The ruling on a man marrying a woman older than him, or the reverse
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
From the Arab Republic of Egypt, the listener (M. N. A.) sent a message containing a collection of questions. We presented some of his questions in a previous episode, and in this episode, he has a few others remaining. He says: I have a cousin whom I wish to marry, and she is likewise willing. When I wanted to propose to her, my older brother prevented me and told me: "It is forbidden for me to marry a woman older than me, and it is not permissible." This brother of mine is the imam of a mosque and preaches to the people. Is this correct? Knowing that this young woman is only three years older than me. I ask for your guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
This is a mistake. Your brother’s statement is a mistake. There is no blame on you for marrying a woman who is older than you, or younger than you; there is no blame, or if she is the same age as you. It is all permissible, and praise be to Allah. If you married a woman who is forty years old and you are twenty, there is nothing wrong with it. Or if she is fifty and you are twenty, there is nothing wrong with it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married Khadijah, the mother of his children, when she was in her forties, and his age when he married her was twenty-five (peace and blessings be upon him). There was a fifteen-year difference between them. He also married Aishah when she was nine years old, and he was fifty years old, or rather fifty-three years old, (peace and blessings be upon him).
The point is: there is no blame in a difference in age between the husband and wife, whether he is older than her or she is older than him; there is no blame in that. What is important is that she be one of those with religion. If she is one of those with religion, then marry her, even if she is older than you. Likewise, there is nothing wrong with marrying a man who is older than her and more advanced in age; there is no blame in that if he is good for her in his religion and his character. Even if she is forty and he is sixty, or she is twenty and he is thirty, or she is fifteen and he is twenty, or twenty-five, there is no blame in any of this, whether she is older than him or he is older than her. There is no blame in this according to all the scholars. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
From the Arab Republic of Egypt, the listener (M. N. A.) sent a message containing a collection of questions. We presented some of his questions in a previous episode, and in this episode, he has a few others remaining. He says: I have a cousin whom I wish to marry, and she is likewise willing. When I wanted to propose to her, my older brother prevented me and told me: "It is forbidden for me to marry a woman older than me, and it is not permissible." This brother of mine is the imam of a mosque and preaches to the people. Is this correct? Knowing that this young woman is only three years older than me. I ask for your guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
This is a mistake. Your brother’s statement is a mistake. There is no blame on you for marrying a woman who is older than you, or younger than you; there is no blame, or if she is the same age as you. It is all permissible, and praise be to Allah. If you married a woman who is forty years old and you are twenty, there is nothing wrong with it. Or if she is fifty and you are twenty, there is nothing wrong with it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married Khadijah, the mother of his children, when she was in her forties, and his age when he married her was twenty-five (peace and blessings be upon him). There was a fifteen-year difference between them. He also married Aishah when she was nine years old, and he was fifty years old, or rather fifty-three years old, (peace and blessings be upon him).
The point is: there is no blame in a difference in age between the husband and wife, whether he is older than her or she is older than him; there is no blame in that. What is important is that she be one of those with religion. If she is one of those with religion, then marry her, even if she is older than you. Likewise, there is nothing wrong with marrying a man who is older than her and more advanced in age; there is no blame in that if he is good for her in his religion and his character. Even if she is forty and he is sixty, or she is twenty and he is thirty, or she is fifteen and he is twenty, or twenty-five, there is no blame in any of this, whether she is older than him or he is older than her. There is no blame in this according to all the scholars. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.