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Is it permissible for a father to disown his disobedient son who leaves the house at night, and to prevent him from entering the house and from receiving financial support?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The absence of a father from his family has negative effects, and it is advised not to be absent for long. A son's absence from home without permission is an act of disobedience, and the father is advised not to think ill of him, as it might be for a good reason. If it is for committing sins, he should be advised and prayed for, and if he persists, his actions must be disavowed. As for withholding financial support from a disobedient son, the majority of scholars do not obligate financial support for an adult son who is able to earn a living, but the Hanbalis obligate it if he is poor. If financial support is obligatory, it is not permissible to withhold it merely due to disobedience; rather, it should be limited to necessities. It is advised to continue spending on him and enabling him to reside [in the home] unless it is known that the money is used for disobedience. Expelling and shunning the son is subject to a balance of benefits and harms; if it is highly probable that it will lead to his reform, it is permissible, otherwise, there remains nothing but patience and attempts at reform.

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

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