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|title=Wife Beating in the Qur'an | |||
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All of the agreed upon, relied upon Muslim translations of this verse into English agree that this verse instructs men on when and under what circumstances they are commanded to beat their wives. The verses sets out a three-part program for men dealing with "nushuuz" or disloyalty/disobediance. The three steps outlined are to first to admonish or sternly advise them to stop, then to seperate in the bedroom from them (somehow, commentators take up the question of what this means) and then, finally, to beat them. Yusuf Ali adds the word "lightly" to his translation, a word which is not found in the text of the verse. Rather, this word is found in the Farewell Sermon of the Prophet and a number of [[Hadith]] relating to the issue of wife beating. The particular turn of phrase here is "ghayr mubarrih" غير مبرح, a phrase meaning something like "not violently" or "not intensely." The scholarly consensus around this verse and the related traditions is that it is allowed and even instructed from Allah to strike a disobedient wife, however this strike must not cause grievous damage. The definitions of "grevious" or "serious" damage is subject to discussion by the commentators. The cause of the revelation, as will be seen below, leaves no doubt however that despite Muhammad's own wish on the matter it is the will of Allah that men strike their disobedient lives. | All of the agreed upon, relied upon Muslim translations of this verse into English agree that this verse instructs men on when and under what circumstances they are commanded to beat their wives. The verses sets out a three-part program for men dealing with "nushuuz" or disloyalty/disobediance. The three steps outlined are to first to admonish or sternly advise them to stop, then to seperate in the bedroom from them (somehow, commentators take up the question of what this means) and then, finally, to beat them. Yusuf Ali adds the word "lightly" to his translation, a word which is not found in the text of the verse. Rather, this word is found in the Farewell Sermon of the Prophet and a number of [[Hadith]] relating to the issue of wife beating. The particular turn of phrase here is "ghayr mubarrih" غير مبرح, a phrase meaning something like "not violently" or "not intensely." The scholarly consensus around this verse and the related traditions is that it is allowed and even instructed from Allah to strike a disobedient wife, however this strike must not cause grievous damage. The definitions of "grevious" or "serious" damage is subject to discussion by the commentators. The cause of the revelation, as will be seen below, leaves no doubt however that despite Muhammad's own wish on the matter it is the will of Allah that men strike their disobedient lives. | ||
A second verse | A second verse was thought to deal with the issue but much more obliquely. {{Quote|{{Quran-range|38|41|44}}|And remember Our servant Job, when he called to his Lord, "Indeed, Satan has touched me with hardship and torment." | ||
[So he was told], "Strike [the ground] with your foot; this is a [spring for] a cool bath and drink." And We granted him his family and a like [number] with them as mercy from Us and a reminder for those of understanding. '''[We said], "And take in your hand a bunch [of grass] and strike with it''' and do not break your oath." Indeed, We found him patient, an excellent servant. Indeed, he was one repeatedly turning back [to Allah].}} | |||
Ibn Kathir notes on this verse that Allah gave Ayub (Job) the option to hit his wife with a bundle of grass, twigs, or rushes (''dighthan''<ref>dad-ghayn-tha [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume5/00000078.pdf Lane's Lexicon] Book I page 1793</ref>) without having to carry out his promise to beat her 100 blows. However, this interpretation may be unwarranted as the verse itself does not mention Job's wife. Some academic scholars have argued that the verse rather narrates a command for Job to heal himself from his ailments (mentioned a few verses earlier) using a bundle of herbs:<ref>This intepretation of the verse is proposed in The Study Quran and in various articles by Saqib Hussain.</ref>{{Quote|Tafsir of ibn Kathir on Qur'an 38:41-44|(And take in your hand a bundle of thin grass and strike therewith (your wife), and break not your oath.) Ayyub, peace be upon him, got angry with his wife and was upset about something she had done, so he swore an oath that if Allah healed him, he would strike her with one hundred blows. When Allah healed him, how could her service, mercy, compassion and kindness be repaid with a beating So Allah showed him a way out, which was to take a bundle of thin grass, with one hundred stems, and hit her with it once.}}This verse was later used in hadith and [[Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence)]] to discuss alternatives to several hadd (corporal) punishments in the case of frail, vulnerable people. These discussions, however, did not very often touch on the propriety of rightness of wife beating; discussions on this topic tended to proceed from the discussions around 4:34. | |||
==Linguistic Analysis of Verse in Arabic== | ==Linguistic Analysis of Verse in Arabic== | ||
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{{Quote|Mishkat Al-Masabih: Volume 2, page 692|Iyas b. Abdullah reported God's messenger as saying, "Do not beat God's handmaidens;" but when `Umar came to God's messenger and said, "The women have become emboldened towards their husbands," '''he gave licence to beat them.''' Then many women went round God's messenger's family complaining of their husbands, and he said, "Many women have gone around complaining of their husbands. Those are not the best among you." Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Darimi transmitted it.}} | {{Quote|Mishkat Al-Masabih: Volume 2, page 692|Iyas b. Abdullah reported God's messenger as saying, "Do not beat God's handmaidens;" but when `Umar came to God's messenger and said, "The women have become emboldened towards their husbands," '''he gave licence to beat them.''' Then many women went round God's messenger's family complaining of their husbands, and he said, "Many women have gone around complaining of their husbands. Those are not the best among you." Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Darimi transmitted it.}} | ||
{{Quote| {{ | {{Quote| {{Abu Dawud||2146|darussalam}}|Narrated Abdullah ibn AbuDhubab: Iyas ibn Abdullah ibn AbuDhubab reported the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) as saying: Do not beat Allah's handmaidens, but when Umar came to the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) and said: Women have become emboldened towards their husbands, '''he (the Prophet) gave permission to beat them.''' Then many women came round the family of the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) complaining against their husbands. So the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Many women have gone round Muhammad's family complaining against their husbands. They are not the best among you.}} | ||
{{Quote|{{Ibn Majah|9|3|9|1985}}|It was narrated that Iyas bin 'Abdullah bin Abu Dhubab said: | {{Quote|{{Ibn Majah|9|3|9|1985}}|It was narrated that Iyas bin 'Abdullah bin Abu Dhubab said: | ||
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The beatings were so frequent a part of community life that [['Aishah]] is said to have complained that the believing women suffer more than any other: | The beatings were so frequent a part of community life that [['Aishah]] is said to have complained that the believing women suffer more than any other: | ||
{{Quote|{{Bukhari| | {{Quote|{{Bukhari|||5825|darussalam}}|Narrated 'Ikrima: Rifa'a divorced his wife whereupon 'AbdurRahman bin Az-Zubair Al-Qurazi married her. 'Aisha said that the lady (came), wearing a green veil (and complained to her (Aisha) of her husband and '''showed her a green spot on her skin caused by beating). It was the habit of ladies to support each other,''' so when Allah's Apostle came, ''''Aisha said, "I have not seen any woman suffering as much as the believing women. Look! Her skin is greener than her clothes!"''' When 'AbdurRahman heard that his wife had gone to the Prophet, he came with his two sons from another wife. She said, "By Allah! I have done no wrong to him but he is impotent and is as useless to me as this," holding and showing the fringe of her garment, 'Abdur-Rahman said, "By Allah, O Allah's Apostle! She has told a lie! I am very strong and can satisfy her but she is disobedient and wants to go back to Rifa'a." Allah's Apostle said, to her, "If that is your intention, then know that it is unlawful for you to remarry Rifa'a unless Abdur-Rahman has had sexual intercourse with you." Then the Prophet saw two boys with 'Abdur-Rahman and asked (him), "Are these your sons?" On that 'AbdurRahman said, "Yes." The Prophet said, "You claim what you claim (i.e.. that he is impotent)? But by Allah, these boys resemble him as a crow resembles a crow,"}} | ||
Here Muhammad seems to condone and take part of the practice. | Here Muhammad seems to condone and take part of the practice. | ||
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The hadith clarify how the beatings should be conducted: | The hadith clarify how the beatings should be conducted: | ||
{{Quote| | {{Quote|{{Abu Dawud||1905|darussalam}}|2=Fear Allaah regarding women for you have got them under Allah’s security and have the right to intercourse with them by Allah’s word. It is a duty from you on them not to allow anyone whom you dislike to lie on your beds but if they do beat them, but not severely.}} | ||
Another hadith lays out the specifics of how far the beating can go: | Another hadith lays out the specifics of how far the beating can go: | ||