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The fact that the woman is older the man should not prevent them from getting married

25-04-2001

Question 12630

I am 21 year old muslim. I do want to get married soon. I especially want to get Married to someone who is older than me(e.g.somebody about 7 years older). Is There anything 'wrong' in wanting to do this? I know that the prophet's 1st wife was About 15 years older than him. However, people might think my preference is a little odd. After all, it does not happen much nowadays

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

Age does not matter, and it does not matter if the woman is older or if the husband is older. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) married Khadeejah when she was forty and he was twenty-five. What does matter is that the man should look for a righteous woman who is religiously-committed, even if she is older than him, if she is still young enough to bear children. The point is that age should not be a problem and such a marriage is not wrong if the man is righteous and the woman is righteous. May Allaah guide us all to the best way.

Summarized from the fatwa of Shaykh Ibn Baaz in Fataawa Islamiyyah, part 3, p. 107

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