clarification on hadith

[H.]

assalamu alaykum guys,

i have a question on a hadith, Jabir bin Abdullah:When I got married, Allah’s Apostle said “What lady have you married?” I replied “I have married a matron’ He said “Why? dont you have liking for virgins and for fondling them? Why didn’t you marry a young girl so you might play with her and she with you?” Sahih al-Bukhari 7:62:17

why did muhammad say this? what is the reason?

jazakallah

[AhmadFarooq]

W/slam,

As far as I know, this was just a simple, curious question; not having some nefarious underlying meaning. Nowadays, this event gets used out of context or to fallaciously support bad arguments.

From other narrations we find a few more details regarding the event:

Narrated Jabir:
My father died and left behind seven or nine daughters, and I married a woman. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Did you get married, O Jabir?" I replied, "Yes." He asked, "Is she a virgin or a matron?" I replied, "She is a matron." He said, "Why didn't you marry a virgin girl so that you might play with her and she with you (or, you might make her laugh and she make you laugh)?" I said, "My father died, leaving seven or nine girls (orphans) and I did not like to bring a young girl like them, so I married a woman who can look after them." He said, "May Allah bestow His Blessing on you."
Source: https://sunnah.com/bukhari/80/82

The somewhat important addition being that the Prophet supplicated for Jabir.

You can read other narrations regarding the same event here:
https://sunnah.com/search/?q=why+didn%27t+you+marry+a+virgin
http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?90190-Sahih-Bukhari-hadiths-about-preferable-marriage-to-Virgins