Age Factor In Muslim Marriages - NikahExplorer
Islam encourages Muslims to get married as soon as possible after reaching the age of puberty. Allah has expressly asked us in the Quran to marry when we are young so that we can stay away from all forms of evil which come from not being married legally i.e.: adultery etc. However, to get married one must also be in a position to support their family.
Allah and his Prophet (PBUH) do not advocate marriage if a person is not capable of supporting a wife financially but encourages them to do so that they indeed get married and complete half their deen. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) says “Those that can afford it should get married, and those that cannot get married should fast.”
In our society in the present era age is considered a very big factor in getting married. Many believe that the girl should be younger than the boy when considering marriage. Others believe that the boy should cross well pass the age of 30 before entering marriage. NONE of these societal thoughts match the teachings of Islam and Islam has no basis of for age in marriage provided they have reached the age of puberty.
The marriage of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) to Hazrat Khadijah is a perfect example that proves that age is not a factor in Islam for getting married. Hazrat Khadijah was 15 years older than the Holy Prophet (PBUH) but they had the most perfect marriage that the world has ever known , so much so that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is known to have said that “She was the only one who believed in me when no one else did” . Their love story is an example to follow for generations of Muslim couples to come. How then, can we place importance on the factor of age, when we have seen and read the example of the most perfect marriage? When Allah has not placed a restriction on us in terms of what age our spouse should be, whether they should be older or younger than us, then why must we? Or are we claiming to know more than the All-Knowing? Certainly not.
Let us get rid of these prejudices and seek to work on the things that matter in marriage decisions; the potential spouse’s faith, their personality, their Islamic values. Let us not give importance to age, for when Allah has made it easy for us, why must we make it difficult. Marry a good person. Whether they are young or old does not matter. Allah knows best.