Question:
Verse 4:34 of the Qur’an reads: “As for those from whom you fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and strike them.” Is this a justification of domestic abuse and violence against women?
I answered him as follows:
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
My Brother, the “striking” in this verse is a symbolic gesture meant as a last resort for men whose wives refuse to stop committing major sins. There are very strict restrictions upon this concession and it is not a justification for a man to physically harm his wife.
Allah the Most High said:
“Do not harm them in order to straighten them.” (Surah At-Talaq, 65:6)