What is the ruling if a father asks his son to divorce his wife?

The questioner : If a father asks his son to divorce his wife, what is the ruling, with details?

The Shaykh : If a father asks his son to divorce his wife, it does not fall outside of two cases. The first case is that the father explains a legal reason that necessitates divorcing her and parting from her. For example, he might say, "Divorce your wife because she is suspicious. She is suspicious in her character; she flirts with men, talks to them on the telephone, goes out to improper gatherings, and the like." In this case, he should obey his father and divorce her, because he did not ask for the divorce out of personal whim, but to protect his son's bed from being defiled in this manner. So he should divorce her.
The second case is when the father says to his son, "Divorce your wife," because the son loves her. The father becomes jealous of his son's love for her, and mothers are often even more jealous. Many mothers, when they see their son loving his wife, become very jealous, so that her son's wife is like a co-wife to her. We ask Allah for safety from that. In this case, it is not obligatory for the son, or the son, to divorce his wife if his father or his mother orders him to do so. However, he should be discreet with them, keep the wife, and try to win them over and convince them with gentle speech until they are satisfied with her remaining with him. And what? Who gave her? Look for it. We never knew in the mosque.
I say that in this case, if the wife is upright in her religion and character, and his father or mother orders him to divorce her, he should not divorce her. Instead, he should be discreet with his parents, explain the matter to them, and convince them until they are convinced. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about this very issue. A man came to him and said, "My father orders me to divorce my wife." Imam Ahmad said to him, "Do not divorce her, do not divorce her." The man said, "Did not the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) order Ibn 'Umar to divorce his wife when 'Umar ordered him to do so?" Imam Ahmad said, "Is your father like 'Umar?"
Yes, if the father argued with his son and said, "My son, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar to divorce his wife when his father 'Umar ordered him to do so," what would the son say to his father? He would say, "Are you like 'Umar?" He has the right to say that, but he should be gentle in his speech. He should say, "'Umar saw something that required the public interest for him to order his son to divorce his wife for its sake." And he should speak with good manners. This is the answer to this issue, which occurs frequently and is often asked about. Yes.