My father died and left behind seven daughters, or nine daughters, so I married a previously married woman. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "Have you married, Jabir?"I said, "Yes."He asked, "A virgin or a previously married woman?"I said, "A previously married woman."He said, "Why not a young girl, so you could play with her and she with you, and you could make her laugh and she could make you laugh?"I said to him, "Abdullah died and left behind daughters, and I disliked bringing them someone like them. So I married a woman who would care for them and tend to them."He said, "May Allah bless you for that," or he said something good.In another wording, "I disliked bringing in a young, inexperienced girl like them, but rather a woman who would comb their hair and look after them."
هلك أبي وترك سبع بنات، أو تسع بنات فتزوجت امرأة ثيبا، فقال لي رسول الله ﷺ: تزوجت يا جابر؟ فقلت: نعم، فقال: بكرا أم ثيبا؟ قلت: بل ثيبا قال: فهلا جارية تلاعبها وتلاعبك، وتضاحكها وتضاحكك قال: فقلت له: إن عبد الله هلك وترك بنات وإني كرهت أن أجيئهن بمثلهن، فتزوجت امرأة تقوم عليهن وتصلحهن فقال: بارك الله لك- أو قال خيرا. وفي لفظ: فكرهت أن أجمع إليهن جارية خرقاء مثلهن، ولكن امرأة تمشطهن وتقوم عليهن.
Bukhari narrated it in the Book of Expenditures (5367), and Muslim in the Book of Suckling (56:1466), both through Hammad bin Zayd, from Amr bin Dinar, from Jabir bin Abdullah, and he mentioned it. The other wording is Bukhari's in the Book of Military Expeditions (4052), through Sufyan (that is, Ibn Uyayna), from Amr bin Dinar, with the same chain.