Accordingly, the question is what should husbands do now?

Accordingly, the question is what should husbands do now? Yes, they should admonish, and they should disassociate from the sexual relations. What about the last stage? Yes, they should correct, but the correction should not be to physically beat the wife. Why? Because nowadays, over 1,400 years later, the goal of correction will not be achieved by beating. Sociological factors, psychological factors, and other factors of today should be taken into consideration in regards to effectiveness.

If one beats his wife, he may end up in jail and the wife and society will consider it torture. Today, there are systems and different means in play that one can use. The key is to achieve the goal of correction, not focus on the means used over 1,400 years ago. One may argue that such a suggestion is an insult to Islam or is going against the Qur’an. On the contrary, such thinking does not go against the Qur’an. The wisdom of the three stages is intact and is being followed.

Only the means of old (beating) is being replaced with means that fit the present to achieve the same goal, correction. For example, Allah (the Most Wise) says via the Qur’an (22:27) , “And proclaim the hajj to people: they shall come to you on foot and on lean camels coming from distant places.” Just because people used camels to go to pilgrimage over 1,400 years ago, is it wrong to use cars or planes to go to pilgrimage now? The camel was just a means for the goal of pilgrimage.

There are maraji (jurists whom people emulate regarding Islamic legal matters) that say the beating is light physical hitting that does not cause harm or injuries. Previous…