Wife Beating In Islam?

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Many critics of Islam claim that Muslims and Islam allows Wife Beating, and they point to An Ayah in the Quran. The Verse is from Surah An-Nisa (4:34), Here is the English translation

Quran 4:34: 'Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For Allah is Most High, great (above you all).  

Response 1

The original word used in arabic 'waidribohunna' and this comes from the root word 'daraba' you can see below

وَاضْرِبُوهُنَّ

Like many words in Arabic, there are many different meanings for this word. Even elsewhere in the Quran, the same word is used completely differently. Here are some examples 

Example 1 

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ إِذَا ضَرَبْتُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ  (Ya ayyuh allathena amano itha daratum fee sabeel Allah)

English Translation : O you who belive When you go abroad, in the cause of Allah

Example 2 

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلاً كَلِمَةً  (Alam tara kayfa daraba Allahu mathalan kalimatan)

English Translation: Seest thou not how Allah sets forth a parable

You can see the word daraba highlighted in red does not always mean beat, it can mean beat, but it also can mean to go abroad, part, leave, separate, set and so on. This is another famous multi meaning word, If you look at any Arabic dictionary you will find a long list of meanings ascribed to this word. That list is one of the longest list in whole Arabic dictionary. The same word even has multiple meanings elsewhere in the Quran as you can see below,

To travel, to get out: 3:156; 4:101; 38:44; 73:20; 2:273

To strike: 2:60,73; 7:160; 8:12; 20:77; 24:31; 26:63; 37:93; 47:4

To beat: 8:50; 47:27

To set up: 43:58; 57:13

To give (examples): 14:24,45; 16:75,76,112; 18:32,45; 24:35; 30:28,58; 36:78; 39:27,29; 43:17; 59:21; 66:10,11

To take away, to ignore: 43:5

To condemn: 2:61

To seal, to draw over: 18:11

To cover: 24:31

To explain: 13:17 
 

Response 2

For arguements sake i will accept that idrib does mean Beat, Technically the word means strike, this is the consensus from the Islamic scholors, its more of a symbolic gesture, it is not meant to hurt her. In Islam we are not allowed to beat our wifes & there are many hadiths from our prophet to support this

Sunan Abu-Dawud, Book 11, Marriage, Number 213

...Save for yourself, and clothe them (wives) by which you clothe yourself, and do not beat them, and do not revile them

Sahih Muslim, The Book of Marriage, Book 008, Number 3468

So act kindly towards women.

Response 3 & Conclusion

The verse actually speaks about Arrijal (men) and Nisa (women), it does not actually specifcy wives, So this ayah might be referring to ALL women that includes Wives, Daughters. So the part of the verse that says beat them may be refering to your daughters, if they commit ill conduct, the other parts of the verse are dealing with wives. What we should remember is that this is the Last option, you have to first verbally admonish your wives. Also Striking does not mean the same thing as beating, this is more of a symbolic gesture than anything. But regardless we know from hadiths that there is no such thing as beating or hurting your wife in islam

 WIFE & MAID BEATING IN THE BIBLE

Exodus Chapter 21, verses 20 and 21

''And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished. Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money''

 you will only be punished if your slaves dies after beating him/her, even then, if he survives one day after the beating you dont get punished

its permissible to beat him as long as he does not die straight away and YOU WILL NOT BE PUNISHED IF YOUR SLAVE SURVIVES 1 DAY after the beating because he is your money