Please my dear brother, we learnt in Islaamic history that Aisha (RA) got married at the age of nine to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) and the marriage was consummated when she was thirteen or thereabout. Also we learnt that she was eighteen years when the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) died and never got married to anybody again after him. Will nature not call for it since sexuality is natural? Hence, does Islaam allow woman to live in such condition?
Jamiu Abdul-Lateef Taiwo. Topo Badagry, Lagos.
The praise is for Allaah and may His peace and blessing be upon His Messenger. Some of the claims you have made are not correct and it is important to set them straight. Allaah's Messenger (peace and blessing be upon him) married Aisha {RA) when she was at age six not nine and he did not consummate the marriage until she was nine years not thirteen.
Aisha (RA) herself narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) 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 (that is, till his death when she was eighteen).
She said: "The Prophet engaged when I was a girl of six years. We went to Madinah 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 all right, 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 Allaah's Blessing and a good luck." Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me for the marriage. Unexpectedly Allaah's Messenger 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." (Bukhari)
As for the reason why she did not remarry after the demise of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him), then it is because Allaah has prohibited his wives from doing so. Allaah has called each of the prophet’s wives “Ummul-Mumineen” –the mother of the believers – and it is forbidden for you to marry your mothers and the mothers to marry their sons and children! Allaah says:
"The Prophet is closer to the believers than their ownselves, and his wives are their (believers’) mothers (as regards respect and marriage). (Ahzab[33]: 6).
So her case as well as that of the rest of the Prophet's wives is not similar to the rest of the womenfolk. And Allaah knows best.
As for other women, if they choose to re-marry after the demise of their husbands then that is good especially if it will protect them against the evils of Zinaa (fornication and adultery) or that it will bring other benefits which may not be apparent as at that time. Such was the case with Umm Salamah (RA) who got married to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) after the death of Abu Salamah (RA).
However, if they choose to remain unmarried then that is not blameworthy either as long as they refrain from committing evil and corruption on the land. Asmaa' bint Abu Bakr (RA) did not re-marry after she was divorced by Zubayr bin al- Awwam (RA) even though she lived to be 99 years, And Allaah is the greatest source of help. Indeed He is the All-Knowing, the All Aware.