Beating Women in Islam

<http://www.news.faithfreedom.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1
742>

Beating Women in Islam

By Ibn Kammuna (ibnkammuna@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
)

The website submission.org has an article, Wife Beating and Abuse that
tries to defend Islam with regard to beating women:

<http://www.submission.org/women/beating.html>.


The article laments the problem of abusing women, which is a problem
that does exist in many societies. It does exist in the west. Here is
why this problem exists according to that article: ³Men in Western (and
Eastern) societies do not abuse their wives because of scriptural
teachings, but because of a natural instinct of domination and
aggression. God, knowing this, has therefore decreed a perfect law to
help men control their temper and to solve any problems before
resorting to physical aggression.²

Now, I do not know about you, but I certainly do not have a natural
instinct of ³domination and aggression². I am sure some people do, but,
to my frustration, my wife told me the bad news that I really do not
have such aggression tendencies. In any case, let us follow the perfect
law Allah decreed and bestowed upon us, men, to control our temper and
help us with our physical aggression. According to the article, the
divine solution is in this verse from, what else, the Qur¹an. I am
quoting verbatim from that article: 

[4:34] The men are made responsible for the women, and GOD has endowed
them with certain qualities, and made them the bread earners. The
righteous women will cheerfully accept this arrangement, since it is
GOD's commandment, and honor their husbands during their absence. If
you experience rebellion from the women, you shall first talk to them,
then (you may use negative incentives like) deserting them in bed, then
you may (as a last alternative) beat them. If they obey you, you are
not permitted to transgress against them. GOD is Most High, Supreme.

Here is the same verse as presented in the three reliable translations
of the Qur¹an. I am putting them down here because there are some
slight differences between them and the above translation:

004.034 
YUSUF ALI: Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because
Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because
they sup****t 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). 

PICKTHAL: Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one
of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property
(for the sup****t of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in
secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear
rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge
them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is
ever High, Exalted, Great. 

SHAKIR: Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of
them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the
good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has
guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish
them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then
if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High,
Great. 

The article I am discussing does say that the above verse is abused by
men in reality. The fact of the matter is that a devout man will never
lay a hand on his wife. Here is a quote from that article:

In reality, a believing husband would most probably NEVER come to the
stage where he would actually lay a hand on his wife. He would be much
too careful to examine his own motives first, as a God fearing man,
before exercising this right. As we see in the verse immediately
following 4:34, when the marriage reaches this stage it's on it's way
to end, as the very next words in the Quran reads; "If a couple fears
separationŠ"

So far, so good. There are three criticisms that come to mind here. I
think all are valid and necessitate rejection of the above verse:

1. A man and a woman are equals in marriage. Assuming that men are
maintainers of women is just rubbish that came to us from a 1400 year
old book that tried to teach people how to live back then.

2. Another substantial criticism to the above verse is that it clearly
allows a man to beat up a woman. Regardless of the cir***stances that
allow a man to beat a woman, and regardless of how ³gentle² that
beating may be, the fact that the Qur¹an allows in principle beating up
a woman is a cause to reject at least one verse of the Qur¹an.

3. I do know Arabic, and when I read verse 34 above in Arabic, I do not
see but the word ³beat them². There is no (Lightly) or (as a last
alternative). It just says ³beat them². Translators just try to sugar
coat another evil verse in the Qur¹an.

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