence In most cases back then, people who where 9 years old then had already reached puberty, as the food habits were very good and healthy. The eating of non vegetable foods in Islam is allowed, though not all animals are allowed to be eaten. These non vegetables contain excellent quality proteins and iron. This is good for females who undergo the menstrual cycles during puberty, and allows puberty to occur faster. This is why females who reached 9 years old back then had already entered puberty. The food habits were beneficial, and this is even the case for Aisha, hence it would have been NORMAL of children to reach puberty quicker, because of this. g) Science tells us today, that the closer that you are to the equator, the quicker you reach puberty. Let us now read a scientific source: "It's well known that girls nearer the equator begin puberty earlier than girls farther away," presumably because of increased light exposure, she says." Source: http://research.unc.edu/endeavors/aut97/news1.html "Geographic location and exposure to light: Children located closer to the equator will start earlier than their northern peers." Source: http://www.helium.com/items/1249193-delayed-puberty Science and geographical information also tells us that Saudi Arabia is close to the equator, as compared to western countries and countries which are in the north. Hence, people in Arabia matured QUICKER than other countries, which means Aisha even matured quicker, as compared to people in other countries. h) Aisha was also VERY mature for her age both mentally and physically due to modest and far superior discipline. She was NOT like your common 9 year old kid, who is still dependant on the parents. Aisha was very mature for her age, and acted like an adult mentally and knew right from wrong. Let us read what Aisha said about herself: Tirmizhi, Number 1027: "Aisha said, if the little girl reaches nine then she is a woman." Here, she was obviously describing herself and her acquaintances, which shows that she was mature for her age. Skeptics will quote from certain Hadiths that she was playing with dolls and on the swings, which (according to the skeptics) proves that Aisha was immature at nine. What these skeptics fail to realize is that there was no entertainment back then like there is now. For example, there was no gaming consoles, TV's, satellite, arcade machines etc in which they could entertain themselves. Playing on swings therefore was NOT done by immature children, and doesn't prove Aisha was immature an 9. Aisha was very mature for her age, and physically this was even the case. For example, we will read in the following authentic Hadiths: Sahih Muslim, Book 3, Number 587: "Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said to me: Get me the mat from the mosque. I said: I am menstruating. Upon this he remarked: Your menstruation is not in your hand." Sahih Muslim, Book 3, Number 588: "Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) ordered me that I should get him the mat from the mosque. I said: I am menstruating. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Do get me that, for menstruation is not in your hand." Here, we see that Aisha went through her menses, which is a sign of puberty. This proves that Aisha was indeed in puberty and was physically mature. A female who has not yet hit puberty would not have had menses, yet Aisha did which is proof she was physically mature. Not only that, but BEFORE her marriage with Prophet Muhammad, she felt ill going THROUGH her menses. It is mentioned in: Sahih Bukhari, Book 58, Number 234: Narrated By 'Aisha : The Prophet engaged me when I was a girl of six (years). We went to Medina and stayed at the home of Bani-al-Harith bin Khazraj. Then I got ill and my hair fell down. Later on my hair grew (again) and my mother, Um Ruman, came to me while I was playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me, and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted to do to me. She caught me by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house. I was breathless then, and when my breathing became alright, she took some water and rubbed my face and head with it. Then she took me into the house. There in the house I saw some Ansari women who said, "Best wishes and Allah's Blessing and a good luck." Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me (for the marriage). Unexpectedly Allah's Apostle came to me in the forenoon and my mother handed me over to him, and at that time I was a girl of nine years of age. This is proof that Aisha was indeed in puberty before she even got married, which disproves the anti-Islamic argument that she was "allegedly" a prepubescent child. i) Aisha's own parents allowed her to get married to Prophet Muhammad. They had no problems or issues whatsoever. In fact, we read in the following Hadith that Aisha's father, he encouraged Muhammad to marry Aisha. Ibn Hajar: "Aisha said: Until we arrived at Madinah, so I dwelt among the family of Abu Bakr. So Abu Bakr told him: What prevents you from consummating with your wife? So he consumated with me." So clearly here, Abu Bakr (Aisha's father) he encouraged the Prophet Muhammad to marry Aisha at that age of 9. If Muhammad was a "pedophile" like the irrational skeptics claim, then how in the world can a father urge a pedophile to marry his daughter? How could Abu Bakr have allowed and encouraged Muhammad to marry Aisha, if Muhammad was what the critics claim he was? That's because the critic's claims are FALSE and that Muhammad was NOT a pedophile, neither a child molester. That is the reason why Abu Bakr clearly allowed Muhammad and encouraged him to marry Aisha, because he knew his phenomenal behavior and attitude. Moreover, Aisha's own mother did not object in allowing Muhammad to marry Aisha, and there is no evidence in the Hadiths which show that the mother and father of Aisha objected. j) There is not a single place in the Hadiths where Aisha HERSELF claimed she was unhappy with marrying at the age she did, that she was unhappy for being married or that she was forced to be married. There is no mention at all of any of this. If Muhammad was a "child molester," "womanizer" or a "pedophile," surely Aisha would have objected from day 1 against marrying Muhammad. Why do we find no mention of Aisha EVER complaining against the marriage with Muhammad? That is because she clearly wanted and agreed to marry him. k) History shows us clearly that Aisha became one of the best scholars of her time. She narrated more Hadiths than any human being, except Abu Hurairah. She was a scholar in where men would ask her specific and challenging questions about Islam, and she was able to answer them. She was also very good at mathematics, so she was also able to answer questions about Islamic finance, a field which is difficulty indeed to grasp. We read that Aisha stayed married to Muhammad until he died, according to: Sahih Muslim, Book 8, Number 3311: 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) married her when she was seven years old, and he was taken to his house as a bride when she was nine, and her dolls were with her; and when he (the Holy Prophet) died she was eighteen years old. That's 10 years of marriage with Muhammad. If Muhammad was a pedophile, surely Aisha would have NOT become one of the best scholars of her time. A person married to a pedophile for a week would mentally suffer and would be NEVER be willing to learn from the SAME pedophile. 10 years of marriage to person you don't want to will NEVER make you become a student of the same person. But natural, Muhammad was not a pedophile, which is why Aisha was able to learn a huge degree of information from the Prophet Muhammad, and become a scholar of scholars. If it wasn't from Aisha, Islam wouldn't be what it is today. We wouldn't have as many Hadiths we have today from Aisha, if it wasn't for Aisha. It makes no sense whatsoever that a woman married to a pedophile would have become such an eminent scholar, which proves Muhammad was NOT what the critics falsely claim. This should be sufficient proof to prove to an unbiased secularist that the marriage between Muhammad and Aisha was and is legal in Islam, and that Muhammad is NOT a pedophile, womanizer or whatever other filthy name the skeptics use. But, since many Christians bring this argument up against Muhammad, let us take a look what their own Bible says: 1) The Bible clearly allows you to marry at the age of puberty, which in other words means when you "pass the flower of the age." It is mentioned in: 1 Corinthians 7:36: KJV: "But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry." 1 Corinthians 7:36-38: NIV: "If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin - this man also does the right thing. So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does even better." So according to the Bible which Christianity is based on, you can clearly get married as soon as you reached puberty. We need to ask those Christians who throw slanders about the Prophet being a pedophile that: Will you agree that marrying at the age of puberty is lawful? If the Christian says "no," then he/she contradicts the Bible, and is the last person to claim to be a follower and a believer in the entire Bible. If the Christian says: "yes, I agree that marrying at the age of puberty is lawful," then according to the same standards, the Christian should have no problem with the marriage of Aisha. You can't have double standards and still be consistent by condemning Muhammad's marriage with Aisha while simultaneously agreeing with what the Bible says. 2) We read in the following verses in the Old Testament that a girl after her BREASTS & PUBLIC HAIR were formed, she had intercourse. This is mentioned in: Ezekiel 16:4-14: "On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised. " 'Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, "Live!" I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew up and developed and became the most beautiful of jewels. Your breasts were formed and your hair grew, you who were naked and bare. " 'Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign LORD, and you became mine. " 'I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put leather sandals on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was fine flour, honey and olive oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD." We see here that during puberty, a female had intercourse and then this goes on to speak about nudity, descriptions of the girl, etc. So, the Christian's very own Bible allows you to marry and have intercourse at the age of puberty. EVERY Christian must believe in the Old Testament, because it is part of the Bible and Jesus even used to quote verses of the Old Testament in the New Testament, so claiming that "we don't have to follow or believe in the Old Testament," is not a valid argument. http://islamicreplies.110mb.com