At present in India, the age of marriage is different according to different religions. For example, according to the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, the age of the girl should be 18 years and the age of the boy should be 21 years. Whereas according to the Indian Christian Marriage Act 1872, at the time of marriage the age of the boy should not be below 21 years and the age of the girl should not be below 18 years. The age of marriage in Parsi religion is also the same. But the age limit set for marriage in Islam is different from this.
When can Muslims get married
According to the Muslim Personal Law Board, When puberty begins in a girl or boy (most often by the age of 15), it is assumed that the boy or girl is ready for marriage. In an interview given to BBC, Kamal Farooqui, member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, says that Islam is a natural religion, that is, all the things here are related to nature and the same is allowed in the religion. This is the reason why in Islam, the onset of puberty is considered the basis for marriage.
Then how is the age determined?
The onset of puberty is necessary. Don’t be in the same age. This can happen at different ages in different girls. In such a situation, the question arises that how is an age decided? Now here comes the opinion of the Imams. Although there were many Imams in Islam, but the Sunni Muslim society largely gives more importance to the words of four Imams. These include Imam Shafai, Imam Hanbali, Imam Maliki and Imam Abu Hanifa. Whereas Shia Muslims respect Imam Jafar al-Sadiq more.
According to Imam Shafai and Imam Hanbali, the correct age for marriage of boys and girls is 15 years. Whereas, according to Imam Maliki, the correct age for marriage is 17 years. According to Imam Abu Hanifa, the right age of marriage for boys is 12 to 18 years and the right age of marriage for girls is 9 to 17 years. Actually, Imam Abu Hanifa believes that the age of majority of every boy and girl can be different, hence boys and girls should get married only when they attain majority. According to Imam Jafar Al Sadiq, the right age for marriage of boys is 15 years and the right age for marriage of girls is 9 years.
