One of the challenges in marital relations is a wife’s nushūz (rebellion), for which the Qurʾān prescribes a three-stage remedy. The third measure—corporal punishment—has consistently been questioned and criticized by modernist scholars and Orientalists. A common objection concerns the perceived violation of women’s dignity through physical chastisement. This study, employing a descriptive-analytical method and library sources, seeks to resolve this objection through two arguments. First, the nushūz mentioned in Qurʾān 4:34 goes beyond refusal of sexual compliance; it refers to rebellion and defiance against the husband’s authority (qiwāmiyyah). Thus, the Qurʾān’s triple measures represent a wise strategy to safeguard the family from collapse, with corporal punishment as the final step. Second, corporal punishment of a rebel—after admonitions and warnings—does not contradict human dignity, as it is comparable to other lawful punishments for rebellion. Since the nāshiza (disobedient wife) undermines the dignity of both law and the family through her rebellion, her chastisement, in fact, affirms the dignity of law and strengthens family cohesion.
Davoodi limoni,S. and Ebrahimi,L. (2024). A Reflection on the Incompatibility of Corporal Punishment of a Nāshiza with Women’s Dignity: An Analysis of Qurʾān 4:34 on the Beating of Nāshizas. Quran, Islamic Jurisprudence and Law, 21(21), 125-153.
MLA
Davoodi limoni,S. , and Ebrahimi,L. . "A Reflection on the Incompatibility of Corporal Punishment of a Nāshiza with Women’s Dignity: An Analysis of Qurʾān 4:34 on the Beating of Nāshizas", Quran, Islamic Jurisprudence and Law, 21, 21, 2024, 125-153.
HARVARD
Davoodi limoni S., Ebrahimi L. (2024). 'A Reflection on the Incompatibility of Corporal Punishment of a Nāshiza with Women’s Dignity: An Analysis of Qurʾān 4:34 on the Beating of Nāshizas', Quran, Islamic Jurisprudence and Law, 21(21), pp. 125-153.
CHICAGO
S. Davoodi limoni and L. Ebrahimi, "A Reflection on the Incompatibility of Corporal Punishment of a Nāshiza with Women’s Dignity: An Analysis of Qurʾān 4:34 on the Beating of Nāshizas," Quran, Islamic Jurisprudence and Law, 21 21 (2024): 125-153,
VANCOUVER
Davoodi limoni S., Ebrahimi L. A Reflection on the Incompatibility of Corporal Punishment of a Nāshiza with Women’s Dignity: An Analysis of Qurʾān 4:34 on the Beating of Nāshizas. Quran, Islamic Jurisprudence and Law, 2024; 21(21): 125-153.
