Topic
The verse on men’s responsibility in the family which includes the word “strike”; its meaning has been debated and restricted by many scholars.
What it means
The verse says men are responsible for women (qawwāmūn), and for wives who show ill will it gives steps: advise them, leave them in bed, and “iḍribūhunna” (4:34). The next verse (4:35) calls for arbiters from both families. “Strike” is the usual translation, and some read the word as “separate from them”.
Often misunderstood as
That Islam allows a husband to beat his wife.
What the sources say
Classical commentators set limits. Ibn Abbas said it should be with a tooth-stick, a symbolic touch; the Prophet in his Farewell Sermon said “not severely” (Sahih Muslim); and no striking of the face. Aisha said he never struck a woman or a servant (Sahih Muslim), and he condemned any man who beats his wife as he would a slave and then lies with her (Sahih al-Bukhari). He said: “the best of you are the best to their wives” (al-Tirmidhi). Many contemporary scholars say that violence is a crime, and that the verse’s steps have to be understood in this light.