Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

can you tell me about if and when there is a relationship, and in that relationship the man is younger than the woman, how should one face the world? 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Marry woman who is older

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Provided all the other legal conditions of marriage are fulfilled (proposal and acceptance, determination of the mehr amount, presence of at least two witnesses, and the consent of the guardian of the bride), it is absolutely permissible in Islam for a man to marry a woman who is elder to him.

The biggest evidence of the permissibility of a believer marrying an elder woman in Islam is the marriage of the Noble Prophet (saws) to his most beloved and first wife, Hadrat Khadijah (r.a.). At the time of their marriage, the Prophet (saws) was 25 years of age and Hadrat Khadijah (r.a.) was 40!

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan