To what extent is the narration sound that Ibn al-Jawzi reported from Mahfuz ibn Alqamah, from his father, from Mu'adh ibn Jabal - may Allah be pleased with them - in which it is mentioned that Mu'adh struck his wife because she looked through a hole in the dome, or because she gave a boy an apple that she had bitten? Is it permissible to strike a woman merely based on suspicion, or merely for giving a boy an apple, assuming the narration is sound? And what is the opinion regarding the methodical scientific jurisprudential approach that Ibn al-Jawzi followed in his book "Ahkam al-Nisa'" (Rulings on Women)?

The story mentioned about Mu'adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) is found in the books "Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra" and "Tarikh Dimashq." However, its authenticity cannot be ascertained due to its absence from books committed to reliable transmission and its lack of authentication by scholars. Assuming its authenticity, it is inconceivable that Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) would strike his wife for the reason mentioned unless the striking was metaphorical for admonition, or there was another reason not mentioned. As for the book "Ahkam al-Nisa'" by Ibn al-Jawzi, it is a unique jurisprudential reference on the rulings concerning women in acts of worship and other matters, and it spares the Muslim woman from extensive research.