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Is what was stated in Halima Muzaffar's article in Al-Watan newspaper about beating women correct?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The fatwa can be summarized in two main points:

1. Scholars have unanimously agreed on the permissibility of striking a disobedient wife, provided it adheres to specific Sharia guidelines (not severely, not breaking a bone or disfiguring a limb). They cite the verse: "and strike them," arguing that denying this is contrary to scholarly consensus and an unsound interpretation of the Quran. 2. The Quran must be understood in light of the Prophetic Sunnah, which clarified the meaning of the verse concerning striking, as stated in the Farewell Pilgrimage sermon: "strike them with a non-severe striking." The Prophet’s (PBUH) action of not striking his wives was the preferred approach, not a negation of permissibility, while also mentioning the incident of his nudging of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her).

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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