Refuting the Claim that Prophet Muhammad was a Pedophile

[فداء الرسول]

Christian Saints


We have already clearly established that Jewish and Christian Law allowed for girls to be
married off at such a young age. We have also shown that such marriages were not only
allowed, but encouraged; they were in fact the norm. Yet perhaps a Christian polemicist
would argue that the matter is not about what the masses did but what the leaders did;
after all, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the leader of the Muslims, not just
any follower. To refute this point, we first point to the Christian popes who sanctioned
such early marriages and actively encouraged them. But to further weaken their spurious
argument, we will cite the example of numerous Christian saints who married young
girls. Therefore, if the Christians attack Prophet Muhammad, then let them first throw
stones at their own revered heroes. Let us begin:


1. Saint Augustine: Saint Augustine, who is credited with having formulated Christian
theology, betrothed himself to a ten year old girl, and this was when he was thirty-one
years of age. He waited two years for her body to mature, after which she moved into
Saint Augustine’s at the age of twelve. How is it then that the Christians attack Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) for marrying Aisha (peace be upon her) when she was
nine or ten, when their venerated Saint Augustine himself betrothed a ten year old girl?
We read:

One such example of betrothal between a mature male and young girl is that of St.
Augustine (354-439 A.D.). At the age of thirty-one, Augustine betrothed himself
to a ten-year-old girl.


(Mark E. Pietrzyk, http://www.internationalorder.org/scandal_response.html)


2. Saint Agnes: Another very famous Christian figure in history, Saint Agnes—who is
known as the patron saint of chastity—fielded marriage proposals when she was younger
than twelve years old. Yet suddenly the Christians turn their noses up when we Muslims
say that Aisha (peace be upon her) fielded marriage proposals at a similar age. Domestic-
Church.com says:
Saint Agnes' name means chaste or pure in Greek and lamb or victim in Latin.
She has always been regarded by the Church as a special patroness of purity.
Agnes was martyred early in the persecution of Diocletian, who began his
persecution of Christians in March of 303. She was only twelve or thirteen years
old at the time of her death (accounts differ). Even at that young age, her wealth
and beauty had attracted the attention of the young noblemen of Rome, who
competed with each other for her hand in marriage.
(Domestic-Church.com, http://www.domesticchurch.
com/CONTENT.DCC/19980101/SAINTS/STAGNES.HTM)


3. Saint Hedwig of Andechs: Saint Hedwig is revered by the Christians as the patron
saint of orphans. She was married off at the age of twelve to Henry I of Silesia.


4. Saint Rita of Cascia: She is considered by Christians to be the patron saint of
hopeless causes, and was betrothed at the age of twelve to a man named Paola Mancini.


5. Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified: She was betrothed at the age of thirteen.


6. Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, patron of the Third Order of St. Francis, was married off
at the age of twelve.


7. Saint Joseph, the supposed foster father of Jesus, was in his nineties when he married


the twelve year old Mary. Some claim that Joseph was in his thirties—and not his
nineties—but the fact remains that he was a grown man who married a twelve year old.
And there are many other examples from amongst the venerated Christian saints…