Question
I am an Arab woman. I have found that you have mentioned on you website that husbands are allowed to beat their wives. I believe that this right is conditional. A husband can only validly punish his wife when she has committed adultery. Here again the husband has been advised to first counsel his wife wisely, then, at the second step, confine her in a room. If she does not correct herself then she can be mildly punished so that the beating does not leave a mark on her body. One wonders how brazenly ignore the divine laws and teach people what is not in accordance with the divine injunctions.
Answer
I am sorry I could not understand how permission to beat the spouse relates only to the wife who commits zina? This is because there is nothing in the text which restricts the words of the verse to that meaning. I understand you must have a sound basis of your claim and am eager to learn if it has been missed by many Muslim scholars. I have learnt that if the wife commits zina and the crime is proved then the couple is separated. The Shari’ah requires that a chaste partner may not remain in wedlock with an unchaste spouse.
Answered by: Tariq Mahmood Hashmi
Date: 2015-03-02
