Comparative Studies of Quran

Comparative Studies of Quran

An Analytical Review and Critique of Commentators’ Views on the Term “Adribuhunna” in Surah An-Nisā’ (34)

Document Type : review paper

Authors
mohammad sharifi 1
zahra mohammadi 2
mohammad eidari 3
1 First organizational affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology, Yazd University, Iran, Second organizational affiliation (Associate faculty): Associate Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology and Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them), University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
2 Level 3 student, Reyhaneh al-Rasoul Specialized Center, Jouibar, Iran.
3 . Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Sari, Iran
10.22034/csq.2025.469374.1448
Abstract
Research objective:
Although Islam, as a comprehensive religion, provides guidance in the Qur’an for regulating familial and marital relationships, certain Qur’anic expressions are today often misunderstood, leading critics to accuse the text of condoning violence against women. One such expression is the term “wa-aḍribūhunna” in Qur’an 4:34. This verse, in the context of male authority (qiwāmah) and the three-tiered approach to dealing with a wife’s nushūz (disobedience), has long been the subject of discussion and debate among jurists and exegetes, while also attracting criticism from opponents of Islam.
The present study aims to answer the following questions: What is the precise meaning of the term “wa-aḍribūhunna” in Qur’an 34? What interpretation of the root verb ḍ-r-b can address and refute the aforementioned objections? How does the use of ḍ-r-b and its derivatives in the Qur’an, especially in conjunction with terms such as waʿiẓ (admonition) and hajr (separation or withdrawal), illuminate a new and contextually appropriate understanding of the verse?
Methodology:
This study was conducted using a descriptive–analytical approach, involving the comparative examination and critical analysis of the interpretations of various exegetes. In addition, the study critically reviewed and evaluated both well-known Persian and non-Persian translations of the verse, as well as the commentaries of classical and contemporary scholars, employing a comparative methodology to highlight differences in interpretation and assess their accuracy.
Researche findings:
This study, considering the sequential stages mentioned in the verse, interprets “ḍarb” not as physical striking, but rather as admonition and corrective measures, excluding any form of absolute or conditional harm or abuse toward women, which would be contrary to their dignity and Islamic teachings. According to this verse, the recommended steps to improve marital relations are as follows: first, admonition (waʿiẓ); second, separation in bed or turning away from the spouse (hajr); and third, ḍarb, understood as a pedagogical, ordered, and corrective measure, implying a temporary withdrawal from the marital bed rather than any form of physical violence.
            
Final concolusion:
Based on the   foregoing analysis, this noble verse not only safeguards women’s rights but also serves to protect the family structure from potential disintegration. It provides sequential strategies aimed at preventing divorce and restoring harmony within the marital relationship. The verse emphasizes a process of gradual correction to revive affection (mawaddah) and mercy (raḥmah) in the household. Importantly, both sound reason and Islamic law do not consider the cultivation of marital harmony to involve violence, as indicated by the context of the verse, which seeks to prevent the occurrence of divorce. This is further underscored in the concluding part of the verse: “If they obey you thereafter, do not seek a way against them”—highlighting that the ultimate goal is reconciliation and the preservation of family unity rather than coercion or harm.
Most related studies on the subject of disciplining women interpret the term “wa-aḍribūhunna” as permitting physical chastisement of a wife in response to her nushūz (disobedience), following the first two stages of admonition (waʿiẓ) and separation in bed (hajr), as an effective strategy in marital relations. However, the conditions prescribed for such physical discipline in these interpretations are inconsistent with the spirit of Islamic teachings and divine mercy, with women’s dignity and legal rights, with the educational methods of the Prophets and the saints, and even with sound reasoning.In the present study, the stages of a husband’s response to the fear of a wife’s nushūz (disobedience) are explained according to the sequential process outlined in Qur’an 4:34: admonition and advice (waʿiẓ), turning away from the wife in bed (hajr), and finally, separation from the marital bed. The term “ḍarb” is interpreted here as the last stage of this three-tiered process—a gradual, corrective, and advisory measure aimed at family cohesion and the internal reformation of the wife. This method is presented as an appropriate strategy to restore the wife to the center of affection and marital harmony. Certain Prophetic traditions support this understanding, and with this interpretation, there is no need for unnecessary or unacceptable conditions. Moreover, this approach removes grounds for objections or misunderstandings propagated by critics of Islam regarding the verse in question.
Keywords
Qur&‌rsquo؛ an 4:34
religious violence
disciplining women
striking women

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 22 September 2024
  • Revise Date 02 November 2024
  • Accept Date 14 January 2025
  • Publish Date 23 July 2025