How does one deal with non-Muslims when questioned on the age of Bibi Ayesha RadhiAllahu Anha at the time of her marriage to the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam?

POLYGAMOUS LIFE OF RASULULLAH (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)%0D%0A%0D%0AAllah Ta%E3la has given certain priviledges only to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu%0D%0A%C1layhi Wasallam) which are mentioned in Chapter 33 vs 50-51. Among other%0D%0Apriviledges one was having more than four wives simultaneously. Allah Ta%E3la%0D%0Asays, 'Oh Nabi (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) we have made permissible for%0D%0Ayou your wives.' (Ahzaab 33-50). The polygamous marriages of Rasulullah%0D%0A(Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) to more than four wives simultaneously should%0D%0Abe viewed as obeying the order of Allah Ta%E3la to do so. It was not merely a%0D%0Ameans of fulfilling his carnal desires as many people allege. The Arab%0D%0Aenvironment was infested with many evils among which was adultery and%0D%0Afornication. Despite living in such an environment, he never indulged in%0D%0Athis evil act. His modesty was so popular among his people that when the%0D%0AProphet (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) claimed prophethood, his people made%0D%0Aevery effort to disgrace him by accusing him of being a poet, practising%0D%0Awitchcraft, of being insane, etc. However, nobody ever accused him of any%0D%0Aact of immodesty. The Prophet (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) was very%0D%0Ahandsome and attractive. Many beautiful women from honourable families even%0D%0Aproposed marriage to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) but he%0D%0Adeclined. Instead, when he was only 25 years of age he married a widow who%0D%0Ahad children from her previous marriage. Considering the fact that he was%0D%0Athe most handsome person that Allah Ta%E3la has created, many women desired%0D%0Ahim in marriage. Had he followed his desires, there was no obstacle for him%0D%0Ato do so. In his youth, he could have had many many beautiful women, but he%0D%0Amarried a widow 15 years his senior. He lived with her for 25 years and she%0D%0Abore all the children of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) except%0D%0Aone. When Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) was 50 years of age,%0D%0AHadhrat Khadija (Radhiallaahu %C1nha) passed away. Those 25 years of%0D%0ARasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam)'s marriage was a monogamous one.%0D%0AThe polygamous marriage was only after he attained the age of 50.%0D%0A%0D%0AAFTER 50 YEARS%0D%0AHe married Hadhrat Sawdah and %C1aisha (Radhiallaahu %C1nhuma). Sawda%0D%0A(Radhiallaahu %C1nha) lived with him immediately but %C1aisha (Radhiallaahu%0D%0A%C1nha) came to live with him in the year 2 AH. when he was approximately 54%0D%0Ayears of age.%0D%0A%0D%0A55 YEARS (3 AH.)%0D%0AHe married Hadhrath Hafsa (Radhiallaahu %C1nha). After a few months, he%0D%0Amarried Hadhrat Zaynab bin Khuzaymah (Radhiallaahu %C1nha) who lived with him%0D%0Afor only 3 or 18 months (as recorded in different narrations) before she%0D%0Apassed away.%0D%0A%0D%0A56 YEARS (4 AH.)%0D%0AHe married Umme Salma (Radhiallaahu %C1nha)%0D%0A%0D%0A57 YEARS (5 AH.)%0D%0AHe married Zaynab (Radhiallaahu %C1nha)%0D%0A%0D%0A58 YEARS (6 AH)%0D%0AHe married Hadhrat Juwayriyah (Radhiallaahu %C1nha)%0D%0A%0D%0A59 YEARS (7 AH.)%0D%0AFirst he married Umme Habibah then Safiyyah then Maymoonah (Radhiallaahu%0D%0A%C1nhunna) in one year.%0D%0A%0D%0AFrom the above explanation, it is clear that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi%0D%0AWasallam)'s marriage was a monogamous one till he was 50 years. His%0D%0Apolygamous marriages, mostly to widows were after the age of 50 with the%0D%0Acommand of Allah Ta%E3la. Had Nabi (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) followed his%0D%0Acarnal desires, he would have married all virgins and changed them in short%0D%0Aperiods of time. Since the polygamous marriages of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu%0D%0A%C1layhi Wasallam) was by the order of Allah, therefore, the wisdom of that%0D%0Aorder cannot be questioned nor comprehended. However, according to our%0D%0Alimited understanding, the wisdom underlying the polygamous marriages of%0D%0ARasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) was:%0D%0A1. Since Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) came as a teacher to%0D%0Amankind, there are many avenues of a person's domestic life which had to be%0D%0Aconveyed to the Ummah. It was the many wives of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu%0D%0A%C1layhi Wasallam) who had the knowledge of these aspects and fulfilled their%0D%0Aresponsibility by conveying the teachings of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi%0D%0AWasallam) to the Ummah. Consider the following:%0D%0A%C1aisha (Radhiallaahu %C1nha) alone narrated approximately 2210 Ahaadith with%0D%0Aregard to different laws, character, ettiquettes, etc. The narrations of%0D%0AHadhrat Umme Salma (Radhiallaahu %C1nhu) totals up to 378. Hafiz ibn Qayyim%0D%0A(RA) mentions that if the Fataawa of Hadhrat Umme Salma (RA) had to be%0D%0Agathered which she gave after the demise of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi%0D%0AWasallam), then the need would arise to compile an entire book. The total%0D%0Astudents of %C1aisha (Radhiallaahu %C1nha) are approximately 200 and she taught%0D%0ADeeni knowledge for 48 years consecutively after the demise of Rasulullah%0D%0A(Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam).%0D%0A2. The mission of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) was to convert%0D%0Apeople and propagate Islam. By marrying one woman, her entire tribe had%0D%0Aaccepted Islam. This was done by virtue of marrying that woman.%0D%0A3. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) had to transform the evils of%0D%0Athe society by practice. The people shunned marrying widows especially if%0D%0Athey already had children from their previous husbands. Rasulullah%0D%0A(Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam) married a widow and thereby changed the wrong%0D%0Aideology of the people. Likewise, he reformed the society that abused the%0D%0Aorphans by caring for the orphans of the women he married.%0D%0A%0D%0AThese are but just a few wisdoms of the polygamous marriages of Rasulullah%0D%0A(Sallallaahu %C1layhi Wasallam).%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0AMufti Ebrahim Desai