Question:
Why is marrying off a child halal just after they hit puberty?
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum,
Thank you for your question. I believe that there is no right answer to this question, and I know for a fact that many a young person is ready for marriage while many an older person is not.
Halal To Marry Young
It is permissible for a pubescent person to marry because it would not be fair to tell a teenager that he is not allowed to marry when sexual desires come with puberty. Allah has decreed an outlet for the way that He created us; this is the very core of justice and wisdom. A young person is certainly not forced to marry, but if a young girl’s father was to do so, it is because Allah gave him the right for a good reason. I am sure you can fathom many good reasons for a man to want his daughter taken care of, reasons that span all times and places.
Science
Islam does not reject science for the advances and explanations that it gives us, but it certainly does not base its rulings on it. Rulings are based on primary texts; Qur’an and Hadith. The job of the mujtahid imams was to take these into consideration, along with ‘urf, the customs of the land, to best summarize how our Creator and His messenger, Allah bless him and grant him peace, wanted us to live. We know from the Qu’ran that our religion is complete and perfect, and we must trust in this and believe it even if we don’t fully understand it.
Allah, Most High, says, “Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My blessing upon you, and chosen as your religion Islam: [total devotion to God]“ [Qu’ran, 5:3]
Please see this link as well:
https://seekersguidance.org/show/80-how-do-we-view-science-in-light-of-the-quran-islam-faq-shaykh-faraz-rabbani/
Customs
As for deciding what is the right age for marriage, it is not possible. Everyone is created differently, each one of us from a different era, culture, family, and upbringing. I have seen ten-year-olds in the East that know how to fully run a home and work in their parent’s shop all day, while I have seen other ten-year-olds who know nothing but how to rot in front of a screen.
The permissibility of marriage at a young age is a mercy, not a mistake. However, I encourage all people, old and young, to learn their religion, get a good education or skill set that will help them in the world, fulfill their obligations towards others, purify their hearts, and refine their character, with which they can serve the Ummah of Muhammad, Allah bless him and grant him peace. May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.