Marriage 1400 years ago compared to the 21st century are two completely different things. Isn't it ironic that only recently people have brought up the marriage of Aisha (RA) as an issue but nobody during the Prophets time used that as an excuse? There is both a physical/biological and psychological difference between a 9-year-old female 1400 years ago compared to that of today. Surely it would be considered disgusting for you to marry a 9-year old girl today because of the culture you're in, but during the Prophet's time, Christians, Jews, and others who had problems with Muhammed (SAW) never thought of that as an issue. Coincidence? I think not.
In Islam, 3 things are required for marriage from a female's perspective. Puberty, maturity, and consent. Our mother Aisha (RA) had all 3.
Quran is the way of life and any ambiguities are to be interpreted through the prophet. The psychosocial maturity of Aisha surpassed that of most 9-year-olds in today’s time period as did the mother of Jesus and thousands of other women at the time, who were marrying at much greater age differences than that of the prophet. Understanding society, women, and marriage at the time of Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, and today are crucial. Similar to how people today view the hijab. Christians will come up to a Muslim woman and claim it’s oppression, backwards, and downright barbaric etc. However, in the meantime, the mother of their Lord wore the exact same thing.
Also, you do realize you don’t have to do exactly what he did in terms of literal action. Just his teachings and sayings. That would mean Muslims have to travel using camels. Not use mobile phones or the Internet. Right? So why don’t you have a problem with Muslims driving cars or flying in planes? Or a problem with Muslims using smartphones and the Internet? You get the point I'm trying to make here.
It's like laughing at Jesus and saying why did he always ride a donkey instead of driving a car or flying in a plane? 'Cause, there were no cars or planes in Jesus's time.
The only mode of transport was the donkey so he rode the donkey however ridiculous it may seem to us in our age. You can't judge Jesus by our standards today. In the same way, you can't judge Prophet Muhammad by our standards today. He lived 1400 years ago. In his time, the common culture of the Arabian peninsula and the World at large especially and including Europe was the marriage of young girls. That was the old World culture which some people still practice today, even in America.
It was as socially acceptable in those days as slavery was and many other things which we condemn today as socially unacceptable.
"There is both a physical/biological and psychological difference between a 9-year-old female 1400 years ago compared to that of today."
This is a hollow defense and its already been discussed here where even your fellow 6-9 supporters admitted that females develop much faster now than in the past. Therefore, Aisha would have been even less mature physically than girls of today.
"Surely it would be considered disgusting for you to marry a 9-year old girl today because of the culture you're in"
So you accept that this practice has no place in todays world? What did you think of the reaction of the girls in the first video? Do you think they were ready for an arraigned marriage with those disgustingly old perverts? This stuff was all forbidden in Islam originally.
"In Islam, 3 things are required for marriage from a female's perspective. Puberty, maturity, and consent. Our mother Aisha (RA) had all 3."
There is no way humanly possible for a 6 year old girl to have experienced puberty, then or now. Therefore a child of 6 is not mature and certainly cant be considered to have given true consent to any marriage.
"Quran is the way of life and any ambiguities are to be interpreted through the prophet."
Quran is NOT a way of life. It is a book which gives humanity straight and proper guidance, which people can implement into their lives as is realistic and healthy. It augments human life, but it itself is not a way of life. Quran is clear in regards to these matters as has been examined here... we are to be kind to children and fair to parents... which this shameful act does not accomplish. Only man-made interpretations/innovations could lead people away from Quranic values which stress kindness towards children and into this dark underworld of blasphemous child r*pe/torture, trafficking and outright murder. This foul deed has been accomplished in large part by Muslims allowing for hadeeth interpretations and faulty fatwa's to supersede Quranic guidance.
"Similar to how people today view the hijab."
For the VAST majority of non-Muslims hijab is either a non-issue or a womans right, which they defend... often with more vigor than many Muslims. True there is a very vocal-yet-sizable minority in opposition but in reality, nobody does more to disrespect and disregard the hijab than Muslims ourselves.
"Also, you do realize you don’t have to do exactly what he did in terms of literal action. Just his teachings and sayings. That would mean Muslims have to travel using camels. Not use mobile phones or the Internet. Right?"
In that case you need to be confronting your own crowd here, because according to them these hadeeth represent sunnah which they contend is the best path to choose... if its not outright mandated for us. They disregard Quran, trading that guidance for a justification to suit their desires. Your own people here are the ones contending what you saw in that video is right and proper.
"It's like laughing at Jesus and saying why did he always ride a donkey instead of driving a car or flying in a plane? 'Cause, there were no cars or planes in Jesus's time."
That is a ridiculous comparison and unrelated to what I am contending here.
"That was the old World culture which some people still practice today, even in America."
Why do you people continue with the whatabout-isms? There is almost NO child marriage in the US and what does exist of it is concentrated almost entirely into practically non-existent communities of heretical Christians... and Muslims. The company you keep...
"It was as socially acceptable in those days as slavery was and many other things which we condemn today as socially unacceptable."
True they had "slaves" but Muhammed stressed decent treatment, educating and freeing them as soon as possible. They werent really "slaves" in todays sense. They fought against the Muslims, lost and then generally had decent relations with Muslims or converted themselves once they were in "captivity". That happened because they werent treated like slaves... but by this post, are you admitting that there is no place in our modern world for these child marriages?