Fatwa: # 19743
Category: Marriage
Country: United States
Date: 1st February 2012

Title

Is it permissible for a boy to marry a girl who is older than him?

Question

Can you marry a girl older that is older than you by one or two years. For example, the boy is 21 and the girl is 22?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

It is permissible for a boy to marry a girl who is older than him. When the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam married Kadijāh Radiallahu Ta’alā Anha, he, he was 25 years old and Khadijāh Radiallahu Ta’ala Anha was 40 years old.[i]

However, the most important thing in marriage is compatibility. 

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best.

Mawlana Abdul Hannan Nizami,
Student Darul Iftaa.
USA

 

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net


[i] البداية والنهاية ط الفكر (2/ 295)

قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: وَكَانَ عُمُرُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ تَزَوَّجَ خَدِيجَةَ خَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ سَنَةً فِيمَا حَدَّثَنِي غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ، مِنْهُمْ أَبُو عَمْرٍو الْمَدَنِيُّ. وَقَالَ يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ كَتَبْتُ عَنْ إبراهيم بن المنذر حدثني عمر بن أبي بكر المؤملي حَدَّثَنِي غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ أَنَّ عَمْرَو بْنَ أَسَدٍ زَوَّجَ خَدِيجَةَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَعُمُرُهُ خَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ سَنَةً وَقُرَيْشٌ تَبْنِي الْكَعْبَةَ.

 

زاد المعاد في هدي خير العباد (1/ 76)

 ثُمَّ رَجَعَ فَتَزَوَّجَ عَقِبَ رُجُوعِهِ خديجة بنت خويلد، وَقِيلَ تَزَوَّجَهَا وَلَهُ ثَلَاثُونَ سَنَةً، وَقِيلَ إِحْدَى وَعِشْرُونَ، وَسِنُّهَا أَرْبَعُونَ، وَهِيَ أَوَّلُ امْرَأَةٍ تَزَوَّجَهَا

 

زاد المعاد في هدي خير العباد (1/ 102)

فَصْلٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

أُولَاهُنَّ خديجة بنت خويلد القرشية الأسدية، تَزَوَّجَهَا قَبْلَ النُّبُوَّةِ، وَلَهَا أَرْبَعُونَ سَنَةً، وَلَمْ يَتَزَوَّجْ عَلَيْهَا حَتَّى مَاتَتْ

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