Muhammad and Wife Beating Pt. 3

Catching Muslims In Another Lie

We resume our discussion (https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/muhammad-and-wife-beating-pt-2/).

The Polemicists to the Rescue!

Suffice it to say the hadith of Muhammad physically striking his young bride Aisha in the chest, thereby causing her pain, has troubled many a Muslim, as can be seen by some of their responses. Before quoting them, here is another version of this same narration to keep things in perspective:

“… He said: ‘So you were the black shape that I saw in front of me?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He struck me on the chest, which caused me pain, then he said: ‘Did you think that Allah and His Messenger would deal unjustly with you?’ I said: ‘Whatever the people conceal, He knows it.’… (Sahih)” (Sunan an-Nasa’i, Volume 3, Book 21, Hadith 2039; bold and italicized emphasis ours)

Now pay attention to what the following questionable internet dawagandist posted regarding his prophet violently striking and hurting his child bride:

The explanation (by Salman on Sunni forums)

Salamu Alaikum

“Struck” is a bad translation here. The word used is ‘lahaza’ , which could be translated as “Push” and at most “slap with an open palm” but not a hard, violent slap (and note translating it as “slap” is weaker and less probable). A correct translation would be:

– He pushed me (lahadani) in the chest (fi sadri) with a push (lahdatan)which made me sore (awja’atni).

It is very interesting to note that “pushing” of the Prophet does indeed convey meaning – usually to drive away evil influence and thought. (The Facts About Islam, “Did Prophet Muhammed Hit or Strike His Wife, Aisha?”)

This isn’t the only Muslim who argues that the Arabic word doesn’t actually mean strike or hit. In fact some of them even appeal to the Arabic lexicons to show that “struck” is not an accurate translation:

Polemics against Islam try to mislead people by citing the words “He struck me on the chest which caused me pain” as a proof for their claim that the prophet was guilty of beating his wife Aisha. However the translation of the text in question [“He struck me on the chest which caused me pain”] is not very accurate. The Arabic word used in the hadith is “lahada”. The word “lahada” according to the lexicographers means, “to push” [dafa’a]. The usage of the word “struck” is not a [sic] accurate Rather, the phrase should be translated as:

“He pushed my chest with a push that made me sore.” [translation by Shayk G.F. Haddad ] 35 (Kevin Abdullah Kareem, Does Islam allow Wife beating?, p. 17)

The following internet dawagandist even went as far as to cite Lane’s Lexicon to prove that striking is not one of the definitions of the Arabic word:

Now for the meaning of the word, ‘lahad, let’s refer to Lane’s Lexicon. He writes…

He pushed, pushed away, or repelled, him: or pushed him violently upon the chest:(L:) or he pushed (Let Me Turn The Tables, “Did Prophet Muhammad beat his wife, Aisha?”)

Here is the link to the image from Lane’s Lexicon, provided by this same author.

What makes the above response particularly shameful and dishonest is that the dawagandist forgot to cite the rest of Lane’s Lexicon, since this is what it says IN CONTEXT!

“… He pushed, pushed away, or REPELLED, HIM: or pushed him VIOLENTLY UPON THE CHEST: (L) or he pushed him, pushed him away, or repelled him, ON ACCOUNT OF HIS BASENESS, OR DESPICABLENESS: (S, L, K) OR HE STRUCK HIM IN THE BREASTS, (L), OR IN THE BASES OF THE BREASTS, (K), and in the bases of the shoulder-blades: (L, K) or he pressed, or squeezed, him…” (Edward William Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon, p. 2676; bold, capital and underline emphasis ours)

Lane goes on to list “struck” as one of the meanings of this specific Arabic word! How, then, could the author have failed to include this portion of the lexicon in his “response” seeing that this is the whole point of the objection against Muhammad? And how could some of the other Muslim dawagandists claim that “struck” is not an accurate definition of the word lahada when this is precisely the meaning that is given?

In fact, notice how the following lexicon defines this term:

“… lahad, INF. lahd, oppress; jade; BEAT, push.” (Francis Joseph Steingass, Arabic-English Dictionary, p. 929; bold, capital and underline emphasis ours)

This shows that Muslims have no problem with deliberately lying and distorting the facts of a matter, so long as it helps them to justify the morally objectionable and reprehensible actions of their false prophet.

It gets a lot worse for these dawagandists since even if we go with the meaning proposed by the likes of Haddad, this still wouldn’t help their case in the least. We will simply go with Haddad’s preferred way of translating the hadith in order to see what happens:

… He hastened his steps and I also hastened my steps. He ran and I too ran. He came (to the house) and I also came (to the house). I, however, preceded him and I entered (the house), and as I lay down in the bed, he (the Holy Prophet) entered the (house), and said: Why is it, O ‘A’isha, that you are out of breath? I said: There is nothing. He said: Tell me or the Subtle and the Aware would inform me. I said: Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be ransom for you, and then I told him (the whole story). He said: Was it the darkness (of your shadow) that I saw in front of me? I said: Yes. He pushed me with a push that made me sore, and then said: Did you think that Allah and His Apostle would deal unjustly with you?…

And now compare this with the way some of the other versions of this narration have been translated:

36 The Book of the Kind Treatment of Women

(4) Chapter: Jealousy

“… Then he left and I left, he hurried and I hurried, he ran and I ran, and I got there before him and entered (the house). I had only just laid down when he came in and said: ‘O ‘Aishah, why are you out of breath?’ (one of the reporters) Sulaiman said: I thought he (Ibn Wahb) said: ‘short of breath.’ He said: ‘Either you tell me or the All-Aware, All-Knowing will tell me.’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you;’ and I told him the story. He said: ‘You were the black shape I saw in front of me?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ She said: ‘He gave me A SHOVE in the chest that HURT ME and said: ‘You thought that Allah and His Messenger would be unfair to you.’ She said: ‘Whatever people conceal, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, knows it.’ He said: ‘Yes.’…”

Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)

Reference: Sunan an-Nasa’i 3963

In-book reference: Book 36, Hadith 25

English translation: Vol. 4, Book 36, Hadith 3415 (Sunnah.com; capital and underline emphasis ours)

And:

36 The Book of the Kind Treatment of Women

(4) Chapter: Jealousy

“… He said: ‘You were the black shape I saw in front of me?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ She said: ‘He gave me A SHOVE in the chest that HURT ME and said: “You thought that Allah and His Messenger would be unfair to you.”’ She said: ‘Whatever people conceal, Allah knows it.’ He said: ‘Yes.’…”

Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)

Reference: Sunan an-Nasa’i 3964

In-book reference: Book 36, Hadith 26

English translation: Vol. 4, Book 36, Hadith 3416 (Sunnah.com; capital and underline emphasis ours)

To now show just how laughable and desperate the response of these polemicists happens to be, all we need to do is ask a series of questions.

What was the context of Muhammad pushing/shoving Aisha so hard that it hurt her and caused her to get sore? Why did Muhammad do that?

Because Aisha had secretly left the house in order to follow Muhammad and then ran back in order to hide this from her husband.

Was Muhammad angry because of what she did?

You bet.

Is this why he “pushed/shoved” her so violently?

Yes, he was so angry that he decided to “discipline” her for lying and for secretly following him in order to check up on him.

Therefore, unless we assume that Muhammad intended to play patty-cake with Aisha it is obvious that the push was intended as a strike in order to hurt and punish his child bride. As such, the particular English version of Sahih Muslim which we quoted is absolutely correct in its rendering of the Arabic, since it best captures the intention behind the “push,” e.g., to punish Aisha for angering Muhammad by lying to him and secretly spying on him.

Suffice it to say that this act of Muhammad hitting and hurting Aisha so greatly troubled one particular Muslim polemicist, that he sought the help of his fellow dawagandists on a particular forum to help him come up with a way of understanding and explaining it away:

08-21-2007, 04:45 PM

Bassam Zawadi

Assalamu Alaykum

Look at the following narration…

Can someone explain this to me please?

08-21-2007, 10:16 PM

Ayman bin khaled

moderator

… I, always, advise myself and others to de-attach ourselves from understanding contexts of hadith from western angle [sic] so that we can have a correct and proper understanding of hadiths.

An obvious example is this Hadith , which you quoted, where that part of hitting was understood as hurting from a western perspective [sic]. As you know from a western perspective hitting women is not an acceptable act since (hurting) always relates to images of women being bashed or damaged physically by men!!! That is why you find them sometimes argue about the verse in the Quran where it says hit if women are disobedient. wallahu Al-Musta’an!!! Their understanding to such terms are wrong since they judge things according to their own understanding.

The part which you underlined in the Hadith is a form of teaching yet this is not a hitting that causes any physical harm or damage since the reason behind it is not to harm but to teach. Needless to say, this act is only done in rare situations and only when it is needed, depending on the case.

Now, let me reform the concept of hitting in Islam from another western angle:

If you have a child who is acting rudely all the time, do not his parents hit him on the hand to teach him or maybe spank him? This light hit will cause the child bit of pain but this never harm the child at all. Besides the fact, no one ever says this is bashing or unaccepted act…

08-22-2007, 05:23 AM

Ayman bin khaled

moderator

The arabic word, which has been used in the hadith is “لهدني”. this is a word which means pushing with a full hand.

keep in mind, this is a type of teaching not harming so it is not considered as hitting as it is perceived in accordance with nowadays people understanding…

08-22-2007, 06:36 AM

Bassam Zawadi

But yakhi, Aisha said that it caused her pain. I think the Prophet might have ACCIDENTLY hurt her. So ‘lahadneey’ does not mean to just give advice.

Brother Bassam,

I acknowledged the fact THAT SUCH HIT CAUSE PAIN but it is a bit of pain (sic) and it is not type of pain that harms. I have advised previously that this is a light hit to teach not to harm that is why it was called a hit from first place. Furthermore, I have given the example of hitting a child lightly to teach him to show the difference… (Did the Prophet peace be upon him hurt Aisha?; bold, capital and underline emphasis ours)

There you have it folks. Here are Muslims who are clearly troubled by the fact that their prophet “pushed” the chest of his child bride, causing her pain. And yet the explanations, which they come up with to explain this away, are not only laughable, but also truly disheartening to say the least. Trying to justify what Muhammad did by likening Aisha to a child whose parents may feel the need to hit in order to correct and discipline, gives us an idea of how Muslims view women, especially their wives.

Before concluding we would like to address this one final objection to Muhammad physically hurting his young bride:

Moreover Aisha herself tells us in an authentic hadith that the Prophet] never beated [sic] any of his wives:

Abdur Razzaq has narrated to us from Ma’mar who narrates from Az-Zuhri who narrates from Urwah who narrates this saying of Ayesha: “The Messenger never hit any of his servants with his hands, nor did he ever hit any of his wives, nor did he hit anything except.while.making.Jihad.in.the.path.of.Allah..40

If Aisha herself viewed the incident [narrated by herself in sahih muslim] as an act of wifebeating, she would have never said that the prophet did never hit any of his wives. The above hadith therefor confirms that Aisha herself did not view the push of the prophet [with his fingers] on her chest as a form of beating or anything violent, contrary she clearly tells us by her own self that the prophet did never hit any of his wives. The prophet only used to beat others during war [jihad], i.e. when he was fighting Allah’s enemies at the battlefield. P. 19

Let’s quote the full narration to see what the Muslim conveniently ignored and/or omitted:

‘A’isha said, “I never saw the Messenger of Allah ever take revenge for an injustice done to him as long as it was not regarding the orders of Allah which must be respected. He never struck anyone with his hand at all except when doing jihad in the way of Allah. He never hit a servant or a woman.” (Qadi Iyad, Kitab Ash-shifa bi ta’rif huquq al-Mustafa (Healing by the recognition of the Rights of the Chosen One), translated by Aisha Abdarrahman Bewley [Madinah Press, Inverness, Scotland, U.K., third reprint 1991, paperback], Chapter Two: Allah’s perfecting his good qualities of character and constitution, and giving him all the virtues of the Deen and this world, Section 12. His forbearance, long-suffering and pardon, p. 56; bold, italicized and underline emphasis ours)

The above narration can be understood to mean that Muhammad wasn’t being unjust in hitting Aisha, since it was Allah himself who gave men the right to beat and discipline their wives if they suspected rebellion on their part. However, see our discussion of this point in part 2 of our analysis.

More importantly, as we already discussed in the second part of our discussion, it is Aisha herself that contradicts her own claim of Muhammad never hitting a woman by plainly acknowledging that her much older husband physically struck her in the chest. In fact, she claims that he hit her so hard that he actually hurt her and caused her pain.

Therefore, the only thing that this narration establishes is that the Islamic sources are filled with irreconcilable contradictions, proving that Allah is not God and Muhammad was not a prophet of the true God.

Time to proceed to our postscript (https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/muhammad-and-wife-beating-postscript/).

Source: https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/3512/ 

IHS

Muhammad and Wife Beating Pt. 2

Catching Muslims In Another Lie

We proceed from where we previously left off (https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/muhammad-and-wife-beating-pt-1/).

The Embodiment of the Quran Or A Walking Contradiction?

Islamic tradition depicts Muhammad as the perfect expression of the Quran,

(And verily, you are on an exalted (standard of) character.) “It has been mentioned to us that Sa`d bin Hisham asked `A’ishah about the character of the Messenger of Allah, so she replied: `Have you not read the Qur’an?’ Sa`d said: `Of course.’ Then she said: `Verily, the character of the Messenger of Allah was the Qur’an.’” `Abdur-Razzaq recorded similar to this and Imam Muslim recorded it in his Sahih on the authority of Qatadah in its full length. This means that he would act according to the commands and the prohibition in the Qur’an. His nature and character were patterned according to the Qur’an, and he abandoned his natural disposition (i.e., the carnal nature). So whatever the Qur’an commanded, he did it, and whatever it forbade, he avoided it. Along with this, Allah gave him the exalted character, which included the qualities of modesty, kindness, bravery, pardoning, gentleness and every other good characteristic. This is like that which has been confirmed in the Two Sahihs that Anas said, “I served the Messenger of Allah for ten years, and he never said a word of displeasure to me (Uff), nor did he ever say to me concerning something I had done: `Why did you do that?’ And he never said to me concerning something I had not done: `Why didn’t you do this?’ He had the best character, and I never touched any silk or anything else that was softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah. And I never smelled any musk or perfume that had a better fragrance than the sweat of the Messenger of Allah.” Imam Al-Bukhari recorded that Al-Bara’ said, “The Messenger of Allah had the most handsome face of all the people, and he had the best behavior of all of the people. And he was not tall, nor was he short.” The Hadiths concerning this matter are numerous. Abu `Isa At-Tirmidhi has a complete book on this subject called Kitab Ash-Shama’il. Imam Ahmad recorded that `A’ishah said, “The Messenger of Allah never struck a servant of his with his hand, nor did he ever hit a woman. He never hit anything with his hand, except for when he was fighting Jihad in the cause of Allah. And he was never given the option between two things except that the most beloved of the two to him was the easiest of them, as long as it did not involve sin. If it did involve sin, then he stayed farther away from sin than any of the people. He would not avenge himself concerning anything that was done to him, except if the limits of Allah were transgressed. Then, in that case he would avenge for the sake of Allah.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Q. 68:4; bold emphasis ours)

Which explains why he is set forth as the example, the role model, for others to emulate and pattern themselves after:

Ye have indeed in the Apostle of God a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in God and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of God. S. 33:21 Y. Ali

and you are certainly on the most exalted standard of moral excellence. S. 68:4

Maududi

Moreover, the claim that Muhammad never hit his wives is repeated elsewhere:

Sunan Ibn Majah

The Chapters on Marriage

It was narrated that ‘Aishah said: “The Messenger of Allah never beat any of his servants, or wives, and his hand never hit anything.”

Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)

English reference: Vol. 3, Book 9, Hadith 1984

Arabic reference: Book 9, Hadith 2060 (Sunnah.com)

However, such is not the case since, contrary to what Ibn Kathir reported above, Muhammad did in fact hit women, specifically his child bride Aisha:

Muhammad b. Qais said (to the people): Should I not narrate to you (a hadith of the Holy Prophet) on my authority and on the authority of my mother? We thought that he meant the mother who had given him birth. He (Muhammad b. Qais) then reported that it was ‘A’isha who had narrated this: Should I not narrate to you about myself and about the Messenger of Allah? We said: Yes. She said: When it was my turn for Allah’s Messenger to spend the night with me, he turned his side, put on his mantle and took off his shoes and placed them near his feet, and spread the corner of his shawl on his bed and then lay down till he thought that I had gone to sleep. He took hold of his mantle slowly and put on the shoes slowly, and opened the door and went out and then closed it lightly. I covered my head, put on my veil and tightened my waist wrapper, and then went out following his steps till he reached Baqi’. He stood there and he stood for a long time. He then lifted his hands three times, and then returned and I also returned. He hastened his steps and I also hastened my steps. He ran and I too ran. He came (to the house) and I also came (to the house). I, however, preceded him and I entered (the house), and as I lay down in the bed, he (the Holy Prophet) entered the (house), and said: Why is it, O ‘A’isha, that you are out of breath? I said: There is nothing. He said: Tell me or the Subtle and the Aware would inform me. I said: Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be ransom for you, and then I told him (the whole story). He said: Was it the darkness (of your shadow) that I saw in front of me? I said: Yes. He STRUCK ME ON THE CHEST WHICH CAUSED ME PAIN, and then said: Did you think that Allah and His Apostle would deal unjustly with you? She said: Whatsoever the people conceal, Allah will know it. He said: Gabriel came to me when you saw me. He called me and he concealed it from you. I responded to his call, but I too concealed it from you (for he did not come to you), as you were not fully dressed. I thought that you had gone to sleep, and I did not like to awaken you, fearing that you may be frightened. He (Gabriel) said: Your Lord has commanded you to go to the inhabitants of Baqi’ (to those lying in the graves) and beg pardon for them. I said: Messenger of Allah, how should I pray for them (How should I beg forgiveness for them)? He said: Say, Peace be upon the inhabitants of this city (graveyard) from among the Believers and the Muslims, and may Allah have mercy on those who have gone ahead of us, and those who come later on, and we shall, God willing, join you. (Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Number 2127)

It is ironic that of all the wives, it was Aisha who got hit when she is the one who purportedly claimed that Muhammad never hit a woman!

In striking Aisha, Muhammad showed that he was not the best example for others, and that he did not implement the very rules he imposed upon his followers. The fact is that Muhammad’s reaction violates the Quran and his own sunna. After all, wasn’t it Muhammad who stated that the men who beat their wives are not the best Muslims?

Riyad as-Salihin

The Book of Miscellany

Iyas bin ‘Abdullah reported:

Messenger of Allah said, “Do not beat Allah’s bondwomen.” When ‘Umar came to Messenger of Allah and complained saying: “The women have become very daring towards their husbands,” He gave permission to beat them. Then many women went to the family of the Messenger of Allah (wives) complaining of their husbands, and he (the Prophet) said, “Many women have gone round Muhammad’s family complaining of their husbands. Those who do so, that is, those who take to beating their wives, are not the best among you“.

[Abu Dawud]. (Sunnah.com; underline emphasis)

And no matter how one chooses to interpret Q. 4:34, whether they take the procedures prescribed in how a man is to deal with a rebellious wife as successive steps, as indicated by the following translation,

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 ill-conduct, 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. Hilali-Khan

Or a range of options to choose from, irrespective of the order, Muhammad still ends up violating his own instructions.

If one opts for the first interpretation, then Muhammad disobeyed the words of his deity since he chose to hit Aisha when he was supposed to admonish her first. If the latter explanation is adopted then Muhammad still failed to live up to his own standards, since he chose the harshest course of action instead of doing that which was more merciful and compassionate. After all, hurting his child bride, as opposed to lovingly rebuking her, wasn’t the best course of action, but the harshest and cruelest step he could have taken. This, therefore, indicates that Muhammad wasn’t the loving and merciful human being that Muslims paint him out to be.

Suffice it to say Muslim polemicists have come up with a response to Muhammad physically lashing out on his child bride, one which we will address in the next section (https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/3512/).

Source: https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/muhammad-and-wife-beating-pt-2/ 

Muhammad and Wife Beating Pt. 1

Catching Muslims In Another Lie

The Quran gives men the permission to discipline their wives whom they fear are being rebellious by beating or striking them:

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. S. 4:34 Pickthall

“… But chide those for whose refractoriness ye have cause to fear; remove them into beds apart, and scourage them…” Rodwell

“… And as for those women whose ill-will you have reason to fear, admonish them [first]; then leave them alone in bed; then beat them…” Muhammad Asad 

“… If you fear high-handedness from your wives, remind them [of the teachings of God], then ignore them when you go to bed, then hit them…” Abdel Haleem

“… But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance – [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them…” Umm Muhammad (Sahih International)

“… As for those from whom you fear disloyalty, admonish them, and abandon them in their beds, then strike them…” Tala A. Itani

“… And those whom you are afraid of their disloyalty (in their marital duties), then advise them, and keep away from them in beds, and (if that or nothing else worked) then spank them (fairly and not out of anger)…” Ali Bakhtiari Nejad

“… Those from whom you fear rebelliousness, admonish them and desert them in the bed and smack them (without harshness)…” Hasan Al-Fatih Qaribullah

It is important to keep in mind that the parenthetical comments are not part of the Arabic text, and the Quran nowhere instructs men to beat their wives lightly or without harshness or anger. The translators are doing nothing more than to soften or water down what their respective scripture actually says, since they apparently sense just how cruel, unfair and misogynistic this injunction truly is, especially to non-Muslims who haven’t bought into the supposed divine origin of Islam.

This brings us to our next point. Sometimes these beatings would be so severe that the women would end up with bruises on their bodies:

Narrated ‘Ikrima: Rifa’a divorced his wife whereupon ‘AbdurRahman bin Az-Zubair Al-Qurazi married her. ‘Aisha said that the lady (came), wearing a green veil (and complained to her (Aisha) of her husband and showed her a green spot on her skin caused by beating). It was the habit of ladies to support each other, so when Allah’s Apostle came, ‘Aisha said, “I have not seen any woman suffering as much as the believing women. Look! Her skin is greener than her clothes!” When ‘AbdurRahman heard that his wife had gone to the Prophet, he came with his two sons from another wife. She said, “By Allah! I have done no wrong to him but he is impotent and is as useless to me as this,” holding and showing the fringe of her garment, ‘Abdur-Rahman said, “By Allah, O Allah’s Apostle! She has told a lie! I am very strong and can satisfy her but she is disobedient and wants to go back to Rifa’a.” Allah’s Apostle said, to her, “If that is your intention, then know that it is unlawful for you to remarry Rifa’a unless Abdur-Rahman has had sexual intercourse with you.” Then the Prophet saw two boys with ‘Abdur-Rahman and asked (him), “Are these your sons?” On that ‘AbdurRahman said, “Yes.” The Prophet said, “You claim what you claim (i.e. that he is impotent)? But by Allah, these boys resemble him as a crow resembles a crow.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 72, Number 715)

Here is another version of this narration:

5487. ‘Ikrima related that Rifa’a divorced his wife and then ‘Abdu’r-Rahman ibn az-Zubayr al-Qurazi married her. ‘A’isha said that she [came] wearing a green veil (khimar) and complained to her and showed her some greenness [from bruising] on her skin. The women at that time used to help one another. When the Messenger of Allah came, ‘A’isha said, “I have never seen any woman endure what the believing women endure! Her skin is greener than her clothes!” ‘Abdu’r-Rahman heard that she had gone to the Messenger of Allah so he came with two of his sons by another woman. She said, “By Allah, I have no wrong action in respect to him, but he is of no more use to me than this,” and she took hold of the fringe of her garment. ‘Abdu’r-Rahman said, “By Allah, she lies, Messenger of Allah! I am completely strong and potent enough, but she is disobedient and wants to go to Rifa’a!” The Messenger of Allah said, “If that is the case, you are not lawful to him (or proper for him, i.e. Rifa’a) until ‘Abdu’r-Rahman has experienced your sweetness.” He saw the two boys with him and asked, “Are these your sons? “Yes,” he answered. He said, “This is someone about whom you claim what you claim, but, by Allah, they resemble him as a crow resembles another crow!” (Aisha Bewley, The Sahih Collection of al-Bukhari, Chapter 80. The Book of Dress; bold emphasis ours)

Note carefully what Aisha says here. Muhammad’s child bride basically acknowledges that female Muslims were being oppressed and treated more severely than any other women that she knew of. Also note that instead of reprimanding the husband for hitting his wife so severely so as to bruise her body, Muhammad was more upset over the woman’s accusation that her husband was impotent!

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only time that Muhammad condoned and even sanctioned the beating of women. In the following narrative a man beats his wife for praying too much and Muhammad says nothing to rebuke him!

Narrated AbuSa’id al-Khudri:

A woman came to the Prophet while we were with him.

She said: Apostle of Allah, my husband, Safwan ibn al-Mu’attal, BEATS ME when I pray, and makes me break my fast when I keep a fast, and he does not offer the dawn prayer until the sun rises.

He asked Safwan, who was present, about what she had said. He replied: Apostle of Allah, as for her statement “he beats me when I pray”, she recites two surahs (during prayer) and I have prohibited her (to do so).

He (the Prophet) said: If one surah is recited (during prayer), that is sufficient for the people.

(Safwan continued:) As regards her saying “he makes me break my fast,” she dotes on fasting; I am a young man, I cannot restrain myself.

The Apostle of Allah said on that day: A woman should not fast except with the permission of her husband.

(Safwan said:) As for her statement that I do not pray until the sun rises, we are a people belonging to a class, and that (our profession of supplying water) is already known about us. We do not awake until the sun rises. He said: When you awake, offer your prayer.

Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani)

Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 2459

In-book reference: Book 14, Hadith 147

English translation: Book 13, Hadith 2453 (Sunnah.com; capital and underline emphasis ours)

This next one is quite interesting since it shows that there were times when Muhammad and Allah were at odds with each other:

(Men are in charge of women…) [4:34]. Said Muqatil: “This verse (Men are in charge of women…) was revealed about Sa‘d ibn al-Rabi‘, who was one of the leaders of the Helpers (nuqaba’), and his wife Habibah bint Zayd ibn Abi Zuhayr, both of whom from the Helpers. It happened Sa‘d HIT HIS WIFE ON THE FACE because she rebelled against him. Then her father went with her to see the Prophet. He said to him: ‘I gave him my daughter in marriage and he slapped her’. The Prophet said: ‘Let her have retaliation against her husband’. As she was leaving with her father to execute retaliation, the Prophet called them and said: ‘Come back; Gabriel has come to me’, and Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse. The Messenger of Allah said: ‘We wanted something while Allah wanted something else, and that which Allah wants is good’. Retaliation was then suspended”. Sa‘id ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Zahid informed us> Zahir ibn Ahmad> Ahmad ibn al-Husayn ibn Junayd> Ziyad ibn Ayyub> Hushaym> Yunus ibn al-Hasan who reported that a man slapped his wife and she complained about him to the Prophet. Her family who went with her said: “O Messenger of Allah! So-and-so has slapped our girl”. The Prophet kept saying: “Retaliation! Retaliation! And there is no other judgement to be held”. But then this verse (Men are in charge of women…) was revealed and the Prophet said: “We wanted something and Allah wanted something else”. Abu Bakr al-Harithi informed us> Abu’l-Shaykh al-Hafiz> Abu Yahya al-Razi> Sahl al-‘Askari> ‘Ali ibn Hashim> Isma‘il> al-Hasan who said: “Around the time when the verse on retaliation was revealed amongst the Muslims, a man had slapped his wife. She went to the Prophet and said: ‘My husband has slapped me and I want retaliation’. So he said: ‘Let there be retaliation’. As he was still dealing with her, Allah, exalted is He, revealed (Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other…). Upon which the Prophet said: ‘We wanted something and my Lord wanted something different. O man, take your wife by the hand’ ”. (‘Alī ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul; bold, capital and underline emphasis ours)

Pay careful attention to the fact that this commentary plainly says that Q. 4:34 was “revealed” to justify and permit men to slap their wives in their faces, which refutes the assertion that Islam forbids a man from hitting his spouse severely, especially in her face.

Even Muhammad’s own son-in-law and first cousin, Ali ibn Abu Talib, didn’t hesitate to beat up women. Notice how he treated Aisha’s slave girl:

“As for ‘Ali he said: ‘Women are plentiful, and you can EASILY change one for another. Ask the slave girl; she will tell you the truth.’ So the apostle called Burayra to ask her, and ‘Ali got up and gave her A VIOLENT BEATING, saying, ‘Tell the apostle the truth’, to which she replied, ‘I only know good of her…’” (The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah, with introduction and notes by Alfred Guillaume [Oxford University Press, Karachi, Tenth impression 1995], p. 496; bold and capital emphasis ours)

Not only did Ali beat women he also believed they were quite expendable, easily replaceable!

Another Muslim was even known for being such a great woman beater!

Fatima bint Qais reported that her husband divorced her with three, pronouncements and Allah’s Messenger made no provision for her lodging and maintenance allowance. She (further said): Allah’s Messenger said to me: When your period of ‘Idda is over, inform me. So I informed him. (By that time) Mu’awiya, Abu Jahm and Usama b. Zaid had given her the proposal of marriage. Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: So far as Mu’awiya is concerned, he is a poor man without any property. So far as Abu Jahm is concerned, he is A GREAT BEATER OF WOMEN, but Usama b. Zaid… She pointed with her hand (that she did not approve of the idea of marrying) Usama. But Allah’s Messenger said: Obedience to Allah and obedience to His Messenger is better for thee. She said: So I married him, and I became an object of envy. (Sahih Muslim, Book 009, Number 3526)

Fatima bint Qais reported: My husband Abu ‘Amr b. Hafs b. al-Mughira sent ‘Ayyish b. Abu Rabi’a to me with a divorce, and he also sent through him five si’s of dates and five si’s of barley… Thereupon Allah’s Apostle said: Mu’awiya is destitute and in poor condition and Abu’l-Jahm is very harsh with women (or he beats women, or like that), you should take Usama b. Zaid (as your husband). (Sahih Muslim, Book 009, Number 3527)

Sunan Ibn Majah

The Chapters on Marriage

It was narrated that: Abu Bakr bin Abu Jahm bin Sukhair Al-Adawi said: “I heard Fatima bint Qays say: ‘The Messenger of Allah said to me: “When you become lawful, tell me.” So I told him.’ Then Muawiyah, Abu Jahm bin Sukhari and Usama bin Zaid proposed marriage to her. The Messenger of Allah said: ‘As for Muawiyah, he is a poor man who has no money. As from Abu Jahm he is a man WHO HABITUALLY BEATS WOMAN. But Usamah (is good).’ She gestured with her hand, saying: ‘Usamah, Usamah?’ The Messenger of Allah said to her: ‘Obedience to Allah and obedience to His Messenger is better for you.’ She said: ‘So I married him and I was pleased with hm.'”

Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)

English reference: Vol. 3, Book 9, Hadith 1869

Arabic reference: Book 9, Hadith 1942 (Sunnah.com; capital and underline emphasis ours)

Instead of reprimanding Abu Jahm for beating women and for being harsh with them, Muhammad simply mentions these negative qualities in order to dissuade Fatima from marrying him!

The late Iranian Islamic scholar Ali Dashti provides some further examples of Muslim wife abuse as he explains Q. 4:43:

According to Tafsir ol-Jalalayn, the superiority of men lies in their greater intelligence, knowledge and administrative ability. Zamakhshari, Baydawi, and several other commentators go into more detail and construct metaphysical theories; they liken men’s auuthority over women to that of rulers over subjects, and maintain that prophethood, prayer-leadership, and rulership are reserved for men because men are stronger, MORE INTELLIGENT, and more prudent…

There is one passage, however, which apparently endorses a pre-Islamic Arab custom. This is the sentence at the end of the verse 38[34] permitting a husband to beat his wife: “And those women whose insubordination you fear, admonish them, then leave them alone in the beds, then beat them!” Men with their greater bodily strength have certainly resorted to this unjust and unchivalrous expedient since the earliest times, and they still do so in the twentieth century. Nevertheless its authorization by the law of Islam provides ammunition for critics.

Every community’s laws reflect it life-style, customs, and morals. In addition to the testimony of verse 38[34] of sura 4, there is historical evidence that the Ancient Arabs considered the husband to be the owner of his wife and fully entitled to inflict pain on her. Abu Bakr’s daughter Asma, who was the fourth wife of Zobayr b. ol-‘Awwam (one of the Prophet’s first ten converts and principle companions), is reported to have said, “Whenever Zobayr was angry with one of us, he used to beat her UNTIL THE STICK BROKE.”

The Islamic law on this subject has at least the merit of gradation. First admonition, next cessation of intercourse, and only in the last resort violence should be used to make the wife obey. In the opinion of several commentators and lawyers, the beating should not be severe as to break a bone, because in that case the legal right to retaliation in kind and degree might be invoked. Zamakhshari, however, writes in his comment on the verse that “some authorities do no accept gradation of the punishment of the insubordinate wife but consider infliction of any of the three penalties to be permissible.” This was of course the interpretation given to the words by fanatical Arab theologians such as Ebn Hanbal and Ebn Taymiya. Nevertheless, the meaning of the words is clear and moreover confirmed by what follows in verse 39[35]: “And if you fear a breach between the two, send an arbiter from his kinsfolk and an arbiter from her kinsfolk in case they desire reconciliation.” (Dashti, Twenty-Three Years: A Study of the Prophetic Career of Mohammad, translated from Persian by F.R.C. Bagley [Mazda Publishers, Costa Mesa, CA 1994], pp. 114, 115-116; bold and capital emphasis as well comments within brackets ours)

To make matters worse, Muhammad even went so far as to say that no man should ever be questioned as to why he beats his wife!

Riyad as-Salihin

The Book of Miscellany

‘Umar reported that:

The Prophet said, “No man shall be asked for the reason of beating his wife“.

[Abu Dawud]. (Sunnah.com; underline emphasis ours)

Sunan Ibn Majah

The Chapters on Marriage

It was narrated that Ash’ath bin Qais said: “I was a guest (at the home) of ‘Umar one night, and in the middle of the night he went and hit his wife, and I separated them. When he went to bed he said to me: ‘O Ash’ath, learn from me something that I heard from the Messenger of Allah: “A man should not be asked why he beats his wife, and do not go to sleep until you have prayed the Witr.”‘ And I forgot the third thing.”

Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)

English reference: Vol. 3, Book 9, Hadith 1986

Arabic reference: Book 9, Hadith 2062 (Sunnah.com; underline emphasis ours)

With the foregoing in perspective we are ready to move on to the second part of our discussion (https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/muhammad-and-wife-beating-pt-2/).

Source: https://answeringislamblog.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/muhammad-and-wife-beating-pt-1/

IHS