Wife Beating

In Islam

Friday, April 8, 2022

The Quran advises a husband to beat his wife in certain circumstances. Here is the verse:

As to those women on whose part you see ill-conduct, admonish them, then refuse to share their beds, and then beat them (The Quran 4:34).^[1]

So, if a husband physically strikes his wife, he does so because he follows the precepts of the Quran. Often the wife accepts beating because she sees it as the will of God.

The Bible never condones wife beating. Since striking someone is usually a result of uncontrolled anger, it is considered evil. The Bible gives us two essential guiding principles for how a man should treat his wife:

1. A man should love his wife as Christ loved the Church (Ephesians 5:25).
2. A man should honor his wifeand treat her respectfully as an equal recipient of God’s grace (1 Peter 3:7).

We should note here that in spite of the quranic verse, many decent men have genuine love and respect for their wives. They treat them very well and would never lift a hand against them. Also, in a few cases I have encountered, it is the Muslim wife who beats her husband. That, of course, is a rarity!

Prayer

Lord God, your Word is like a hammer that breaks the rock (Jeremiah 23:29). I pray that you will send your Word to Muslims and turn their hearts to you to accept the claims of Christ as the only Savior from sin, the Ruler of the universe, and soon-to-be Judge of all.

I pray for battered and mistreated wives. I know it must hurt you to see your creation abused. Send your Spirit to these women and their husbands to demonstrate that you love them. May they all realize that you are waiting with open arms, ready to welcome them into your Kingdom and accept them as children by faith in Christ Jesus the Lord.

Promise

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1, NLT).