An Egyptian Muslim cleric has instructed that husbands should not beat their wives to the point that their beauty is scarred or bones are broken, but that it should be clear that: “A word would be enough for any wife with lofty morals, but with you, words do not help.”
The instruction comes from Egyptian Cleric Galal Al-Khatib, whose sermon was broadcast on All-Rahma Television Dec. 24. The sermon has been interpreted by MEMRI, the Middle East Media Research Institute, an independent nonprofit that provides translations and analysis of media reports from the Middle East.
The cleric explains there are three stages of discipline for wives under Islam: Admonishment, banishment and beating.
“The Prophet Muhammad said that the beatings should be light, and that one should avoid the face, or the sensitive areas, which might lead to broken bones, or might leave a mark that would spoil her beauty, whether on her face or anywhere on her body,” the cleric advises.
Khatid explains that the husband first must understand what disobedience in a wife is.
 Egypitan cleric preaching on the beating of wives |
“Disobedience is to leave the house without the husband’s permission, to refuse to obey the husband in bed, to speak to the husband impolitely, or to do the opposite of what he likes. All these are forms of disobedience,” he said.
“The first measure for reforming a disobedient wife is to admonish her. The husband should talk to her gently, reminding her of God, and reminding her that if she wants to enter Paradise, she must obey him. He must tell her that by pleasing her husband, she pleases God, and that his rights supersede the rights of her parents,” he said.
“Okay, if admonishing doesn’t work, the next measure is ‘banishment.’ Some say that the wife should be banished from his bed, while others say he should refrain from having sex with her, although I do not agree with the latter view, because having sex is one of the rights of the husband, so how can he discipline her by depriving himself of sex?” Khatid said. “It’s enough if he refrains from smiling and saying nice things to her, and instead, he gives her the cold shoulder, but he has the right to have sex with her, even during banishment.”
He continued with his lesson on Islamic family relations:
“Okay, he’s tried admonishing, he’s tried banishment – but nothing. Her emotions are numb, and she says: Good riddance. So what is the next measure? ‘…and beat them.’ Beating,” he said.
He cited a “light slap on her shoulder, or maybe a not-so-light pinch” and examples of what should be done.
Ultimately, he said, the message is, “With you, I have reached a stage which is only appropriate for inhumane people – the stage of beating.
“By beating his wife, the husband is saying: You’ve committed a grave sin that merits beatings,” he said.
