Islam Watch

“Beat Her Lightly”

How Islamic Courts and Clerics Use Qur’an 4:34 to Justify Domestic Violence

A Global Survey of Religious Endorsement for Wife-Disciplining in the Name of Sharia

“Men are in charge of women... As for those from whom you fear disobedience: admonish them, forsake them in bed, and strike them.” — Qur’an 4:34

Surah 4:34 of the Qur’an isn’t just a verse debated in university theology seminars or apologetic YouTube circles. It is a functioning legal precedent in Sharia-based systems today. It is cited in courtrooms, fatwa committees, and government-issued religious guidelines — not metaphorically, but literally.

Despite modern efforts to reframe or soften the meaning, the reality is that Islamic legal authorities and clerics across the Muslim world use Qur’an 4:34 to explicitly permit “light beating” of women. This article gathers real quotes from judges, state muftis, clerical bodies, and national Islamic departments, all citing the verse as legal justification for male authority and physical correction of wives.

🧾 What Does Surah 4:34 Actually Say?

In Arabic and all classical translations, the structure is unmistakable:

Men are the qawwamun (maintainers/guardians) of women.
Women must be obedient.
If a man fears rebellion (nushuz), he is to:
- Admonish her,
- Refuse to share the bed,
- And strike her (wa-dribuhunna).

This is not a suggestion. It is framed as a divinely ordained sequence of male disciplinary authority.

Now, let’s examine how this is applied in real courts, legal systems, and clerical rulings today.

🌍 1. Saudi Arabia – Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Ifta

“If a wife disobeys her husband’s command, the Qur’an allows a three-step discipline: admonishment, separation in bed, and finally, light beating — as stated in Surah An-Nisa 4:34. This is a divine command and must be respected.”
— Fatwa No. 13268, Fatwas of the Permanent Committee, Vol. 21, pp. 180–182

This committee is the highest religious body in Saudi Arabia, and its fatwas are binding in court. Beating is not only permitted — it is described as a “divine method” of family discipline.

Saudi law does have a “Protection from Abuse” framework, but Sharia overrides it if the man’s actions are justified by Qur’anic instruction.

🇵🇰 2. Pakistan – Council of Islamic Ideology (CII)

In 2016, the CII proposed a counter bill to the Punjab Women’s Protection Act that would:

“Allow a husband to lightly beat his wife if she refuses to dress as he wishes, interacts with strangers, or does not offer prayer. This is not violence — it is Quranic guidance from Surah 4:34.”
— Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, then-CII Chairman

The bill was widely condemned internationally, but endorsed by the country's most influential religious body, which shapes the interpretation of Islamic law across all provinces.

The CII’s position reflects mainstream Sunni fiqh, and its influence has blocked national-level legislation criminalizing domestic abuse.

🇲🇾 3. Malaysia – Federal Territories Mufti & JAKIM (2022)

“Islam permits husbands to discipline wives who are disobedient as per Surah An-Nisa 4:34. It must be done with compassion and within limits — not out of anger or vengeance.”
— Datuk Dr. Luqman Abdullah, Federal Territories Mufti
(Malay Mail, 2022)

Additionally, JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia), the federal Islamic authority, issued training materials for married couples referencing 4:34 as part of the husband's rights.

These materials emphasize “patience” but ultimately endorse the use of light physical correction — just as long as it doesn’t cause lasting harm.

🇮🇷 4. Iran – Civil Code Grounded in Shia Jurisprudence

While Iran follows Jaʿfari Shi’a law, the interpretation of 4:34 is functionally the same:

“If the wife refuses to fulfill duties of wifehood without lawful excuse, she is not entitled to alimony.” — Article 1108, Iranian Civil Code

Although the Qur’anic verse isn’t quoted word-for-word in the civil code, Shi’a jurists repeatedly cite 4:34 in commentary to justify:

A husband's right to discipline,
His right to withhold maintenance,
And even his right to strike the wife if she is rebellious (nashiza).

This theological framework is invoked in divorce cases, where women lose legal rights due to perceived disobedience.

🇳🇬 5. Nigeria – Kano State Sharia Court (2019)

“The Qur’an gives the husband authority over his wife. Surah 4:34 outlines the method to correct her if she disobeys. As long as the husband does not inflict grave harm, it is permissible.”
— Judge Yusuf Nuhu, Kano Upper Sharia Court

In this case, a man accused of domestic violence was acquitted because his actions were deemed “religiously sanctioned discipline.”

Twelve northern Nigerian states use Sharia law alongside civil law. In practice, Islamic rulings often override human rights provisions, especially in personal status and family law.

🇪🇬 6. Egypt – Al-Azhar Clerics on National TV (2018)

“The verse is clear. If a woman disobeys, she may be beaten lightly. This is not abuse, but divine instruction. The Prophet himself set the condition that the beating should not break bones or leave marks.”
— Sheikh Sabri Abdel Raouf, senior Al-Azhar scholar

Broadcast on Al-Hadath Al-Youm TV, this debate centered around whether Egypt should criminalize all wife-beating. The Al-Azhar position — Egypt’s most prestigious Islamic institution — was firm: the Qur’an permits it, so it cannot be outlawed.

🇲🇾 7. Malaysia – JAKIM’s Pre-Marriage Guide (2022)

“The wife must be obedient, and if she refuses, Surah 4:34 gives the husband the right to correct her with gradual steps — including striking, if necessary, within limits.”

This quote appears in a federal marriage guidance module circulated by JAKIM for Muslim couples. It explicitly references the three stages of correction in the verse, endorsing them as “Islamic marital harmony practices.”

🧠 Final Analysis: This Is Not Misinterpretation — It’s Implementation

The above quotes and rulings show that:

✅ Surah 4:34 is not a vague metaphor.
✅ It is actively cited in fatwas, court rulings, and legal statutes.
✅ It is treated as divine authority for male dominance and physical correction.
✅ It continues to block legal reform on women's rights and domestic violence.

These are not isolated fringe interpretations. These are mainstream, institutional applications of what Islam — in its textual and legal traditions — actually teaches.

📚 Sources:

Fatwas of the Permanent Committee (Saudi Arabia)
Council of Islamic Ideology reports (Pakistan, 2016)
Malay Mail, 2022 coverage of Mufti Dr. Luqman Abdullah
Malaysian JAKIM marriage modules (2022 edition)
Iranian Civil Code, Articles 1105–1108
Human Rights Watch: Sharia Law in Northern Nigeria
Egyptian TV transcripts, Al-Hadath Al-Youm (2018 broadcast)

✊ Final Verdict

Islamic law permits wife-beating. Not as a misunderstanding — but as a religiously sanctioned disciplinary measure. And courts, clerics, and scholars all around the Muslim world are not shy about admitting it.

You cannot legislate justice while defending scripture that protects violence.

Until Surah 4:34 is disowned, denied, or radically reinterpreted, every attempt to protect women under Sharia will always be undermined by divine permission to strike them.