Ali Rıza Demircan: Early marriage is not permissible in Islam.

The theologian and author Ali Rıza Demircan answered the questions of the moderator of the program published on Haberler.com, the Editor-in-Chief Av. Bedia Teymur. Speaking about "marriage in Islam," Demircan stated that marriages at a young age are not permissible.

"ACCORDING TO ISLAM, MARRIAGE AT A YOUNG AGE IS NOT PERMISSIBLE"

Demircan expressed that in Turkey, people do not learn Islam based on its two main sources, the Quran and the practices of our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which has led to a folk Islam that is passed down from father to son. Emphasizing that this folk Islam may have created unnecessary pressures within families, Demircan said, "For example, it can be considered a very rigid example, until yesterday, in the East, in the Black Sea region, parents decide and marry off their children. According to Islam, a girl child cannot be married off before reaching puberty, before she reaches the maturity necessary for a marital life, which we call 'rüşt.' A girl child cannot be married off to a person chosen by her parents."

"MARRIAGE WITHOUT THE GIRL CHILD'S CONSENT IS NOT VALID"

Stating that parents are not parties to the marriage but merely overseers, Demircan said, "The family checks whether the marriage is in accordance with Islamic rules or not, whether any prohibition related to marriage in Islam is being violated or not. The parties to the marriage are the man and the woman. A marriage without the girl's consent is not valid."

"OUR PROPHET CONSIDERED THE MARRIAGE INVALID"

Elaborating on the topic with an example, Demircan concluded his speech with the following statements:

"For instance, a girl child comes to our Prophet and says, 'My father married me off to my uncle's son without my consent, O Messenger of Allah, I am complaining.' Our esteemed Prophet declared the marriage invalid. Because Islam is not learned based on the Quran, but rather has been transmitted from father to son, our customs have prevailed over Islam."

According to global data, 36% of girls are married off before the age of 18, and 10% before the age of 15. Today, despite all legal regulations, child marriages continue to be a widespread problem worldwide.