What is the ruling on a young man marrying an older woman without his parents' knowledge, and is that considered disobedience?

The default is that it is recommended to marry a virgin woman. However, marrying a non-virgin woman is permissible and may even be preferable in some cases. If the woman is religious and of good character, her being a widow or older in age does not prevent marrying her. The consent of the parents is not a condition for the validity of the marriage, but efforts should be made to convince them. If they are not convinced and prevent the marriage, it should be abandoned unless there is harm in doing so.