Desertion because of a Sharee’ah-approved reason is permissible

9-3-2011 | IslamWeb

Question:

A dispute occurred between my brother and my father because my brother wants to marry a girl with a bad reputation. My father refuses this marriage. Finally, my father expelled our brother from home and ordered me, as well other my brothers, not to see or talk to him. What should we do? Should we sever kinship ties with our brother in order to obey our father? Many people tell me not to do so under the pretext that severing kinship ties is prohibited. Should I talk to my brother and contradict my father’s command? What should my mother’s attitude be regarding this? May Allaah reward you.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

 

Your brother has to give up the idea of marrying this girl because of her bad reputation. He is required to be obedient and dutiful to his father. He should look for a religious and virtuous girl with a good reputation to marry. You are all required to offer him advice in this respect. However, if he declines to accept your advice, your father, if he thinks that it is beneficial, is entitled to desert him and order you to do the same, for he may be deterred and give that girl up. You should obey your father in this, if you believe that this is likely to stop your brother from doing what he wants. This should be done if the girl indeed has a bad reputation, not just rumors.  In such a case, desertion is not considered a form of severing kinship ties. 

Allaah Knows best.