Leaving one's wealth and wife at the parents' command

Question

Concerning parents there is a hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ gave Hazrat Mu‘adh ten counsels; one of them is that one must not disobey one's parents even if they command one to leave one's wife or to spend all one's wealth. Please explain whether this very ruling applies in every situation.

Answer

Obedience to parents is binding (lazim), and for the sake of their command there is the ruling to leave one's wife and all one's wealth — provided there is no strong fear of falling into fitna (temptation): for example, that by leaving his wife he would fall into zina (fornication), and by spending his wealth he would fall into theft and the like.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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