Does Qur'an Allow Husbands to Beat Up Wives? (4)

Question:
By sanctioning beating of wives, do you think our society has better family units than western society? Take a closer look. And why all muslims scholars eventually jump to the conclusion that a person questioning Islam is a fan of western culture? While I do not wish to discuss a western culture here but if you compare realistically all aspect of our society with any developed western country, you will find their culture far more civilised than ours. We have no culture in east when a minister from our parliament supported the barbaric act of burying 5 women alive.


Just look at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWGA8i6scYY, and you will realize that what kind of impression non-Muslims have about Islam, and what so-called Muslim scholars are preaching in the name of religion. This make me feel very very disturbed when I see Muslim scholars oblivious to the facts of the world. They fail to see the evolution of an empowered woman even in their own society. I saw husbands who are dumb like five years old kid and they try to subdue their wives in the name of religion. This is very common in our society.


We need great women Muslim scholars in our society who can give a new meaning to Quran, and as you said, with their own mindset and perception there would be a new understanding of the same text.

Response:
I'll tell you what the difference between your approach and mine is: You want to ensure that whatever we present in the name of Islam should appear acceptable to the modern mind. In the process you would like to be as much loyal to the text as possible. But where the text appears to be too rigid, you would like someone more 'broad-minded' to correct the wrong done by it.

On the other hand, I too want to make Islamic teaching appear acceptable to the modern mind. However, I would not allow the text to be compromised at the expense of the tastes of the modern mind.

Yours is a modernist approach. But mine is not simply traditionalist. I want to be loyal to the text no matter, in doing so, even if I have to break from the tradition of the earlier Muslims

I am not averse to the Western culture nor am I a big fan of the Eastern culture. I think the West is doing far better than us in many fronts. But we don't need to ape them in everything they do. One area where they have particularly failed is in the functioning of the family unit.

According to Islamic message a husband and a wife are not simply friends. They are two very important parts of an institution called a family. Like all other institutions, a family also needs a head. The Qur'an has appointed the husband as the head of the family. He is expected to be a considerate and loving boss. But boss he still is. The meaning of the verse we are debating is talking about the possibilities a husband has in case the subordinate revolts. Of course, he can give divorce to the wife too. But giving divorce could be a bigger evil at times.

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