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Is it permissible for a virgin to marry a divorced man? And is it permissible to ask his ex-wife about his character?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If a suitor is pleasing in his religion and character, it is permissible to marry him, whether he is divorced or not, due to the generality of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "If someone whose religion and character you approve comes to you proposing marriage, then marry him." It is permissible for a woman to inquire about the condition and character of the one who proposes to her, and this is not considered backbiting; rather, it is seeking advice, and she must investigate thoroughly. The Prophet (peace be upon him) pointed out the circumstances of two suitors for Fatimah bint Qais, and this is evidence of the permissibility of mentioning what is in a person when seeking consultation and advice. Therefore, it is permissible to ask about the character of the former husband if you trust in her honesty and trustworthiness, without relying solely on her words.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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