He is confused as to whether he should marry a virgin or a widow
Question

                I know a widow who has children, and I want to get married. I am wondering whether I should marry her or a virgin who has not been married before?
Praise be to Allah.This 
          depends on the situation of the husband; it may be that marriage to 
          a widow is more suitable for him, and better.  
The 
          widow may be a lady of religious commitment and good character, such 
          that you would not want to let the opportunity to marry such a woman 
          “slip through your fingers”, and you could not find a virgin of such 
          religious commitment and character.  
But 
          generally speaking, the Prophet  
          (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged marriage to virgins.  
          
There 
          is the story of Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him), whose father 
          had died, leaving him with sisters. In his case it would not have been 
          suitable for him to marry a virgin who was young like them. So he wanted 
          to marry a woman who had been previously married, who could take care 
          of them and look after them, and the Prophet  
          (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of his decision.  
          
It was narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah 
          (may Allaah be pleased with them both) said: “The Prophet  
          (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked me, ‘Have you got 
          married?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘A virgin or a previously-married 
          woman?’ I said, ‘A previously-married woman.’ He said, ‘Why not a young 
          girl, whom you could play with and she could play with you?’ I said, 
          ‘I have sisters and I wanted to marry a woman who could gather them 
          together and comb their hair and take care of them.’ He said: ‘You will 
          reach, so when you have arrived (at home), I advise you to associate 
          with your wife (that you may have an intelligent son).’”
(Narrated 
          by al-Bukhaari, 1991; Muslim, 715)  
According 
          to another report narrated by al-Bukhaari (2257), “… so she could teach 
          them and discipline them.”  
According 
          to another report narrated by al-Bukhaari (2805) and Muslim (715): “He 
          said: ‘The Messenger of Allaah  
          (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me, when I asked 
          his permission (to participate in jihaad), “Have you married 
          a virgin or a previously-married woman?” I said, “A previously-married 
          woman.” He said, “Why did you not marry a virgin whom you could play 
          with and she could play with you?” I said, “O Messenger of Allaah, my 
          father has died (or has become a shaheed/martyr), and I have 
          young sisters, so I did not want to marry someone like them who could 
          not discipline them or take care of them, so I married a previously-married 
          woman who could take care of them and discipline them.”’”  
It was narrated that Jaabir (may Allaah be 
          pleased with him) said: “My father died, leaving seven – or nine – daughters, 
          and I married a previously-married woman. The Messenger of Allaah  
          (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked, ‘Did you get married, 
          O Jaabir?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘A virgin or a previously-married 
          woman?’ I said, ‘A previously-married woman.’ He said, ‘Why not a young 
          girl whom you could play with and she could play with you, and you could 
          laugh with her and she could laugh with you?’ I told him that ‘Abd-Allaah 
          had died and left behind daughters, and I did not want to bring to them 
          someone like them. So I had married a woman who could take care of them 
          and discipline them. He said, ‘May Allaah bless you,’ or similar kind 
          words.”(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5052)  
Shaykh 
          Mustafa al-Ruhaybaani said: 
“It is 
          Sunnah for the one who wants to get married to marry a virgin, because 
          the Prophet  (peace and blessings 
          of Allaah be upon him) said to Jaabir, ‘Why not a virgin whom you could 
          play with and she could play with you?’ (agreed upon) – unless there 
          is a reason for which marrying a previously-married woman is better, 
          in which case he should choose such a woman over a virgin, in order 
          to serve that interest.”(Mataalib Uli al-Nuha, 5/9, 10)  
          
And Allaah 
          knows best.