The Prophet (ﷺ) praised the good traits of practicing Christians, namely that they do not abandon their wives.
He peace be upon him said:
إن الله يوصيكم بالنساء خيرا، إن الله يوصيكم بالنساء خيرا فإنهن أمهاتكم وبناتكم وخالاتكم، إن الرجل من أهل الكتاب يتزوج المرأة وما يعلق يداها الخيط فما يرغب واحد منهما عن صاحبه حتى يموتا هرما
“Indeed, Allah commands you to treat women well. Indeed, Allah commands you to treat women well, for they are your mothers, your daughters, and your maternal aunts. A man from the People of the Book marries a woman when her hands can barely hold a thread (meaning she is poor and young) and neither of them loses interest in the other until they both die in old age.”
Shaykh al-Albani said:
قلت: كان ذلك منهم حين كانوا على خلق وتدين ولو بدين مبدل، أما اليوم فهم يحرمون ما أحل الله من الطلاق، ويبيحون الزنى بل واللواط علنا!!
“I say: That was their practice when they still had good character and religiosity, even if it was according to a distorted religion. But today, they forbid what Allah has permitted of divorce, and openly permit fornication and even sodomy!”
(Silsilah al-Ahadeeth as-Saheehah, 2871)
This means the Prophet (ﷺ) advised us not to abandon women, but to treat them well, love them, and not leave them without a valid reason. It is one of the greatest sins and acts of immorality to leave a woman without cause. The following two ahadith are evidence for this:
1. Narrated by Ibn ‘Umar (رضي الله عنهما):
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: إِنَّ أَعْظَمَ الذُّنُوبِ عِنْدَ اللهِ رَجُلٌ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً، فَلَمَّا قَضَى حَاجَتَهُ مِنْهَا، طَلَّقَهَا، وَذَهَبَ بِمَهْرِهَا، وَرَجُلٌ اسْتَعْمَلَ رَجُلًا، فَذَهَبَ بِأُجْرَتِهِ، وَآخَرُ يَقْتُلُ دَابَّةً عَبَثًا.
“Indeed, among the greatest sins in the sight of Allah is that a man marries a woman, and when he has fulfilled his need from her, he divorces her and takes away her mahr; and (another is) a man who employs someone, then withholds his wages; and (another is) a man who kills an animal for no reason.”
(al-Mustadrak 2/198; authenticated by al-Albani in Silsilah as-Saheehah, no. 999)
2. Abu Salamah (meaning: Sulayman ibn Sulaym) said:
وَحَدَّثْتُ بِهَذَا الحَدِيثِ العَلَاءَ بْنَ سُفْيَانَ الغَسَّانِيَّ، فَقَالَ: لَقَدْ بَلَغَنِي: أَنَّ مِنَ الفَوَاحِشِ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللهُ مِمَّا بَطَنَ، مِمَّا لَمْ يَتَبَيَّنْ ذِكْرُهَا فِي القُرْآنِ: أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ الرَّجُلُ المَرْأَةَ، فَإِذَا تَقَادَمَ صُحْبَتُهَا، وَطَالَ عَهْدُهَا، وَنَفَضَتْ مَا فِي بَطْنِهَا، طَلَّقَهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ رِيبَةٍ.
“I narrated this hadith to al-‘Ala’ ibn Sufyan al-Ghasani, and he said: ‘It has reached me that among the shameful immoralities which Allah has forbidden — from what is hidden and not explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an — is that a man marries a woman, and when her companionship has grown old, much time has passed with her, and she has given birth to what was in her womb, he divorces her without any cause of suspicion.’”
(Silsilah al-Ahadeeth as-Saheehah, 2871)
Conclusion:
Leaving one’s wife is immoral and one of the greatest sins. In the past, there were good Christians who never abandoned their wives. Now, many do not even marry, or if they do, they engage in various extramarital affairs and even permit sodomy and LGBTQ practices. Nevertheless, there are still good traits among practicing Christians today.