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The question

Is it considered disobedience to one's parents (ʿuqūq al-wālidayn) to refuse to take back a barren wife based on their request, especially after agreeing to her separation and desiring to marry another?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

If Allah afflicts a brother with a barren wife, he should keep her in his wedlock if she possesses piety and good character. He should then marry another woman seeking offspring, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "Marry the fertile and loving." This is especially true if it brings satisfaction to his father and constitutes obedience to him in what is good. He must observe the condition of justice between the two wives in terms of lodging, maintenance, and similar matters, unless both wives consent otherwise. However, if he is unable to fulfill the rights of both wives, his father does not have the right to compel him to keep the barren wife, as long as he desires children.

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

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