Introduction

Each year , 12 million girls are married before the age of 18 . That
is 23 girls every minute .Nearly 1 every 2 seconds. Child marriage
is a truly global problem that cuts across countries, cultures,
religions and ethnicities. Child brides can be found in every region
in the world, from the Middle East to Latin America, South Asia to
Europe.[1]

Marriage

Marriage is a legal contract between a man and a woman who is

lawfully permissible to him . It is based upon the consent of both
parties . Through this contract , they will be able to build a family
which forms the basis of each society. Mutual consent is a basis
of this contract in order to determine the rights and responsibilities
of both parties. Therefore , most international conventions have
emphasized the necessary existence of awareness, maturity and
good will for both parties which cannot be existed unless they have
reached the legal age . [2]

The definition of Early Marriage

According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, children

are those below the age of eighteen years and have not reached
the age of majority. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
has affirmed the full right of men and women to marry and found a
family, once they reach the legal age.[2]

The definition of early marriage from the legal point of view in

countries that ratify the conventions on the rights of women and
children is the marriage of children under the age of eighteen .
Article 16, paragraph 2, of Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Discrimination against Women ( CEDAW ) states that
both the engagement and the marriage of children have no legal
effect .The countries have to take all necessary legal procedures
to set a minimum age for marriage , register it officially , taking in
consideration that this clause is violated if one of the spouses is
under 18 years of age, and his physical development is not
completed, and thus their marriage is considered an early
marriage . [2] [3]
Early Marriage in Islam

The Islamic Sharia encouraged capable young men to marry and

form a family . The prophet Mohammed ( Peace be Upon him )
said ( Oh , youth : That who is amongst you capable of marriage
, he should marry, and that who is not , he should fast as Fast is a
remedy against sin)[4] or as he said literally. Islamic Sharia has
many purposes for its attitude towards marriage such as : keeping
self pureness , protecting it from committing sins ,the preservation
of human species , the preservation and care of kinship and the
satisfaction, happiness, and stability of the soul .[5]

Islam makes a distinction between two issues : a permissibility of

just a contract and a permissibility of marriage with its full rights.
This means that the girl who is under the legal age may have a
marriage contract only , but never gets married already unless she
can afford all the responsibilities of marriage . Allah has made
marriage dependent on puberty , and thus in the Holy Qur'an we
can read " And when the children among you come to puberty ,
then let them ( also ) ask for permission , as those senior to them
( in age ) . Thus Allah makes clear his ayat ( Commandments and
legal obligations ) for you . And Allah is All-knowing , All-wise " [6]
Thus, Islam does not encourage early marriage; It allows marriage
only if the child has reached the standard level of growth , or he
is still a child according to the Islamic Shariah .[5]

Causes of Early Marriage

At its heart, Early marriage is rooted in gender inequality and the

belief that girls and women are somehow inferior to boys and
. men

Early marriage is a complex issue. Poverty, lack of education,

. cultural practices, and insecurity fuel and sustain the practice

But drivers will vary from one community to the next and the
practice may look different across regions and countries, even
within the same country [1]
Early Marriage Pros

The supporters of Early Marriage think that it has a lot of Pros such
as : [7]

Eliminating the fear of husbandless for girls as when they let .1

time go without marriage , they will be older , and thus they will be
.more endangered to be husbandless

Increasing the chances of fertility and begetting because the .2

. fertility of women usually decreases as they get older

When couples marry early, they will likely be parents to their .3

children at their 30s. Thus, they will still be strong and able to be
.the young parents of their children

The parents are able to see their sons and daughters parents .4
.making families and having kids too

. Limiting the spread of fornication in the society .5

Early Marriage Cons

On the other hand , the refusing party see that Early Marriage
doesn't have but Cons such as : [7]

Lack of Maturity : Young couples are still young and immature. .1

They are still learning how to be responsible for themselves when
.they suddenly find themselves in charge of a whole household

Lack of complete education : Children must be properly .2

educated at a very young age in order to avoid the complications
.of married life

Early Marriage may cause a lot of health problems for young .3

girls because of her immature and weak body building before and
while pregnancy. It is a very difficult experiment in such a young
. age

Lack of Understanding : The level of understanding should be .4

developed only when both of them should be matured enough for
.understanding each other and their own environment
Tendency to Make Compromises : When people marry young, .5
especially the women, they tend to deviate from their chosen
.career

Conclusion

Marrying early may seem very romantic and convenient, but it has
its problems. Couples need to get to know each other better and
this takes time. Rushing into a marriage, which may not last long is
 .not the right thing to do

Resources

Girls Not brides Organization website : ]1[

https://www.girlsnotbrides.org , seen on 12/6/2019

The Lebanese Democratic Women’s Gathering RDFL website : ]2[

https://www.rdflwomen.org , seen in Arabic and translated into
English on 12/6/2019

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination ]3[

against Women ( CEDAW) pdf file , page 17 , United Nations ,
/ seen on 13/6/2019

Sahih Muslim Book , Hadith number 1400 : seen in Arabic and ]4[
translated into English on 13/6/2019

Dr.Abdulmalik Altaj " Early Marriage : Its Judgement in The ]5[

Islamic Sharia : page 48 : seen in Arabic and translated into
English on 13/6/2019

The Holy Qur'an , Surah Al-Nour , Verse 59 , ]6[

https://publications-img.qurancomplex.gov.sa/?p=44

Pros and Cons of Early Marriage: Albawaba website posted on ]7[

19/10/2015 : seen in Arabic and translated into English on
13/6/2019