Nothing about the Divine Word is accidental. The most cursory glance at the works of Qur’anic exegesis reveals the richness of meaning embedded in every letter and word. From word choice to the arrangement and structuring of chapters and verses, every-thing lends itself to the riveting process of uncovering vaster and deeper meanings. Thus, the great Companion and exegete, ‘Abd Allah b. Mas‘ud (may God be pleased with him) would say:
مَنْ أَرَادَ الْعِلْمَ فَلْيُثَوِّرِ الْقُرْآنَ، فَإِنَّ فِيهِ عِلْمَ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَالْآخِرِينَ.
Whosoever seeks knowledge, let him diligently examine the Qur’an. For therein is the knowledge of those who came before and those who shall come later.
This appendix offers a comprehensive legal and linguistic study of the word ‘darb’, often translated as ‘strike them’ (i.e. hit them lightly) in the Qur’an (4:34). This article explains the rationale behind translating the imperative command ‘wadribuhunna’, as ‘turn them away’ in The Manifest Qur’an, according to Islamic teachings on marital reconciliation and the just treatment of women.
The analysis relates to verse 34 of Sura al-Nisa’:
﴿وَٱلَّٰتِي تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَٱهۡجُرُوهُنَّ فِي ٱلۡمَضَاجِعِ وَٱضۡرِبُوهُنَّۖ فَإِنۡ أَطَعۡنَكُمۡ فَلَا تَبۡغُواْ عَلَيۡهِنَّ سَبِيلًا﴾
“As for those (wives) you fear rebellious conduct on their part, (first) advise them, and (if ineffective) leave them alone in their beds, and (as a last resort) turn them away (from yourselves, striking a temporary separation). Then, if they cooperate with you, do not seek any course (of action) against them.”
This appendix provides:
1. A survey of the multifarious linguistic implications of the word ‘darb’ in classical Arabic.
2. The etymological and lexical basis of the meaning of the word ‘darb’ as rendered in The Manifest Qur’an.
3. An analysis of how the chosen translation aligns with the step-by-step resolution process for marital discord outlined in the verse.
4. An exploration of Prophetic teachings encapsulated within the Sunna to determine its position on the physical ‘disciplining’ of women.
5. Addressing potential misconceptions arising from certain nar-rations about hitting.
1. A Detailed Lexical Survey of the Word ‘Darb’
The word ‘wadribuhunna’ in the verse above encompasses a range of meanings, including but not limited to ‘to turn away’, ‘to strike’, ‘to travel’ and ‘to cut off’. ‘Wadribuhunna’ is a derivative of the root letters ‘d-r-b’, the root word being ‘darb’. However, the common interpretation of ‘darb’ as ‘to strike’ or ‘to hit,’ is neither derived from its root meaning nor is its only meaning; rather it is one of its many usages. According to lexicographers, the scope of the word ‘darb’ is so broad that it virtually applies to all actions; thus, its exact implication will vary depending on the textual con-text and the mode of its usage.
An examination of its various root meanings reveals two un-derlying themes that are common therein: movement (taharruk) and change (taghayyur). Every usage of the word ‘darb’, or one of its cognates, comprises an element of movement, change or both for instance. Implications such as transitioning from one location to another, travelling, forsaking, distancing, separating and severing ties comprise various types and degrees of movement (taharruk). In contrast, using it to imply, for instance, the occurrence of events, a shift in quality, dissociation, turning one’s attention away from something, altered circumstances, placing a distance between two things or abstaining from something—all connote various types and degrees of change (taghayyur).
By extension, the word ‘darb’ used to mean ‘striking’ or ‘hitting’ also comprises some degree of bodily motion. It incorporates the element of ‘movement’ (taharruk) in the meaning or entails an emotional or mental shift in the one struck, which draws on the aspect of ‘change’ (taghayyur) in the root meaning. However, the discussion below will illustrate that given the broad spectrum of its usage, one cannot limit the meaning of the word ‘darb’ to just physically striking or hitting. Some lexicographers have suggested that the word ‘darb’ can be applied to all actions, bar a few. Therefore, precise signification in any given instance of its usage will depend on the context and manner in which it is used.
Below, drawing from classical lexicons, we will list a few examples of the sheer breadth of its usage whilst also explaining the rationale behind the translation selected for 4:34 in The Manifest Qur’an:
Mu‘jam al-Lugha al-‘Arabiyya al-Mu‘asara mentions:
1. Daraba abat al-umur (He acquired a deep understanding of the inner workings of a matter): It implies that he attained extensive knowledge of something by thoroughly investigating and reflecting on it.
2. Daraba al-aruzz (He separated the husk from the grain of the rice): It signifies the separation of one thing from another.
3. Daraba al-jaras (He rang the bell): It indicates a shift from a state of silence to a state of sound or noise.
4. Daraba al-qalb (The heart pulsated): It indicates the heart’s constant state of movement.
5. Daraba raqabatahu – aw – ‘unuqahu (He struck off his head or neck): It denotes the separation of one part of the body from the other.
al-Mu‘jam al-Wasit mentions:
6. ‘Daraba al-shay’ darban wa darabana’ (The thing moved vehemently or forcefully).
al-Majmu‘ al-Mughith fi Gharibay al-Qur’an wa al-Hadith states in its entry on ‘Darb’:
7. ‘Daraba al-‘irq darban wa darabana: taharraka bi quwwa’ (The pulse bounded, i.e. it moved with vigour or force). Here again, the root meaning of ‘change’ (taghayyur) is operational in that the pulse transitioned from one state to another.
8. ‘Daraba yadribu’ also indicates travelling, i.e. ‘daraba fi al-ard’: ay dhahaba wa ab‘ada’ (He travelled in the land, i.e. he left and went far away). In verse 20 of Sura al-Muzzammil, Almighty Allah says:
﴿وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضۡرِبُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ﴾
“… while others will travel in the land...”
Here the word yadribuna means travelling in the land, which refers to moving from one place to another.
Similarly, verse 94 of Sura al-Nisa’ states:
﴿يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا ضَرَبۡتُمۡ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ﴾
“O believers! When you are travelling on the path of Allah…”
Once again, darabtum refers to moving from one place to an-other.
Likewise, verse 101 of Sura al-Nisa’ states:
﴿وَإِذَا ضَرَبۡتُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ﴾
“When you are travelling through the land...”
Here, the word darabtum also refers to distancing yourself from one place to another.
One of the objections to the translation adopted by The Manifest Qur’an as ‘turn them away’ can be that the meaning of travelling or distancing can only be established if the particle ‘fi’ or another similar particle with the word ‘darb’ is used. However, the word ‘darb’ in all the Qur’anic verses mentioned above inherently possesses the meaning of travelling, distancing and departing from one’s home or city to another. Thus, the particle ‘fi’, in the above-mentioned verse (al-Nisa: 101), has not created the meaning of ‘separation’ or ‘distance’. Rather the meaning of separation or distance is implicit within the word
‘darabtum’ itself.
The purpose of this expression through the particle ‘fi’ is only to specify the locus of travel, i.e. that the travelling occurred on the land, not in the air or sea. The particle ‘fi’ here is being used ad-verbially (zarf) in relation to time or place, not as a determiner of the meaning of ‘darb’. This, as will become manifest in section two below, is of profound consequence for the rendition of
‘wadribuhunna’ chosen in The Manifest Qur’an. The word
‘darb’ does not depend on the presence of additional particles to denote any of its aforementioned meanings.
9. Likewise, the phrase ‘daraba fi al-ma’’ (he swam in water) entails traversing through water from one point to another, and, as established above, the meaning of travelling or swimming is not inferred from the particle ‘fi’ (in); it is inherently present in the word ‘darb’. For this reason, dictionaries mention ‘movement’ as one of its foundational meanings without the prepositional ‘fi’. The ‘fi’, as set forth earlier, is to designate the locus of the movement.
In Kitab al-Af‘al, under his entry on the word ‘daraba’ , Imam Abu al-Qasim ‘Ali b. Ja‘far b. ‘Ali al-Sa‘di, known as Ibn Qatta‘ al-Saqalli states: Daraba (without ‘fi’) means: ‘he swam.’ Again, the meanings of movement, distance and separation are inherent implications of the word ‘darb’; they are not engendered by the prepositional ‘fi’ or any other particle.
10. According to al-Mufradat , Lisan al-‘Arab and Taj al-‘Urus , when the word ‘darb’ is used on the verbal pattern ‘taf‘il’ (i.e. tadrib), it signifies inciting hatred among people, creating distance between them, cutting off family ties and breaking relationships. This is als0 known as taqlib al-umur, i.e. changing a state of peace and tranquillity to one of turmoil or supplanting bonds of friendship with enmity. Ibn Manzur has included this as a meaning of ‘darb’ in its basic tri-literal form instead of the en-hanced ‘taf‘il’ (i.e.
tadrib) pattern.
11. Tahdhib al-Lugha and others relate that Abu ‘Ubayda, the great lexicologist said: ‘Daraba al-dahr baynana: ay ba‘‘ada ma baynana’ (Time has created distance between us). Again, the meaning of ‘darb’ here pertains to a change in circumstances, implying that people who were once close have drifted apart now.
12. ‘Darb’ is also used for giving/striking an example, or drawing a comparison. For instance, in the Qur’an, in Sura al-Nahl verse 74, Almighty Allah says:
﴿فَلَا تَضۡرِبُواْ لِلَّهِ ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَ﴾
“So do not draw comparisons for Allah.”
Here, the word ‘la tadribu’ means do not draw comparisons for Almighty Allah, because drawing comparisons for Almighty Allah will take you far from glorifying Allah’s attributes.
13. The lexicologists have also used the word ‘darb’ in the enhanced form pattern ‘if‘al’ (i.e. idrab), meaning ‘to avoid’, ‘turn away’, ‘keep a distance’, ‘escape’, ‘refrain’ or ‘abstain from’. For example, the word ‘al-idrab ‘an al-ta‘am’ means to abstain or turn away from food. Similarly, the word ‘al-idrab ‘an al-‘amal’ means to go on strike or boycott. This usage is also mentioned in Lisan al-‘Arab stating: ‘adrabtu ‘an al-shay’: kafaftu wa a‘radtu’ (I turned away from such and such thing, i.e. I abstained from it and avoided it).
This is also illustrated in Sura al-Zukhruf, verse 5:
﴿أَفَنَضۡرِبُ عَنكُمُ ٱلذِّكۡرَ صَفۡحًا﴾
“Shall We withhold the Reminder from you altogether?”
Here, the word ‘darb’ again signifies averting or turning away from something.
14. The Arab poets have also used the active particle ‘mudrib’ to mean the one who refrained, stopped, turned away and dis-associated from something. This can be understood from the following line of poetry:
أَصْبَحْتُ عَنْ طَلَبِ الْمَعِيْشَةِ مُضْرِبًا
لَمَّا وَثِقْتُ بِأَنَّ مَالَكَ مَالِي
I became one who refrains from seeking a livelihood, when I was convinced that your wealth is my wealth.
Here, the word ‘mudrib’ has been used for the one who re-frains from seeking his livelihood.
2. The Meaning of ‘Wadribuhunna’
The preceding discourse on the multifarious meanings and us-ages of the word ‘darb’ and its lexical cognates, clearly demon-strate that it primarily refers to a change in circumstance, or dis-tancing oneself from something, or becoming indifferent towards something or turning away from someone. Thus, in any given instance of its usage, one of these primary meanings must be adopted and operationalised based on a careful consideration of the context. Giving preference to one of its meanings and re-stricting to its widespread customary usage demands an extra-neous indicator more profound than the context in which the word is being used, which is absent in our discussion of the verse. Therefore, confining the meaning of the word ‘wadribuhunna’ to hitting or striking is not possible unless there is extra textual or contextual evidence supporting it.
Keeping this in mind, let us now turn to understand the impli-cation of the word ‘wadribuhunna’ in verse 4:34. Almighty Allah states:
﴿وَٱلَّٰتِي تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَٱهۡجُرُوهُنَّ فِي ٱلۡمَضَاجِعِ وَٱضۡرِبُوهُنَّۖ فَإِنۡ أَطَعۡنَكُمۡ فَلَا تَبۡغُواْ عَلَيۡهِنَّ سَبِيلًا﴾
“As for those (wives) you fear rebellious conduct on their part, (first) advise them, and (if ineffective) leave them alone in their beds, and (as a last resort) turn them away (from yourselves, striking a temporary separation). Then, if they cooperate with you, do not seek any course (of action) against them.”
In what follows, we will closely read the verse, using the literary context of the word ‘wadribuhunna’ and its intended function to elucidate the meaning selected for translation in The Manifest Qur’an. It will become apparent that the word ‘wadribuhunna’ in verse 4:34 is an injunction to solve the marital conflict. Thus, the husband has been advised to cut ties with his wife temporarily and place a distance between them, as opposed to physically striking her and blocking any chance of reconciliation.
The full verse begins by articulating the normative structure of the spousal relationship, stipulating, in turn, the positions and roles of each spouse. It then introduces an extreme case of marital discord arising from the wife’s ‘rebellious conduct’ (nushuz), laying out a three-step reconciliatory process.
The initial directive is to advise them, attempting to dissuade them from persisting in their nushuz. If this proves ineffective, husbands are instructed to abandon the marital bed. The separa-tion here specifically relates to the marital bed; that is to abstain from sexual relations with them, as evidenced by the expression ‘fi al-madaji‘’ (in the beds). The particle ‘fi’, as discussed earlier, determines and restricts the place and occasion of separation in this second stage, implying that it is not forbidden, for example, to eat and drink together during the day, to sit together or to talk to each other.
If this also proves ineffective, the third step is to strike a temporary separation between the two parties, encapsulated in the words ‘wadribuhunna’. Note that the directive in this third stage is to completely separate all one’s daily affairs from the wife for a period of time, distinguishing it from the second stage, where the separation was restricted to the marital bed. The very next words in the verse, ‘fa in ata‘nakum’ (then, if they cooperate with you), accentuate the underlying spirit and higher objective of the process outlined in the verse.
These Qur’anic injunctions intend to reharmonise relations between spouses and restore the natural equilibrium. Cooperation and obedience cannot be forced through physically striking or hitting but can only be brought through prudence, wisdom and tactfulness. As such, the very next verse (4:35) goes on to pro-vide yet another stratagem for reconciliation, through the inter-vention of arbiters representing both parties. Interpreting ‘wadribuhunna’ as physically striking or hitting the spouse would appear to clash with the essential spirit of the passage. Moreover, such a reading is antithetical to the continuum of Qur’anic teach-ings on interpersonal relations and the well-established Prophetic ethics in that regard. This broader conceptual context will be ex-plored below.
Upon close scrutiny, it becomes clear that the very wisdom behind the sequentiality of the reconciliation process outlined in the verse is to create the time and space necessary for rehar-monisation without precipitating further harm.
Thus, the first step is to advise the wife in a way that creates the possibility of reconciliation. This implies that the manner and contents of the advice must be free of spite and malice, for that would defy the purpose. If it is unsuccessful, then the second step is to abandon the marital bed as a means of protecting her from any possible verbal abuse she may be subject to from her husband due to her stubborn insistence upon misconduct.
The second step also serves to gauge whether the wife com-prehends the significance of the marital bed and the husband’s leaving thereof. The second step is, in effect, a protective measure taken to prevent the possibility of the advising in step one from becoming hurtful or altogether abusive. The mere proposition that a law that seeks to prevent even the possibility of verbal abuse would condone, let alone command, physical abuse is utterly absurd. Following the failure of this specific separation of the marital bed, the verse instructs the statement of a complete temporary separation between the spouses. The wisdom of doing this at this juncture is that the physical change of environment and the physical distance from the perceived source of one’s distress may enable the wife to see other perspectives and reassess the situation. This space had not been afforded in step two, where, although the beds had been separated, the spouses were still living their day-to-day lives together.
Read in this way, with a close eye on the literary context and the conciliatory ethos being espoused by the verse[s], it is evident that the verse is not an instruction to hit or strike, even if it be ‘lightly’. Moreover, as alluded to earlier, such an interpretation is incon-gruent with the teachings of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him), as we will illustrate in the section below. We assert that the rendition of ‘wadribuhunna’ as ‘turn them away (from your-selves, striking a temporary separation)’ not only coheres with the semantic origin of the word but is also in perfect harmony with the literary context of the verse, as well as the general ethics of Islam.
3. The Prophetic Paradigm of Inter-Spousal Relations
The translation of ‘wadribuhunna’ as set forth in The Manifest Qur’an perfectly aligns with the teachings of the Prophet (bless-ings and peace be upon him), who explicitly prohibited the phys-ical striking of women. He has commanded men to honour women and engage them with respect and kindness.
The following Prophetic traditions powerfully establish and reinforce this as the normative ethic of Islam.
1. In the following agreed-upon (muttafaq ‘alayh) narration, it is reported from ‘Abd Allah b. Zam‘a (may God be pleased with him) that during a sermon, he heard the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) mentioning the she-camel of Salih (peace be upon him) and the one who hamstrung it, and thereafter, the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
«يَعْمِدُ أَحَدُكُمْ، يَجْلِدُ امْرَأَتَهُ جَلْدَ الْعَبْدِ، فَلَعَلَّهُ يُضَاجِعُهَا مِنْ آخِرِ يَوْمِهِ».
One of you goes forth and lashes his wife like a slave, and then perhaps he might [even] sleep with her the same evening.
In this hadith, the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) conveys a powerful message. He (blessings and peace be upon him) juxtaposes the case of a husband who beats his wife with the narrative of defiant disbelievers who harmed Allah’s she-camel in flagrant disobedience to Him, and were thus sub-jected to divine retribution. This strong condemnation by refer-ence to the Qur’anic narrative is further emphasized by the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him), portraying the vile-ness and utter shamelessness of a man who would strike his wife by day and then seek intimacy with her by night.
2. In the following narration, the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) categorically prohibited hitting wives. Abu Dawud reports from Mu‘awiya b. Hayda al-Qushayri (may God be pleased with him) that he asked the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him), ‘What do you say about our womenfolk?’, and the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) replied:
«أَطْعِمُوْهُنَّ مِمَّا تَأْكُلُوْنَ، وَاكْسُوْهُنَّ مِمَّا تَكْتَسُوْنَ، وَلَا تَضْرِبُوْهُنَّ، وَلَا تُقَبِّحُوْهُنَّ».
Feed them from what you eat, and clothe them from where you clothe yourselves, and do not hit them, and do not revile them.
Here the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) has categorically prohibited men from physically hitting and abusing their wives.
3. According to another narration reported by Iyas b. ‘Abd Allah b. Abu Dhubab (may God be pleased with him) the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
«لَا تَضْرِبُنَّ إِمَاءَ اللهِ».
Do not hit the female slaves of Allah.
This hadith does not merely prohibit hitting women, but also greatly elevates their honour and dignity by calling them ‘slaves of Allah’.
4. In another narration, Umm Kulthum bint Abu Bakr (may God be pleased with both of them) reported that the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) prohibited men from hitting their wives, saying:
«لَنْ يَضْرِبَ خِيَارُكُمْ».
The best of you will never hit (them).
This statement of the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) clarifies that striking women is against the virtue and moral goodness of a man.
5. This notion is further crystallised in another narration re-ported by Ibn Abi Shayba and al-Bayhaqi. Laqit b. Sabira (may God be pleased with him) related that the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
«لَا تَضْرِبَنَّ ظَعِيْنَتَكَ ضَرْبَ أَمَتِكَ».
Do not hit your wife as you would do with your slave girl.
6. Sayyiduna ‘Ali (may God be pleased with him) relates that the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
«خَيْرُكُمْ خَيْرُكُمْ لِأَهْلِهِ وَأَنَا خَيْرُكُمْ لِأَهْلِي، مَا أَكْرَمَ النِّسَاءَ إِلَّا كَرِيْمٌ وَلَا أَهَانَهُنَّ إِلَّا لَئِيْمٌ».
The best of you is the one who is best to his family, and I am the best of you to my family. Only a nobleman will honour women, whereas only a vile man will dishonour them.
7. According to a report narrated by Imam Muslim and Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal, the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) advised a female Companion not to marry a man solely on the grounds of his harsh treatment of women, indicating the gravity and utter unacceptability of such conduct to the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him). It is related that Fatima bint Qays (may God be pleased with her) received marriage proposals from Mu‘awiya and Abu Jahm (may God be pleased with him), and the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
«إِنَّ مُعَاوِيَةَ تَرِبٌ، خَفِيفُ الْحَالِ، وَأَبُو الْجَهْمِ مِنْهُ شِدَّةٌ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ أَوْ يَضْرِبُ النِّسَاءَ أَوْ نَحْوَ هَذَا، وَلَكِنْ عَلَيْكِ بِأُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ».
Mu‘awiya is a poor man, not very well off, while Abu Jahm is harsh towards women, or (he said that he) hits women or the like. Instead, you should marry Usama b. Zayd.
8. The preceding narrations addressed the prohibition of hit-ting one’s wife, whereas the following narration concerns an in-cident involving a slave girl. Hadith-scholars have narrated an incident where a Companion slapped his female slave. This inci-dent appears in several hadith compilations with varying degrees of detail. The variant below is from Sahih Muslim and Sunan Abi Dawud. In this narration, Mu‘awiya b. al-Hakam al-Sulami (may God be pleased with him) states:
كَانَتْ لِي جَارِيَةٌ تَرْعَى غَنَمًا لِي قِبَلَ أُحُدٍ وَالْجَوَّانِيَّةِ، فَاطَّلَعْتُ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ فَإِذَا الذِّيْبُ قَدْ ذَهَبَ بِشَاةٍ مِنْ غَنَمِهَا، وَأَنَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ، آسَفُ كَمَا يَأْسَفُونَ، لَكِنِّي صَكَكْتُهَا صَكَّةً، فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فَعَظَّمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيَّ، قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ! أَفَلَا أُعْتِقُهَا؟ قَالَ: «ائْتِنِي بِهَا». فَأَتَيْتُهُ بِهَا، فَقَالَ لَهَا: «أَيْنَ اللهُ؟» قَالَتْ: فِي السَّمَاءِ، قَالَ: «مَنْ أَنَا؟» قَالَتْ: أَنْتَ رَسُولُ اللهِ. قَالَ: «أَعْتِقْهَا، فَإِنَّهَا مُؤْمِنَةٌ».
I had a slave girl who was herding my sheep towards Uhud and al-Jawwaniyya. One day, I found out that a wolf had taken one of our sheep. Now, I am a man who be-comes annoyed just as others do, but I slapped her and then went to Allah’s Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him). He deemed my offence serious, so I asked him, ‘Should I free her, O Messenger of Allah?’ But he told me to bring her, and when I did so, he asked her: ‘Where is Allah?’ And she replied: ‘In heaven.’ He asked her: ‘Who am I?’ And she replied: ‘You are Allah’s Messenger.’ He then said (to me): ‘Free her (as an ex-piation), for she is a believer.’
This hadith illustrates the complete abhorrence towards the physical abuse of women. Here, the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) prohibited physical harm or violence even against a slave, directing the man to free his slave girl as mentioned in the hadith. Ownership of a slave, involves specific rights, responsi-bilities and authority over his slave. If physical reprimand is for-bidden against a slave, then it logically follows that there is no legitimate justification for such actions against a wife, as the rights of wives are similar to those of husbands.
In fact, by invariably referring to the wife as ‘zawj’, literally ‘one of an equal pair’, and not as zawja, the Qur’an has declared the wife an equal partner in the marital union. It is also noteworthy here that the Qur’an does not annex the ‘ta’’ of femininity to the word ‘zawj’ when using it for the wife. This ta’, often annexed to nouns in Arabic to render them feminine, can also imply a degree of diminution in meaning or value. The Qur’an, therefore, con-sistently uses the word gender-neutrally, referring to both hus-band and wife as ‘zawj’. The Qur’an states in verse 228 of Sura al-Baqara:
﴿وَلَهُنَّ مِثۡلُ ٱلَّذِي عَلَيۡهِنَّ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ﴾
“The wives shall (with justice) have rights similar to the obligations upon them.”
To explore this theme further, see, for instance, Qur’an 2:35, 2:102, 4:1, 4:20, 7:19, among several others.
9. Imam Muslim, Ahmad b. Hanbal, Abu Dawud, Ibn Abi Shayba and al-Darimi all narrate the following report from the mother of the believers ‘A’isha (may God be pleased with her), who said:
مَا ضَرَبَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم شَيْئًا قَطُّ بِيَدِهِ وَلَا امْرَأَةً وَلَا خَادِمًا إِلَّا أَنْ يُجَاهِدَ فِي سَبِيْلِ اللهِ.
Allah’s Messenger (blessings and peace be upon him) never struck anything with his hand, neither a woman nor a servant, except (on the battlefield) when fighting in the way of Allah.
The import of such narrations on the personal practice of the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) is unambigu-ously clear; the use of physical force against women, servants, or any other living being, except when fighting in self-defence, is an aberration from his blessed norm.
10. There is another tradition where the Holy Prophet (bless-ings and peace be upon him) has specifically prohibited the striking of women on the face. Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal, Abu Dawud, al-Nasa’i, ‘Abd al-Razzaq and al-Tabarani record the fol-lowing report on the authority of Mu‘awiya b. Hayda al-Qushayri (may God be pleased with him), who narrates:
قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُوْلَ اللهِ، مَا حَقُّ زَوْجَةِ أَحَدِنَا عَلَيْهِ؟ قَالَ: «أَنْ تُطْعِمَهَا إِذَا طَعِمْتَ، وَتَكْسُوْهَا إِذَا اكْتَسَيْتَ أَوِ اكْتَسَبْتَ، وَلَا تَضْرِبِ الْوَجْهَ، وَلَا تُقَبِّحْ، وَلَا تَهْجُرْ إِلَّا فِي الْبَيْتِ».
I asked, ‘O Allah’s Messenger, what is the right of the wife over the husband?’ He replied, ‘That you should give her food when you eat, and clothe her when you clothe yourself (or earn), and do not strike her on the face and do not revile her, and do not separate from her except in the home.’
11. This same meaning has been narrated by Ibn Majah, al-Hakim and Ibn Hibban from Mua‘wiya b. Hayda al-Qushayri (blessings and peace be upon him) with different words. He re-ports that a person asked the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) about the rights of a wife over her husband, and he said:
«أَنْ يُطْعِمَهَا إِذَا طَعِمَ، وَأَنْ يَكْسُوَهَا إِذَا اكْتَسَى، وَلَا يَضْرِبِ الْوَجْهَ، وَلَا يُقَبِّحْ، وَلَا يَهْجُرْ إِلَّا فِي الْبَيْتِ».
That he feeds her when he feeds himself; and clothes her when he clothes himself; and that he does not strike her face, nor speak ill of her, nor separate from her except in the home.
There cannot be any contradiction between the two Prophetic commands. One has to be interpreted in consonance with others.
4. Text in Context: Understanding Hadith that ‘Permit’ Striking
There is a hadith, widely misunderstood because the command has been mistakenly taken out of context. Imam Muslim, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah relate from Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah (may God be pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) said in his Farewell Sermon:
«فَاتَّقُوا اللهَ فِي النِّسَاءِ، فَإِنَّكُمْ أَخَذْتُمُوْهُنَّ بِأَمَانِ اللهِ وَاسْتَحْلَلْتُمْ فُرُوْجَهُنَّ بِكَلِمَةِ اللهِ. وَلَكُمْ عَلَيْهِنَّ أَنْ لَا يُوْطِئْنَ فُرُشَكُمْ أَحَدًا تَكْرَهُوْنَهُ، فَإِنْ فَعَلْنَ ذَلِكَ فَاضْرِبُوْهُنَّ ضَرْبًا غَيْرَ مُبَرِّحٍ، وَلَهُنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ رِزْقُهُنَّ وَكِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ».
Fear Allah regarding women, for you have taken them under Allah’s security and have the right to intercourse with them by Allah’s word. They must not bring any man into your bed which you dislike, but if they do so, then ‘strike’ them in a way that does not hurt them. And they have the right over you that you provide them with good food and clothing according to their status in a fitting manner.
This hadith mentions a special scenario, which states that a wife must not bring any man into her husband’s bed. This may cause a very extreme emotional reaction in which a man can resort to highly dangerous measures. In order to prevent the husband from taking an extreme reaction against his wife in this emotional situ-ation, the condition of a non-harmful strike (darb ghayr mubarrih) has been imposed as the final limit that cannot be crossed by the husband even in this situation.
That is why, while describing this condition, Ibn ‘Abbas (may God be pleased with him) states that only a siwak, a small wooden toothbrush, can be used in such a shameful situation when somebody unwanted is found in your house with your wife. This hadith is not related to the situation of mutual disputes being discussed in Sura al-Nisa’ verse 34. Instead, it is exclusive to this extreme act of infidelity, which constitutes not only a betrayal of the husband’s trust and a violation of his rights but also a shameless display of defiance to Allah’s commands.
This context, together with the Prophet’s statement, ‘The best of you do not hit (their wives)’, and the plethora of hadith like it, make it abundantly clear that there is no general exception to the prohibition of striking, as sometimes misunderstood from the hadith in question. As noted earlier, the Holy Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) has tied a man’s virtue and moral up-rightness to not striking his wife. The reprehensibility of the use of physical force against one’s spouse is evident from the Qur’anic and Prophetic paradigm, as well as a matter of scholarly con-sensus.
The Qur’anic paradigm of the marital bond is one of mutual love and kindness that procures tranquillity and secures attachment between spouses, forming a sound foundation for the cultivation of human civilisation. Any reading of scripture that insinuates otherwise is blind to the higher objectives of marriage in the grand scheme of the Shariah.
5. Summary
The extensive semantic analysis of the word darb in classical Arabic, synthesised with the broader context of Islamic teachings on the nature of marriage and interpersonal relations extrapolated from the Qur’an and hadith, demonstrates that the expression ‘wadribuhunna’ in verse 34 of Sura al-Nisa’, does not mean ‘beating’, ‘striking’ or ‘hitting’. Such a translation is incompatible with the Qur’anic paradigm of marriage in general and the specific literary context of the expression. The Manifest Qur’an renders the expression in a way that coheres with the spirit of the verse while not departing from its semantic basis in classical Arabic.
