ভূমিকা

(al-Nisa, 4/34) A reliable study of the Qur’an can only be made when the mind is freed of previously held beliefs and notions, because pre-judging and viewing its concepts without objectivity will only lead to closed-mindedness and inflexibility. This is the one danger that every discerning researcher must avoid at all costs. One of the verses that the opponents of Islam and the proponents of women’s rights have singled out in order to impugn the ordinances of Qur’an is the one mentioned above.

The verse concerns the issue of the desertion ( nushuz ) of women. Instead of trying to objectively understand the true purport of the verse, they have resorted to strident criticism, unaware that discussions based around an incorrect presumption leads away from the truth and obstructs thinking.

In fact, through a detailed and necessary study of the word “ yadribuhunna ” (strike them) in the verse, one can infer two distinct meanings, which we will explain in some detail below: The first meaning is derived by considering the apparent meaning of daraba , which is to hit; and the majority lean towards this interpretation.

The second meaning, which is consistent with a study of the context of the matter being discussed in the verse, is an alternate translation of the word daraba , which is a word with several different meanings. One can consider the possibility of this second meaning, which is indignation and disregard, as a response of the man to the nushuz displayed by his wife.

This conforms to the extensive meaning of daraba , which includes parting and separation.[^1] Another meaning of daraba is to “turn away from” or “to dispense with”; therefore when referring to the speech of someone who is speaking nonsense, or to a piece of baseless writing, one may say, “fadribuhu ‘ala’l jidar” (throw it at the wall), which is an allegory for, “do not pay attention to it”.