Recommendations and virtues concerning marriage with a Thayyiba woman (divorced or elderly)

Question

Assalamou alaikoum wa rahmatoullahi wa barakatouh dear brothers and sisters,

I hope you are all well by the grace of Allah. I have a question concerning the recommendations related to marriage with a "Thayyiba" woman. In the Malikite School (and other schools it seems to me), I know that there is the recommendation in favor of marrying a "bikr" woman, i.e. a woman who has never been married and is younger, because it is said that she might be more apt to love her husband for various reasons.

I was wondering if there are similar recommendations or virtues regarding marriage with a "Thayyiba" woman, i.e. a woman who has already been married or consummated a previous marriage. Even if there is no explicit recommendation, are there benefits or good deeds to be derived from it depending on the intention? If so, what might these beneficial intentions be?

I would greatly appreciate your clarifications and references on this subject. May Allah reward you for your help.

Barakallahou fikoum.

Answer 1

The default case is that it is recommended to marry a virgin. However some such as those among the Shafi'is and Hanbalis have noted that it can be better to marry a matron when there is some interest served by it. Such as evident by the ahadith on the marriage of Jabir bin Abdullah:

عن جابر، قال قال لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏‏ هل نكحت يا جابر ‏‏‏.‏ قلت نعم‏.‏ قال ‏‏ ماذا أبكرا أم ثيبا ‏‏‏.‏ قلت لا بل ثيبا‏.‏ قال ‏‏ فهلا جارية تلاعبك ‏‏‏.‏ قلت يا رسول الله، إن أبي قتل يوم أحد وترك تسع بنات كن لي تسع أخوات، فكرهت أن أجمع إليهن جارية خرقاء مثلهن، ولكن امرأة تمشطهن وتقوم عليهن‏.‏ قال ‏‏ أصبت ‏‏‏

Narrated Jabir:

"Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to me, "Have you got married O Jabir?" I replied, "Yes." He asked "What, a virgin or a matron?" I replied, "Not a virgin but a matron." He said, "Why did you not marry a young girl who would have fondled with you?" I replied, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! My father was martyred on the day of Uhud and left nine (orphan) daughters who are my nine sisters; so I disliked to have another young girl of their age, but (I sought) an (elderly) woman who could comb their hair and look after them." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You have done the right thing."

^{— Bukhari}