Wife beating is not allowed.

Submitted by Abdul Rahman Reijerink (Australia), Jun 13, 2006 at 06:06

Dear Anne,

thanks once again for asking a good question, which quite frankly a lot of Muslims need to be asking themselves too. As I have stated in many other places in this website, the Qur'an is a very complex text that needs careful handling when we attempt to understand it . Its language is subtle, as is its message and every ayat or verse needs to be understood within the textual unity. The widespread misinterpretations of this ayat are due to abuse of these principles.

this is why it is important for lay people who read the Qur'an to do so for spiritual enlightenment and not to seek legal rulings that are beyond their understanding or education. I do not know of a single scholar who says that beating women is acceptable. A good rule when reading the Qur'an is to always take the best meaning, if a meaning is ugly, then reject it. Sacred books can lead astray as well as offer guidance if we approach them with arrogance and preconceived ideas.

*Ali RA (cousin of the Prophet saws) is reported to have said more or less that if a man struck his wife the shame of the act would plague his descendants for many years to come.

*Qur'an 30:21 and 7:189 the purpose of marriage is to find friendship, tranquility and mercy. Is this consistent with giving one the power to administer a beating to the other?

*The prophet saws was reported to have said that the worst of us is the one who beats his wife. (note the implied meaning that no woman, no matter what she does can even be as bad as a man who does this)

it is a complex passage and explaining it goes far beyond a simple exchange of postings so I suggest that you go to a good library and find the following books, they are expensive so unless you have a deep interest in these subjects as I do, I do not reccommend buying them although they are all excellent....

Abou El Fadl, Khaled "Conference of the Books" pp.167-176.

Abou El Fadl, Khaled "Speaking in God's Name" pp. 168,169, 182, 205, 210, 250

Wadud, Amina "Qur'an and Woman" pp74 ff.

Barlas, Asma "'Believing Women' in Islam" pp. 4, 6, 27, 169, 184-189, 192, 198.

There are various points of view as to what the text does mean, but they are all unequivocal in that no man has the right from God to beat or strike his wife.

May you live in the peace of God.

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