Are Muslim men forbidden to break bones when they beat woman?

Question

Cleric Mahmud claims that the Quran's command to "beat" woman (4:34) who might leave their man is limited to beatings that dont break bones or cause bleeding. http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wp3Eam5FX58&mode=related&search=

One Sheik says that it shouldnt be more than "10 times".

MUSLIMS: Are these moderates correct? Where does the Quran limit the severity of the beating?

Quran 4:34 "(as to those muslimah’s) on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them;" http://cwis.usc.edu/dept/msa/quran/004.qmt.html

Answer 1

Wow, I think you opened up a can of worms. But we should speak out against abuse of woman. They may be sorry they came to our countries, where woman have rights. They could end up in jail.

Answer 2

Okay, first of all when muslim men beat their women it has to be over a just cause. No man just waltzes into the room and has fun beating their wife to a pulp.
Second as Cleric Mahmud says that the Man cannot hurt the women in any way. The beating is to be gentle and to only show the man's disapporval of the cause.
Third beating is the last resort of any man as interpreted and instructed by Muhammed and the Sahabah. The first is to talk to the wife several times about it. The second is that if the problem persists the man is to abandon the wife in the bedroom and sleep seperatly as for this sends the strongest message. It has a mental and physical effect simultaneously. The wife at this point must realize what the problem is and asses it on her self. At this point the road can go two ways. One the wife asses what is wrong and corrects the problem or talks to the husband. The second is the husband beats her gently to show his utmost disapproval.

The cleric Mahmud is correct in whatever he says. The Quran isnt meant for average joes like you and me to merley interpret the line of interpretations is a ladder that goes as follows.
(this is a general picture) The prophet Muhammed (who has ultimate authority in interpretations as he is the leader of the religion) - The sahabah - his companions who received and observed his words - Grand Mufti's/Higher Imams - who have extensive knowledge and have received information directly through lineage and have received extensive education in the light of Islam - and lesser Imam's and on the bottom of the chain is the average muslim who has some or incomplete knowledge of the Quran along with non-muslims who have none of it no matter how many times the quran has been read nobody can make a definant interpretations without consulting these the higher educated for they receive knowledge more directly from the prophet than any of us. And have THE MOST accurate picture. As you can see Al-Qaeda and others have not consulted any of the above so this is why they act on their own interpretatiosn and blood lust.


4:34 unfortanatly has been abused by many un-educated muslim men who find this as verse that demonstrates their mental superiority on women.

Answer 3

What are you people talking about? Beating lightly or not. For a reason. Keep the family together. with a rode or without. What is this? Are you trying to justify the wife beating which is in the Quran, even today, by pointing at the OT? We are not living in OT times or the 7th century anymore! This has to do with oppression and Human Rights abuse. How can anybody support this message. Any loving and caring person must turn their back to this kind of teaching.
Nowhere does Jesus tell men to hit their wife's.

Answer 4

well you are right in pointing that beating women is mentioned in the Quran, it says about reasoning first, as mentioned above and then beating lightly with a stick on the hand is all that is allowed and that too for things that are for religion. One can not beat because he did not like the way the bed was made or if the salt was a little too much in the food.

If you want to ask about some more verse of the Quran, do not hesitate to write to me, I will do my best, peace, a Muslim

Answer 5

you are not reading surah 4:34 correctly.
firstly, i want to say that the arabic word used for beating, is "idribuhunna" which can also mean physically leave. and it is used that way in verse 4:94. it makes much more sense if the last part means to leave them because beating does not solve anything. also, there are hadith that say that you should not beat your wife.
Narrated Mu'awiyah al-Qushayri: "I went to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) and asked him: What do you say (command) about our wives? He replied: Give them food what you have for yourself, and clothe them by which you clothe yourself, and do not beat them, and do not revile them. (Sunan Abu-Dawud, Book 11, Marriage (Kitab Al-Nikah), Number 2139)"

Narrated Mu'awiyah ibn Haydah: "I said: Apostle of Allah, how should we approach our wives and how should we leave them? He replied: Approach your tilth when or how you will, give her (your wife) food when you take food, clothe when you clothe yourself, do not revile her face, and do not beat her. (Sunan Abu-Dawud, Book 11, Marriage (Kitab Al-Nikah), Number 2138)"

"None but a noble man treats women in an honourable manner. And none but an ignoble treats women disgracefully". (At-Tirmithy).

and the Quran:

"If a wife fears cruelty or desertion on her husband's part, there is no blame on them if they arrange an amicable settlement between themselves; and such settlement is best; even though men's souls are swayed by greed. But if ye do good and practise self-restraint, God is well-acquainted with all that ye do. (The Noble Quran, 4:128)"

however, i agree that it can mean beating because some scholars do interpret it that way. still, you are not interpreting the verse correctly. it says that you should admonish them first, and if they still do not stop, then leave their bed, and even still if they do not, as a last resort, beat them. and lightly, not enough to leave a mark. its not limited to breaking bones that is cruel. this is not to be taken lightly. the only condition is when a women commits lewdness and flirts with other men. you cannot beat a women because you feel like it or because of small ridiculous reasons.

even so, i dont like the 2nd interpretation, because the first one makes more sense. also, men take it as an excuse to beat women. grrrr

Answer 6

This verse has been greatly misconceived. Many people take it to allow wife beating, but this is not a correct interpretation of the verse. Islam is a whole system, so you cannot isolate one point without considering all other related issues. When the setting is not taken into account, it distorts and falsifies the original meaning. We should also keep in mind that the original Arabic wording of the Qur’an is the only authentic source of meaning. If one relies on the translation alone, one is likely to misunderstand it.

The Arabic verb daraba is better understood as “hit” rather than “beat” (which means repeated hard hitting, usually with something). The one verse in the Qur’an that mentions this—Surah 4:34—has to be read in its entirety and understood in Arabic.

Islam actually prohibits men from hitting women, except in one very limited case when the wife is continuously rebellious and disobedient—not when she disobeys one request—and only as a last resort after all else fails. The husband should first admonish her, then abandon her bed if she continues to be rebellious, and only if those steps have failed then he may hit, not beat, her. The earliest commentators understood that the hitting was to be light enough not to leave a mark and should be done with nothing bigger than a miswak (tooth stick).

Also, Muslims are instructed to follow the exemplary model of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who was known to have never hit his wives, servants, or even an animal. Consequently, a Muslim husband does not have the right to beat his wife!

What is the definition of “rebellious” and disobedient”?

In Islam, while men and women have equal rights, those rights are not always identical. Islam intends the spouses to be complementary, not in rivalry, so there is a clear set of rights and responsibilities for each within the contract that rules the relationship. Islam stresses the importance of respecting contracts, most of all the marriage contract, which is described in the Qur’an as “mithaqan ghalithan” (a firm pledge).

Furthermore, there is no tyranny in an Islamic marriage. We are all told to conduct our affairs by mutual consultation, as the Qur’an states what means:
*{And those who respond to their Lord and keep up prayer, and their rule is to take counsel among themselves, and who spend out of what We have given them.}* (As-Shura 42:38)

So in marriage, the man is named responsible for protecting, decision-making, and breadwinning; in return he has a right to have a quiet, orderly home and a loving wife to come home to who doesn’t make his life difficult with constant bad temper, nagging, or aggressive attitude.

The woman is named skilled homemaker, loving mother, and faithful counselor; in return she has a right to be provided for fully by a caring, faithful, protective husband who honors her and respects her individuality. Both should be equally supportive, loving, and caring. Both merit respect and support from their partner.

As in any other contract, signing means that both parties agree to the terms and intend to adhere to the rules. So failing to fulfill one’s responsibilities is a breach of the contract and merits limiting or temporarily withholding a corresponding right until that one gets back within the boundaries of the contract, or else the contract is nullified.

So, for example, a wife who repeatedly and intentionally refuses to consult her husband and does things that damage the well-being of the family, or one who fails to do what they had agreed upon after consultation for no logical reason other than rebellion, or one who intentionally does what her husband hates just to make him angry, is certainly a type of woman who should be disciplined in order to preserve the peace and harmony of the Muslim home and the family members within it. This is, of course, assuming that the husband is continuously fulfilling his responsibility towards his wife and family but is not getting his fair rights in return, and that all other peaceful methods of resolving the dispute have failed.

u can read more here :

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-English-AAbout_Islam/AskAboutIslamE/AskAboutIslamE&cid=1123996016760

islam gave the women all their rights in every details in their lives , to protect them , as a wife , as daughter , as mother .....
it is just a misunderstand for the verse.

peace.

Answer 7

the verse talks about women who you fear their "neshoz" and neshooz such as look at her husband down, humilate him infront of people, don't care much about what he says by not listening to him. then first advice them, 2nd don't sleep next to them, 3rd beat them. and prophet Muhammad explained the beating by lightly beating not abues.

you will be surprise but these little thing could increase the love and respect between partners and save a whole family from getting destoryed. there is high rate of divorce in the west.

Answer 8

christian men also beat woman at times.
so don't judge muslims because on the whole they appear darker skinned then you.
and little mosque on the prairie in canada on CBC is a great show.
beating woman is a human right.
just kidding, think of every woman as you mother and then nobody would get hurt.

Answer 9

Not sure about the Quran, but the Bible does perscribe a good rod beating for a child that needs correcting.
Proverbs 23:13-14 "Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell."
Take that to the bank!

Answer 10

your actually allowed to tap the witha misawk which is a small piece of wood muslims useto brush our teeth...