He wants to divorce his wife so that he will be free to focus on seeking knowledge

We advise you not to abandon your wife and
daughter and leave them as easy prey for any evildoer, or to let yourself be
distracted from the obligation of taking care of them and looking after them
by another duty. The first thing that the seeker of knowledge is obliged to
do is to take care of his wife and family, whether they are Muslim or not,
as Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning): “And warn your tribe (O Muhammad) of near kindred” [ash-Shu
‘ara’ 26:214]. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased
with him) said: They said: O Messenger of Allaah, whom should I treat
kindly? He said, “Your mother.” He said: Then who? He said, “Your mother.”
He said, Then who? He said, “Your mother.” He said, Then who? He said, “Your
father.” He said: Then who? He said, “The next closest and the next
closest.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah in as-Sunan (no. 3658), classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah. 

Seeking knowledge has never formed a
barrier between a man and his wife and children, but in the past it required
making some sacrifices. But nowadays means of communication are widely
available and people are better off, and the blessings of this world have
become more accessible to them. Now it has become very easy for the seeker
of knowledge to take his wife and children with him wherever he wants to
travel to seek knowledge. If a person takes this decision, Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, will inevitably make things easy for him, if he seeks
reward with Allah and intends that Allah should decree guidance, help and
happiness for his family. By doing that, he is doing them the greatest
possible favour that can be done in this world, which is guidance. In fact
knowledge should only be sought in order to act upon it and call people to
it, and priority should be given to one’s wife and children. Perhaps his
reward will surpass by far the reward of the seeker of knowledge who is not
sincere towards Allah and does not know how and where to seek that
knowledge, so his knowledge will become a cause of troubles and misery for
him – Allah forbid. 

If it is not possible for you to take your
family with you, then you can follow a program for seeking knowledge on the
Internet; there are many such programs, praise be to Allah. In fact nowadays
many universities offer their certification to subscribers who follow the
lectures on the Internet. You can also make use of summer courses that offer
useful programs for a short period, for which it is acceptable for you to
travel on your own; these are very effective courses and beneficial
programs. 

Moreover, the things you are looking for
of series of lessons and lectures, and commentaries on books, are recording
and available on the Internet, and you can download them and study them
yourself, or with a friend who is living in the same place. 

What matters in all these things is firm
resolve, patience and perseverance in seeking and acquiring knowledge,
pondering different aspects of it and learning its issues. If a person has
this resolve, nothing can form a barrier between him and seeking knowledge,
not even mountains of difficulties and obstacles. But the one who is weak in
our opinion is the one who always says that he is not able to combine
seeking knowledge and taking care of his family, or to combine seeking
knowledge and earning a living. 

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr
(may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said: “It is sufficient sin for a man to
withhold provision from the one whose provision he controls.” Narrated by
Muslim (996). 

If you read the biographies of some of the
scholars who gave precedence to traveling in the pursuit of knowledge to
taking care of their wives and children, that is because of what was
dictated by circumstances in their time, which made it necessary to travel
in order to acquire knowledge, which was basically narrations and hadeeths
that it was not possible for the seeker of knowledge to acquire in his own
city. But nowadays things are completely different; knowledge now is
understanding and pondering, as well as studying and memorizing, and all of
that can be achieved – as we have stated – by reading and studying, as well
as making short trips to meet scholars, and by following their output via
modern means of communication. Most of the scholars and seekers of knowledge
whom we know have not resorted to what you are thinking of, namely divorcing
your wife and abandoning your daughter; rather they have combined learning
and helping their families, and by virtue of their eagerness and efforts
they have become scholars who practise what they preach, praise be to
Allah. 

And who knows, perhaps Allah may benefit
your wife by means of you, and open her heart, and you may have the joy of
seeing her become Muslim. 

Beware of falling into the most despised
of that which is permissible, namely divorce, and abandoning your children
who are in the greatest need of being with you, for the sake of something
for which there are many alternative options, praise be to Allah. 

And Allah knows best.