An-Nisa, 34

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An-Nisa, 34 (also known as Quran 4:34) is

the 34th verse of chapter (surah) #4 of the
Quran (titled An-Nisa/The Women).[1]

Contents
Verse
 ‫ﺎء ِﺑ َﻤﺎ َﻓﻀ َﻞ ا ُ‬ ‫ﻮن َﻋﻠَﯽ اﻟﻨ َﺴ ِ‬ ‫اﻣ َ‬ ‫ﺎل َﻗﻮ ُ‬ ‫اﻟﺮ َﺟ ُ‬
‫َﺑ ْﻌ َﻀ ُﻬ ْﻢ َﻋﻠَ ٰﯽ َﺑ ْﻌ ٍﺾ َو ِﺑ َﻤﺎ ا ْﻧ َﻔ ُﻘﻮا ِﻣ ْﻦ ا ْﻣ َﻮا ِﻟ ِﻬ ْﻢ ۚ‬
‫ﺎت ِﻟ ْﻠ َﻐ ْﯿ ِﺐ ِﺑ َﻤﺎ َﺣ ِﻔ َﻆ‬‫ﺎﻓ َﻈ ٌ‬ ‫ﺎت َﻗﺎ ِﻧﺘَ ٌ‬
‫ﺎت َﺣ ِ‬ ‫َﻓﺎﻟﺼﺎ ِﻟ َﺤ ُ‬
‫ﻮﻫﻦ‬‫ﻮن ُﻧ ُﺸﻮ َز ُﻫﻦ َﻓ ِﻌ ُﻈ ُ‬ ‫ﺎﻓ َ‬ ‫ا ُ ۚ َواﻟﻼ ِﺗﯽ َﺗ َﺨ ُ‬
‫ُﻮﻫﻦ ۖ َﻓﺎ ْن‬
‫اﺿ ِﺮﺑ ُ‬‫ﺎﺟ ِﻊ َو ْ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ﻀ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ﻤ‬
‫َ‬ ‫ْ‬
‫اﻟ‬ ‫وﻫﻦ ِﻓﯽ‬‫اﻫ ُﺠ ُﺮ ُ‬ ‫َو ْ‬
‫ﯿﻼ ۗ ان ا َ ﮐ َ َ‬
‫ﺎن‬ ‫ا َﻃ ْﻌ َﻨﮑُ ْﻢ َﻓ َﻼ َﺗ ْﺒ ُﻐﻮا َﻋﻠَ ْﯿﻬﻦ َﺳ ِﺒ ً‬
‫ِ‬
‫َﻋ ِﻠ ًﯿﺎ ﮐ َ ِﺒ ً‬
‫ﯿﺮا‬

‫‪Transliteration‬‬

‫‪ar-rijālu qawwamūna ʿala -n-‬‬

‫‪nisāʾi bimā faḍḍala - llāhu‬‬
‫‪baʿḏahum ʿala baʿḍin wa bimā‬‬
 ʾanfaqū min ʾamwālihim fa-ṣ-
ṣāliḥātu qānitātun ḥāfiẓātun l-il-
ghaybi bimā ḥafiẓa -llāhu wa-l-
lātī takhāfūna nushūzahunna
fa-ʿiẓūhunna w-ahjurūhunna fi-l-
maḍājiʿ w-aḍribūhunna fa ʾin
ʾaṭaʿnakum falā tabghū
ʿalayhinna sabīlan ʾinna -llāha
kāna ʿalīyyan kabīran

English translations

There are a number of translations that

differ on the specific interpretations of the
words.

Marmaduke Pickthall:[2]

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 support 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.

Muhammad Taqi Usmani

Men are caretakers of women,

since Allah has made some of
them excel the others, and
because of the wealth they have
spent. So, the righteous women
are obedient, (and) guard (the
 property and honor of their
husbands) in (their) absence
with the protection given by
Allah. As for women of whom
you fear rebellion, convince
them, and leave them apart in
beds, and beat them. Then, if
they obey you, do not seek a way
against them. Surely, Allah is the
Highest, the Greatest.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali:[2]

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).

Sahih International, at Quran.com:[3]

Men are in charge of women by

[right of] what Allah has given
one over the other and what
they spend [for maintenance]
from their wealth. So righteous
women are devoutly obedient,
 guarding in [the husband's]
absence what Allah would have
them guard. But those [wives]
from whom you fear arrogance -
[first] advise them; [then if they
persist], forsake them in bed;
and [finally], strike them. But if
they obey you [once more], seek
no means against them. Indeed,
Allah is ever Exalted and
Grand.[4]

Ahmad Shafaat:[5]
Men are (meant to be righteous
and kind) guardians of women
because God has favored some
more than others and because
they (i.e. men) spend out of their
wealth. (In their turn) righteous
women are (meant to be)
devoted and to guard what God
has (willed to be) guarded even
though out of sight (of the
husband). As for those (women)
on whose part you fear ill-will
and nasty conduct, admonish
them (first), (next) leave them
 alone in beds (and last) beat or
separate them (from you). But if
they obey you, then seek nothing
against them. Behold, God is
most high and great.

Muhsin Khan, at Quran.com:[3]

Men are the protectors and

maintainers of women, because
Allah has made one of them to
excel the other, and because
they spend (to support them)
from their means. Therefore the
righteous women are devoutly
obedient (to Allah and to their
husbands), and guard in the
husband's absence what Allah
orders them to guard (e.g. their
chastity, their husband's
property, etc.). As to those
women on whose part you see
illconduct, admonish them
(first), (next), refuse to share
their beds, (and last) beat them
(lightly, if it is useful), but if they
return to obedience, seek not
against them means (of
 annoyance). Surely, Allah is Ever
Most High, Most Great.

Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri:[6]

Men are guardians of women,

because Allah has made one
superior to the other, and (also)
because men spend their wealth
(on them). So the pious wives
are obedient. They guard (their
chastity) in the absence of their
husbands with the protection of
Allah. But those women whom
 you fear will disobey and defy,
admonish them; and (if they do
not amend) separate them (from
yourselves) in beds; and (if they
still do not improve) turn away
from them, striking a temporary
parting. Then if they become
cooperative with you, do not
seek any way against them.
Surely, Allah is Most High, Most
Great.

Laleh Bakhtiar, PhD:[7][8]

Men are supporters of wives
because God has given some of
them an advantage over others
and because they spend of their
wealth. So the ones who are in
accord with morality are the
ones who are morally obligated,
the ones who guard the unseen
of what God has kept safe. But
those whose resistance you fear,
then admonish them and
abandon them in their sleeping
place, then go away from them;
and if they obey you, surely look
 not for any way against them;
truly God is Lofty, Great.

Maulvi Sher Ali on behalf of the Ahmadiyya

religion:[9]

Men are guardians over women

because Allah has made some of
them excel others, and because
they (men) spend of their wealth.
So virtuous women are those
who are obedient, and guard the
secrets of their husbands with
Allah’s protection. And as for
 those on whose part you fear
disobedience, admonish them
and leave them alone in their
beds, and chastise them. Then if
they obey you, seek not a way
against them. Surely, Allah is
High, Great.

Verses in context

Do not covet something in which

Allah has made some of you
superior to others. For men
there is a share of what they
earned, and for women, a share
of what they earned. Pray to
Allah for His grace. Surely, Allah
is All-Aware of everything.For
everyone We have made heirs in
what the parents and the
nearest of kin have left. As for
those with whom you have made
a pledge, give them their shares.
Surely, Allah is Witness over
everything. Men are caretakers
of women, since Allah has made
some of them excel the others,
and because of the wealth they
have spent. So, the righteous
women are obedient, (and)
guard (the property and honor
of their husbands) in (their)
absence with the protection
given by Allah. As for women of
whom you fear rebellion,
convince them, and leave them
apart in beds, and beat them.
Then, if they obey you, do not
seek a way against them. Surely,
Allah is the Highest, the
Greatest.If you fear a split
between them (the spouses),
 send one arbitrator from his
people and one from her people.
If they desire to set things right,
Allah shall bring about harmony
between them. Surely, Allah is
All-Knowing, All-Aware (Al-
Quran 32-35)

Background of the verse

There are a number of translations of this
verse from the Arabic original, and all vary
to some extent.[10] Some Muslims, such as
Islamic feminist groups, argue that Muslim
men use the text as an excuse for
domestic violence.[11]

In the Prophet's farewell sermon as

recorded in al-Tabari's History,[12] and in a
Sahih Hadith collected by Abu Dawud,[13]
he instructed husbands to beat their wives,
without severity (‫ُﻮﻫﻦ َﺿ ْﺮ ًﺑﺎ َﻏ ْﻴ َﺮ ُﻣ َﺒﺮ ٍح‬ ْ ‫َﻓ‬
ُ ‫ﺎﺿ ِﺮﺑ‬
fadribuhunna darban ghayra mubarrih;
literal translation: "beat them, a beating
without severity") When asked by Ibn
Abbas the uncle and companion of the
prophet Ibn Abbas replied back: “I asked
Ibn Abbas: ‘What is the hitting that is
Ghayr Al-Mubarrih?’ He replied [with] the
siwak (toothbrush like a twig) and the
like’.[14] This is obtained not only from the
context of the sermon and the hadith
cited, but also from the cited Cliff Note
772 in Vol. IX of Al-Tabari's history. Ibn
'Abbas, a companion of the Prophet also
the uncle of the Prophet, is recorded in the
Tafsir of al-Tabari for verse 4:34 as saying
that beating without severity is using a
siwak (small tooth cleaning twig) or
something similar to it. [15] There are
sources that say that Muhammad himself
never hit a woman and forbade it.[16] In a
hadith collected by Abu Dawud,
Muhammad told men not to hit their wives
on the face.[17]
Another hadith narration of the Farewell
Sermon appears in Sunan Ibn Majah. The
Arabic phrase mentioned above is here
translated, "hit them, but without causing
injury or leaving a mark."

It was narrated that:

Sulaiman bin Amr bin Ahwas
said: “My father told me that he
was present at the Farewell
Pilgrimage with the Messenger
of Allah. He praised and
glorified Allah, and reminded
and exhorted (the people). Then
he said: 'I enjoin good treatment
of women, for they are prisoners
with you, and you have no right
to treat them otherwise, unless
they commit clear indecency. If
they do that, then forsake them
in their beds and hit them, but
without causing injury or
leaving a mark. If they obey you,
then do not seek means of
annoyance against them. You
have rights over your women
and your women have rights
over you. Your rights over your
women are that they are not to
allow anyone whom you dislike
to tread on your bedding
(furniture), nor allow anyone
whom you dislike to enter your
houses. And their right over you
are that you should treat them
kindly with regard to their
clothing and food.' ” Grade:
Sahih[18]

`A’isha said: the Messenger of

Allah (saws) never struck a
servant or a woman.[19]
There have been several fatwas against
domestic violence.[20][21] Feminist writers
have argued that society during Quranic
times differed from modern times,
especially in how children were reared and
raised, creating a need for gender roles.
However, these scholars highlight that the
Qur'an can be interpreted differently as
society changes.[22][23][24]

Jonathan A.C. Brown gives the wider

scholarly tendency when it comes to the
verse:

The vast majority of the ulama

across the Sunni schools of law
inherited the Prophet's unease
over domestic violence and
placed further restrictions on
the evident meaning of the 'Wife
Beating Verse'. A leading
Meccan scholar from the second
generation of Muslims, Ata' bin
Abi Rabah, counseled a husband
not to beat his wife even if she
ignored him but rather to
express his anger in some other
way. Darimi, a teacher of both
Tirmidhi and Muslim bin Hajjaj
as well as a leading early
scholar in Iran, collected all the
Hadiths showing Muhammad's
disapproval of beating in a
chapter entitled 'The Prohibition
on Striking Women'. A
thirteenth-century scholar from
Granada, Ibn Faras, notes that
one camp of ulama had staked
out a stance forbidding striking
a wife altogether, declaring it
contrary to the Prophet's
example and denying the
authenticity of any Hadiths that
seemed to permit beating. Even
 Ibn Hajar, the pillar of late
medieval Sunni Hadith
scholarship, concludes that,
contrary to what seems to be an
explicit command in the Qur'an,
the Hadiths of the Prophet leave
no doubt that striking one's wife
to discipline her actually falls
under the Shariah ruling of
'strongly disliked' or 'disliked
verging on prohibited'.[25]

The first part of the verse about men

having authority over women is meant for
obedience towards God, not the
husband.[26]

Background on the roles of

men and women in Islam

The Qur'an states that men are the

guardians of women, and thus responsible
for earning livelihood for the family and
female relatives. Women, however, are
given a degree of autonomy over their own
income and property, provided this
autonomy is exercised in a way that is
agreeable to the wishes of the husband,
provided his wishes not be in violation of
Islamic principles.[27] Nevertheless, they
are responsible for educating the children,
as God has given the one preference over
the other. Man is also considered to be the
head of the family.[28] The Qur'an
recommends that wives be obedient and
adaptable to their husbands. Wives should
also keep the secrets of their husbands
and protect their honor and integrity.
Islamic scholars consider this important in
running a smooth family system.[29]

Divorced women shall wait

concerning themselves for three
monthly periods. Nor is it lawful
for them to hide what Allah
Hath created in their wombs, if
they have faith in Allah and the
Last Day. And their husbands
have the better right to take
them back in that period, if they
wish for reconciliation. And
women shall have rights similar
to the rights against them,
according to what is equitable;
but men have a degree (of
advantage) over them. And
Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.
(Qu'ran 2:228)[30]
For both men and women, zulm- known in
English as actions of 'cruelty' against
someone- is explicitly prohibited.[11]

Equality of genders throughout

the Qur'an

The equality of men and women is

discussed in many places throughout the
text. The Quran blamed Adam and Eve for
the original sin as Satan talks to both of
them.[31]

Then began Satan to whisper

suggestions to them, bringing
 openly before their minds all
their shame (Qur’an 7:20)[32]

The Qur'an is also very specific that both

men and women should receive equal
punishment for wrongdoings (24:2), and
that both men and women are seen as
equals under God, and will be rewarded for
their faith by entering Heaven (4:124).

The woman and the man guilty

of adultery or fornication,- flog
each of them with a hundred
stripes(Qur’an 24:2)[33]
 Whoever does good deed,- male
or female- and he is believer, he
will enter Heaven, and not the
least injustice will be done to
him. (Qur’an 4:124)[34]

Male and female relationships in

the times of the Prophet

In her book Qur'an and Women, scholar

Amina Wadud writes about the importance
of women in the time of the Prophet.
During this time, women did not have
access to the technology that women
today have; giving birth and raising
children was much more difficult due to
diseases and lack of healthcare
knowledge. For this reason, Wadud writes,
"The Qur'an establishes his [the husband's]
responsibility as qiwamah: seeing to it that
the women is not burdened with additional
responsibilities which jeopardize that
primary demanding responsibility only she
can fulfill."[35] The need to reproduce and
raise children contributed to the
importance of gender roles in the time of
the Prophet.

Scholar Ayesha Chaudhry[36] writes that

many Muslims have this fundamentally
flawed way of examining the text, writing
that "Despite the potential for such verses
[4:34] to have multiple plain-sense
meanings, living Muslim communities
place these interpretations in conversation
with the pre-colonial Islamic tradition".[37]

Examples from the Prophet

The late Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad

Hussein Tabataba'i (1903-1981 AD)
provides the following exegesis on 4:34
from both Sunni and Shi'ite sources in his
Mizan:

Ibn Abi Hatim has narrated

through Ash’ath ibn ‘Abdil-Malik
from al-Hasan that he said: “A
woman came to the Prophet
complaining against her
husband that he had slapped
her. The Messenger of Allah
said: “Retribution”. Then Allah
revealed the verse, “Men are
maintainers of women… (4:34);
so the woman returned without
retribution [ad-Durr 'l-munthur,
as-Suyuti]. [as-Suyuti] has
narrated it from the Prophet
through other chains too. Some
of them say that the Messenger
of Allah said: “I wanted one
thing (retribution), but Allah
decided otherwise"...there were
some instances where Allah had
amended some prophetic orders
by adding to or deleting from it,
but it was only in his
administrative order, not in
matters of the law ordained by
him for his people, otherwise it
would have been an invalid
nullification...the Messenger of
Allah used to wonder aloud:
"How can you embrace the
woman with a hand you had hit
her with?". It is narrated also in
al-Kafi through his chain from
Abu Maryam from Abu Ja’far
(Imam Muhammad al-Baqir)
that he said: “The Messenger of
Allah said: “What! Does one of
you hit his wife, and then
attempt to embrace her?".
Countless such statements are
found in the traditions; and one
may understand from them the
Islamic views on this subject.[38]
Al-Tabari (839-923 AD) wrote that, "The
Prophet never raised his hand against one
of his wives, or against a slave, nor against
any person at all." In fact, when the
Prophet faced rebellion of his wives, rather
than beat him, Al-Tabari accounts that he
instead, "stayed away from his wives for
29 nights."[39]

Debates and discussion about

the text
In response to nushûz, admonishment,
leaving wives in their beds and idribihunna
are permitted. Islamic scholars agree such
actions can not be undertaken for any
reason other than those mentioned in the
Qur'an (see nushûz).[40]

Part 1: Authority of men and its

reasons

This allots men authority over women due

to following reasons: 1: Because God has
given some more strength than others. 2:
Because men spent from their property to
support women i.e., clothing, residence,
and sustenance.The word qawwamun is
also used at Al-Quran 4:134. Here it is said
that believers should be Qawwamun with
fairness.
1: God has favoured some over
others

One of the reason men being qawwamun

over women is that God has favoured
some over others.

2: Men are responsible of

maintenance of women

Second reason of men being qawwamun

over women is that because men are
responsible of earning for women.[41]

Part 2: Characters of pious

women
The verse declares that pious women are:
1: Obedient 2: Guarding the unseen as God
prescribes.

1: Obedient or Qanitat

The verse commands women to be

qanitat. The term has been used in
Quran 33:35 to refer to men and women
alike, who are obedient to God. Some
commentators use the term to mean
obedience to the husband, while others
assert that it means obedience to God.[42]
Some "scholars" agree that the husband
does not have absolute control over his
wife, and her first loyalty is to God.[43]
2: Guarding the unseen

Hafizat is derived from hafaz meaning to

guard. The subjective form is hafiz
meaning a person who guards and hafizah
meaning she who guards (feminine).
Hafizat is plural of hafizah (both being
feminine). It means that good women
guard themselves in the absence of
Husband as God prescribes.

Part 3: Rebellious women and

advice

And those whose rebellion (nushûz) is

feared. It is advised 1: to admonish them
2: to leave them alone in beds 3: to beat
them

the term "nushûz" (‫ ) ُﻧ ُﺸﻮز‬is translated as

"disloyalty and ill-conduct" by Yusuf Ali,
"rebellion" by Pickthall and "desertion" by
Shakir. Other scholars have drawn on
hadiths to interpret the meaning of the
word.

1: to admonish them

The first response to nushuz is wā'z (‘‫)’و َﻋﻆ‬,

َ
meaning to first admonish or scold the
wife of her behaviour.[29] There is strong
agreement amongst Muslim scholars that
this admonishment must be conducted in
a spirit of reconciliation.[44]

2: to leave them alone in beds

According to tafsir ibn kathir, a well known

commentary of Quran. He describes in his
exegesis.

The Sunan and Musnad

compilers recorded that
Mu`awiyah bin Haydah Al-
Qushayri said, "O Allah's
Messenger! What is the right
that the wife of one of us has on
 him The Prophet saido feed her
when you eat, cloth her when
you buy clothes for yourself,
refrain from striking her face or
cursing her, and to not abandon
her, except in the house.[45]

Should the nushuz continue, the next step

is to refuse to share the bed with the wife.
Again Muslim scholars emphasize on the
spirit of healing while conducting this
action.[44]

3: to beat them (iḍribūhunna and

daraba)
According to tafsir ibn Kathir.

Muslim recorded that Jabir said

that during the Farewell Hajj,
the Prophet said;

(Fear Allah regarding women,

for they are your assistants. You
have the right on them that they
do not allow any person whom
you dislike to step on your mat.
However, if they do that, you are
allowed to discipline them
lightly. They have a right on you
that you provide them with their
 provision and clothes, in a
reasonable manner.) Ibn `Abbas
and several others said that the
Ayah refers to a beating that is
not violent. Al-Hasan Al-Basri
said that it means, a beating
that is not severe.[45]

The term iḍribūhunna (usually translated,

'beat them') in 4:34 comes from the root
ḍaraba (Arabic: ‫)ﺿﺮب‬.[46] The word has
been used many times in the Quran to
mean: to hit, to travel the earth, to set up,
to condemn and to give examples. Thus
scholars interpret iḍribūhunna in different
ways. Whereas many interpret it to mean
"to strike", others hold that the term means
"to separate".[44][47] Such an action is to be
administered only if neither the husband
nor the wife are willing to divorce.[48] In the
context of this verse, iḍribūhunna has also
been interpreted to mean "go to bed with
them",[49] the Arabic root word "daraba"
being taken from the prosaic example "the
stud-camel covered the she-camel".[50]

The term daraba is translated by Yusuf Ali

as "beat," but the Arabic word is used
elsewhere in the Qur'an to convey different
meanings. The phrase, "Daraba Allah
mathalan"[51] translates to, "Allah gives or
sets an example."[52] The use of this word
might be compared to the way "to strike" is
used in English, which can mean, "to strike
a pose," or "to strike a bargain," not just
referring to the physical act of hitting
something.[53] The use of daraba is also
intentional, because a different Arabic
word exists, "daraba" which is translated
to, "to strike repeatedly or intensely."[54]

Muslim scholars who permit hitting,

emphasize that it must not be
harsh,[48][55][56] but rather light.[57][58][59][60]
Muslim men are never to hit their spouse's
face, nor to hit them in such a way as
would leave marks on their body. Scholars
suggest that the response administered
should be in proportion to the fault
committed.[61] Traditionally the idea of
beating was "with a toothbrush"[62][63][64] or
"with a folded handkerchief."[65] Jonathan
A.C. Brown resumes the situation:

If a wife exhibited egregious

disobedience (nushuz) such as
uncharacteristically insulting
behavior, leaving the house
against the husband's will and
without a valid excuse or
denying her husband sex
(without medical grounds), the
husband should first admonish
her to be conscious of God and
proper etiquette. If she did not
desist from her behavior, he
should cease sleeping with her
in their bed. If she still continued
in her nushuz, he should then
strike her to teach her the error
of her ways. Shaffii law only
allowed the husband to use his
hand or a wound-up
handkerchief (mina malfuf), not
a whip or stick. All schools of
law prohibited striking the wife
in the face or in any sensitive
area likely to cause injury. All
except some Maliki jurists held
that the wife could claim
compensation payment (diya)
from the husband for any injury
she sustained, and Hanbalis, the
later Shaffii school as well as the
Maliki school, allowed a judge
to dissolve the marriage at no
cost to the wife if harm had been
done. In effect, any physical
harm was grounds for
compensation and divorce since
 the Prophet had limited striking
one's wife to 'a light blow that
leaves no mark.' Causing any
injury thus meant that a
husband had exceeded his
rights. All schools of law agreed
that if the wife died due to a
beating, her family could claim
her wergild or possibly even
have the husband executed.[66]

Many jurists interpret iḍribūhunna as "more

or less symbolic."[67][68] Others, however,
argue that a mere symbolic administration
would be pointless and rather should be
an "energetic demonstration" of the love of
the husband. But it is agreed that the
demonstration should not seriously hurt
the wife.[48]

The 2007 translation The Sublime Quran by

Laleh Bakhtiar translates iḍribūhunna not
as 'beat them' but as 'go away from them'.
The introduction to her translation
discusses the linguistic and shari‘ah
reasons in Arabic for understanding this
verb in context. The Prophet never beat his
wives, and his example from the Sunnah
informs the interpretation of this verse.
This interpretation is supported by the fact
that some other verses, such as 4:101
which contains word darabtum (derivation
from daraba), demonstrate also the
interpretation of Arabic word daraba to
have meaning 'going' or 'moving'.[7]

The Islamic scholar Tahir-ul-Qadri has

given the same translation in his
translation of the Quran "Irfan-ul-Quran": "
(...)and (if they still do not improve) turn
away from them, striking a temporary
parting.(...)".[69] This translation is further
supported by the fact that the word
"darabtum" is used in the same chapter
(specifically, in Quran 4:94 ), which means
to "go abroad" in the sake of Allah and
which is derived from the same root word
("daraba") as "idribuhunna" in 4:34.[70]

The book Woman in the Shade of Islam by

Saudi scholar Abdul Rahman al-Sheha
stated that a man may "beat" his wife only
if it occurs without "hurting, breaking a
bone, leaving blue or black marks on the
body and avoiding hitting the face, at any
cost."

A widely used 1930 English translation of

the Quran by British Muslim scholar
Marmaduke Pickthall determined the verse
to mean that, as a last resort, men can
"scourge" their wives.[11]
Some jurists argue that even when hitting
is acceptable under the Qur'an, it is still
discountenanced.[71][72][73]

In his book No god but God, University of

Southern California scholar Reza Aslan,
stated that false interpretations of the text
have occurred because Quranic
commentary "has been the exclusive
domain of Muslim men."[11]

The Islamic prophet Mohammed himself,

according to Islamic tradition, never once
struck a woman in argument. This fact is
sometimes cited in debates about the
text.[11]
Muslim feminist writer Asra Q. Nomani
has argued,

Indeed, Muslim scholars and

leaders have long been doing
what I call "the 4:34 dance" --
they reject outright violence
against women but accept a
level of aggression that fits
contemporary definitions of
domestic violence.[11]

Feminist writer Amina Wadud writes in her

book, ''Inside the Gender Jihad: Women's
Reform in Islam'':[1]

No community will ever be

exactly like another. Therefore
no community can be a
duplicate of that original
community. The Quran never
states that as a goal. Rather the
goal has been to emulate certain
key principles of human
development; justice, equity,
harmony, moral responsibility,
spiritual awareness and
development.[74]
Ibn Ishaq has said that Muhammad in his
The Farewell Sermon said that:[1]

[wives] should not commit any

open indecency (Fāḥishah
Mubiyya). If they do, then God
permits you to shut them in
separate rooms and to beat
them, but not severely.

Nada Ibrahim of the University of South

Australia states that three words—
qawwamuna, nushuzahunna, and
wadribuhunna—are mistranslated due to
the lack of equivalent English alternatives.
She explains that in particular, English
language Qur'an commentators have not
agreed to merely one translation of the
word wadribuhunna and that "A clear
disagreement exists among English-
language Qur’an commentators on how
best to translate this word. All translations
give an explicit negative connotation, and
– when read out of context – further
exacerbates any misunderstanding."[75]

Part 4: When they obey

In quran’s Commentary exegisis of this

part of verse is as following:
 (but if they return to obedience,
seek not against them means (of
annoyance),) meaning, when the
wife obeys her husband in all
that Allah has allowed, then no
means of annoyance from the
husband are allowed against his
wife. Therefore, in this case, the
husband does not have the right
to beat her or shun her bed.
Allah's statement,[76]

1: Not to seek ways against them

In this part of verse God says that if
women obey then man are not allowed to
make excuses against them..

Part 5: Glorification of God

Ibn Kathir in the commentary of this part

of verse says

Surely, Allah is Ever Most High,

Most Great.) reminds men that if
they transgress against their
wives without justification, then
Allah, the Ever Most High, Most
Great, is their Protector, and He
 will exert revenge on those who
transgress against their wives
and deal with them unjustly.[76]

1: Exalted

It means that God is exalted.

2: Great

It means that God is great.

See also
Islam and domestic violence
Criticism of the Qur'an
 Women and Islam
Female figures in the Qur'an

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2003-09-08. Archived from the
 original on 2005-04-04. Retrieved
2007-06-05. "Shaikh Yusuf al-
Qaradawi, head of the European
Council for Fatwa and Research, says
that "It is permissible for him to beat
her lightly with his hands, avoiding her
face and other sensitive parts. In no
case should he resort to using a stick
or any other instrument that might
cause pain and injury.""
56. Ibn Kathir Ad-Damishqee records in his
Tafsir Al-Qur'an Al-Azim that "Ibn
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57. Abdullah Yusuf Ali and Ibn Kathir
58. "The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and
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1989. ISBN 0-915957-03-5, passage
was quoted from commentary on 4:34
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Firdous Ltd., London, 2000, 50-53
60. M.A.S Abdel Haleem Understanding
the Qur'an 46-54
61. "Towards Understanding the Qur'an"
Translation by Zafar I. Ansari from
"Tafheem Al-Qur'an" by Syed Abul-A'ala
Mawdudi, Islamic Foundation,
 Leicester, England. Passage was
quoted from commentary on 4:34.
62. Muhammad Asad, The Message of the
Qur'an (his translation of the Qur'an),
citing Tabari who "quot[es] the views
of scholars of the earliest times."
63. Fareena Alam. "Is wife beating allowed
in Islam?" . Themodernreligion.com.
Retrieved 2013-06-11.
64. The concept of a beating with a
toothbrush comes from Muhammad's
statement to a disobedient maid-
servant that "If it were not for the fear
of retaliation on the Day of
Resurrection, I would have beaten you
 with this miswak (tooth-cleaning twig)"
[as reported by Ibn Majah, by Ibn
Hibban in his Sahih, and by Ibn Sa`d in
his Tabaqat]. Cited by Yusuf al-
Qaradawi, head of the European
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original on 2005-04-04. Retrieved
2007-06-05. "Archived copy" . Archived
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04. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
65. Muhammad Asad, The Message of the
Qur'an (his translation of the Qur'an),
commentary to 4:34, citing Razi.
66. Jonathan A.C. Brown, Misquoting
Muhammad: The Challenge and
Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's
Legacy, Oneworld Publications (2014),
pp. 276-277
67. Muhammad Asad, The Message of the
Qur'an (his translation of the Qur'an).
68. One such authority is the earliest hafiz,
Ibn Abbas.[1]
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(Women)" . Irfan-ul-Quran. Retrieved
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70. Osama Abdallah. Systematic
comparison with 4:94
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71. Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi comments
that "Whenever the Prophet (peace be
on him) permitted a man to administer
corporal punishment to his wife, he did
so with reluctance, and continued to
express his distaste for it. And even in
cases where it is necessary, the
Prophet (peace be on him) directed
men not to hit across the face, nor to
beat severely nor to use anything that
might leave marks on the body."
"Towards Understanding the Qur'an"
Translation by Zafar I. Ansari from
"Tafheem Al-Qur'an" (specifically,
commentary on 4:34) by Syed Abul-
 A'ala Mawdudi, Islamic Foundation,
Leicester, England.
72. The medieval jurist ash-Shafi'i, founder
of one of the main schools of fiqh,
commented on this verse that "hitting
is permitted, but not hitting is
preferable."
73. "[S]ome of the greatest Muslim
scholars (e.g., Ash-Shafi'i) are of the
opinion that it is just barely
permissible, and should preferably be
avoided: and they justify this opinion
by the Prophet's personal feelings with
regard to this problem." Muhammad
 Asad, The Message of the Qur'an (his
translation of the Qur'an).
74. Wadud, Amina (2007). Inside the
Gender Jihad: Women's Reform in
Islam. Oxford: Oneworld Publications.
p. 199.
75. Ibrahim, Nada (2017-06-12).
"Explainer: what Islam actually says
about domestic violence" . The
Conversation. Archived from the
original on 2018-09-15. Retrieved
2018-09-15.
76. "Quran Tafsir Ibn Kathir - When the
Wife Obeys Her Husband, Means of
 Annoyance Against Her are
Prohibited" . www.qtafsir.com.

External links
Ghent University | Does Qur'anic verse
4:34 "allow a superior husband to beat
his inferior, disobedient wife?"
The Sublime Quran: The
misinterpretation of Chapter 4 Verse 34
Exegesis by Ahmad Shafaat
Comprehensive study of evidence FOR
and AGAINST wife beating in Islam
QuranicPath | The Myth that Women
have to "Obey" their Husbands (Analysis
of 4:34)
 QuranicPath | Collection of 4:34
Translations which do not use
"beat/scourge/hit" (violence)

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