Hitting the disobedient wife, a jurisprudential Qura’anic study

Abstract

The concept of hitting handedness wife in Islamic law and Qur'anic terminology is the subject of this study. The word(الضرب) (dharb) mentioned in the thirty-fourth verse of the (Al-nisa) chapter, was interpreted to (hit) in the islamic law (Fiqh) books, this verse is dealing about resolving a dispute between spouses, and it means that husbands have the right to abuse their wives physically to resolve her recalcitrance. Depending on this interpretation, many severe criticisms have been directed to the Holy Qur’an states that it allowed physical abuse against women.

Out of that, this research is aiming to provide a new interpretation and perspective for the concept of (dharb) in the above verse, first depending on the main objectives of the Holy Qur’an for the relationship between spouses, and second on the context of the verse that includes the word (dharb). The research used conductive, analytical, and critical methods. And reached that the word (dharb) in the Holy verse means that the husband should depart his home, and leave his wife for a specific time, does not mean physical abuse.