Is it permissible for a husband to obey his mother in divorcing his wife and destroying their home, and is this considered an act of filial piety towards her?
The mother's right is great, but obedience to her is only in what is recognized as good. Obedience to the mother is not obligatory in divorcing one's wife if she commands it due to a disagreement or lack of affection, especially if the wife is righteous. Some scholars have gone so far as to prohibit obeying the mother in divorcing the wife in this situation, such as Ibn Taymiyyah, who said: "It is not permissible for him to divorce her. Rather, he must honor her [his mother], and divorcing his wife is not part of honoring her." It is obligatory for the husband to honor his mother and treat his wife well. The wife should also be good to her husband's family, overlook their mistakes, and help him honor his parents.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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