[thoughtgypsy]

Alexandrian Wrote:

Child marriages were common all over the world in that time. Mohammad as a man of his time and place could have taken over common practices like these. We modern-day muslims are not really in a position to condemn it, because we are brought up with different norms and values. Basicly, there was no concept of pedophilia in that time.

This is not strictly true. While Judaism permitted pedophilia (as evidenced by the Talmud), sexual intercourse with pre pubescent children was generally forbidden in most societies. There is no biological justification for it, and it was considered deviant sexual behavior. Only if you take the modern definition of "child" (someone below the age of 18) could you argue your point. But in most societies, women were considered marriageable adults once they reached sexual maturity and could produce a husband an heir.

I explained this briefly in another thread:

Quote:

Menarche, or a woman's first menstrual cycle signifies that a woman has reached sexual maturity and may be capable of conceiving a child. Further signs of sexual development are the growth of breasts, and an increased ratio between the size of the waist and hips. This can vary based on their diet (if they are malnourished) and life history (those with absent fathers tend to reach menarche faster). Increased environmental exposure to (estrogenic) hormones may have sped up sexual development further.

In many if not most cultures in history, reaching menarche allowed a woman to enter into marriage. The age at which this occurred varied between women, but may have been reached by 12 years, and almost certainly by 15 years. If you are European and you look back in your genealogical record, I am almost certain you have female relatives that married at 15. In monogamous societies, the fertile window of the female partner limited the size of the family. Men wishing to build larger families would gain an advantage by finding a partner that was sexually mature and had a larger fertile window. Dangerous, physically burdensome tasks were often reserved for men, as women were physically weaker. The duties of women of ages past were much less physically burdensome compared to men. As such, the physical requirements to perform their expected duties as wives and mothers could be achieved shortly after reaching physical maturity.