His Wife Lied to Him About Her Age Prior to Marriage

15-9-2022 | IslamWeb

Question:

Asalamu AlaikumBefore my marriage my wife and my inlaws told me that the bride's age is same as of mine but after ten years of marriage i came to know that she is seven years old to me. They have deliberately concealed her real age. Please guide me what should I do as I am feeling so bad.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

If your wife had told you prior to the marriage that she was the same age as you, then she has done wrong. Saying something contrary to reality is a sheer lie, and lying is forbidden.

It is natural that you should be upset, but do not let this mistake overwhelm your feelings (towards her). Rather, you should see the glass half full and bear in mind the good moral qualities of your wife. This will help sustain your marital life, foster your good companionship, and help you forget what she did.

It is noteworthy that such age difference does not mean the inevitable failure of the marriage. The Prophet married Khadeejah who was fifteen years older than him, and she was one of his best wives. He (loved her dearly, and) did not even take a second wife except after her death and continued to remember her often and honor her memory. He would slaughter a cow and distribute its meat to her female friends (to honor the friends of his late wife).

If you fear that her lie or the age difference has an effect on the validity of the marriage contract, then this is not the case because whenever the conditions for validity of a marriage contract are met, the marriage is declared valid as per the Sharee‘ah.

Allah knows best.