Ruling on Refusing Marriage to an Older Man or One Who Has Been Married and Divorced
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Our sister raises an issue regarding the Shaykh’s leniency, namely that this man who married her and with whom she did not have a good relationship was previously married and divorced. She is afraid of this. Do you have a word on this topic, if you please?
Answer: This is not an excuse. A person may marry and divorce, and then Allah may grant him success with a second wife, and he may not divorce her. This is not an excuse. Likewise, regarding advanced age, the fact that he is ten, twenty, or thirty years older than her is not an excuse. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married Aisha when he was fifty-three years old and she was nine years old, and at the time of ....... she was six or seven years old. So old age does not harm. There is no blame if the woman is older, and there is no blame if the husband is older. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married Khadijah when she was forty and he was twenty-five, before the revelation was sent to him (peace and blessings be upon him). She was fifteen years older than him (may Allah be pleased with her and grant her satisfaction). Then he married Aisha when she was young, six or seven years old, and he consummated the marriage when she was nine years old and he was fifty-three years old.
Many of those who speak on the radio or on television and turn people away from the age difference between husband and wife are all wrong; it is all an error. It is not permissible for them to say such things. It is obligatory for the woman to look at the husband, and if he is righteous and suitable, she should agree to the marriage, even if he is much older than this age. Likewise, the man should care for the righteous woman who has religion, even if she is older than him, if she is of the age of youth and childbearing, even if she is older than him in age.
So the conclusion is that age should not be an excuse, nor should it be a defect, as long as the man is righteous and the girl is righteous. Allah will rectify the situation of everyone.
Answer: This is not an excuse. A person may marry and divorce, and then Allah may grant him success with a second wife, and he may not divorce her. This is not an excuse. Likewise, regarding advanced age, the fact that he is ten, twenty, or thirty years older than her is not an excuse. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married Aisha when he was fifty-three years old and she was nine years old, and at the time of ....... she was six or seven years old. So old age does not harm. There is no blame if the woman is older, and there is no blame if the husband is older. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married Khadijah when she was forty and he was twenty-five, before the revelation was sent to him (peace and blessings be upon him). She was fifteen years older than him (may Allah be pleased with her and grant her satisfaction). Then he married Aisha when she was young, six or seven years old, and he consummated the marriage when she was nine years old and he was fifty-three years old.
Many of those who speak on the radio or on television and turn people away from the age difference between husband and wife are all wrong; it is all an error. It is not permissible for them to say such things. It is obligatory for the woman to look at the husband, and if he is righteous and suitable, she should agree to the marriage, even if he is much older than this age. Likewise, the man should care for the righteous woman who has religion, even if she is older than him, if she is of the age of youth and childbearing, even if she is older than him in age.
So the conclusion is that age should not be an excuse, nor should it be a defect, as long as the man is righteous and the girl is righteous. Allah will rectify the situation of everyone.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.