A young man of good character and religion proposed to a girl, but he is younger than her, and in their custom, a woman is not to be older than the suitor, and she fears this will affect her marriage.

The questioner : A questioner says: I am a girl who places my future and life in Allah the Exalted, and then in what you advise me. A young man three years younger than me proposed to me, and in our custom and the habit of the people in our land, a woman is not to be older than her husband in age. I fear that this custom of the people will affect our marriage. So what do you advise me, may Allah guide you, if that man is upright in his religion?

The Shaykh : I advise her to accept the marriage contract with this man, especially if his age is advanced, even if he is three years younger than her. I remind her that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married Khadijah when he was twenty-five years old and she was forty. All his children were from her except Ibrahim, and he did not marry anyone else while she was alive; he only married after she died. So I tell her that in Khadijah, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), there is a role model. If this suitor is a match in his religion and character, let her rely on Allah and accept. All customs that contradict the Shari'ah are invalid customs that should not be heeded. Yes.