Quote:
Originally posted by The Strangler
As for non-violence and anti-oppression against women mentioned ealier in this thread:
[4:34] "The men are made responsible for the women, and GOD has endowed them with certain qualities, and made them the bread earners. The righteous women will cheerfully accept this arrangement, since it is GOD's commandment, and honor their husbands during their absence. If you experience rebellion from the women, you shall first talk to them, then (you may use negative incentives like) deserting them in bed, then you may (as a last alternative) beat them. If they obey you, you are not permitted to transgress against them. GOD is Most High, Supreme."
Now I understand that the true meaning of this text is that if a man is "forced" to beat his wife, it shows a failure on his part and therefore is more in symbolic favor of the woman, but that doesn't save the woman from a beating at the hands of an incompetant husband or keep her from being forced into a certain lifestyle.
Now I have nothing against Islam on the whole as a religion, but the rhetoric does lend itself to inspiring zeal so much as to create violence at times, and I believe this has to do very much with the literal interpretation of the Qur'an by some sects. To take the Qur'am literally to to endorse the death of all Christians, Jews and other non-muslim people.
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Concerning the verse you quoted about 'beating.'
The earliest commentators understood that the hitting was to be light enough, not to leave a mark and should be done with nothing bigger than a miswak (tooth stick). I'm sure you dont know what a miswak is, but it's kind of like a toothbrush, infact it's very soft, it's like a twig, but even thinner than a twig, and very soft, and the 'beating' is not really a 'beating.' It is just like a symbolic gesture. This was also reported in the Sunnah [The way of our prophet peace be upon him]
We also know from the hadiths and sirah (biography) of the prophet (pbuh) that he has always urged men not to abuse or hit their wives. In fact, he is known to have never hit his wives, servants, an animal, or “a thing”.
Allah orders us to live in peace and harmony with our spouses. In Surah 30, verse 21 He says:
*{And among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your [hearts]: verily in that are signs for those who reflect.}*
Also, He says in Surah 2, verse 187:
They are your garments and ye are their garments