Jiddah, Saudi Arabia (AHN) - A Saudi marriage officiant says that marriage to a girl as young as 1-year-old is allowable.

In a televised interview with Lebanon's LBC TV, Dr. Ahmad al Mu'bi said there were two aspects to marriage. One is the marriage contract, the other is the consummation of the marriage.

According to Mu'bi, there is no minimal age at which a person can enter a marriage contract, but the appropriate age to begin having intercourse with a young bride will "vary according to environment and traditions."

He said with the father of the bride as guardian, entering into marriage at any age "merely" indicates consent to take the girl as a wife, but it is up to the husband and father to decide when the girl is ready to consummate the marriage.

While Mu'bi said different Muslim countries have different ideas about what is proper age for either part of marriage, he said in in Saudi Arabia, "We consider the prophet Mohammed to be our model."

Mu'bi said Mohammed took his wife, A'isha, when she was six, but waited until she was niine to have sex with her.