Ahmad on Divorce: Not an obligation to divorce upon parental request

Sindi reported: A man asked Abu Abdullah, Imam Ahmad, “My father has ordered me to divorce my wife.” Ahmad said, “Do not divorce her.” He said, “Did not Umar command his son Abdullah to divorce his wife?” Ahmad said, “Is your father like Umar, may Allah be pleased with him?”

Ibn Muflih said, “If his father commands him to divorce his wife, it is not an obligation to do so as mentioned by most of our scholars.”

Source: al-Ādāb al-Shar’īyah 1/447

عن سِنْدِيٌّ قَالَ سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يعني الإمام أحمد فَقَالَ إنَّ أَبِي يَأْمُرُنِي أَنْ أُطَلِّقَ امْرَأَتِي قَالَ لَا تُطَلِّقْهَا قَالَ أَلَيْسَ عُمَرُ أَمَرَ ابْنَهُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ أَنْ يُطَلِّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ قَالَ حَتَّى يَكُونَ أَبُوك مِثْلَ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ

قال ابن مفلح فَإِنْ أَمَرَهُ أَبُوهُ بِطَلَاقِ امْرَأَتِهِ لَمْ يَجِبْ ذَكَرَهُ أَكْثَرُ الْأَصْحَابِ

1/447 الآداب الشرعية

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