[ChotooMotoo]

Originally Posted by Arabesque

Why is everybody so worked up about this verse? It exists. Dharaba means to hit. To strike. No matter how much we twist it, it's not going to change. Dharaba can have different meanings, but it all depends on the context. Even those with basic knowledge of Arabic and tasreef will know that in this particular context, dharaba means to hit or strike.

I'm not sure why some people seem to be ashamed of this verse (and I hope my observation is wrong). Maybe if we look at the historical and cultural context, we'll understand that in those days, marrying a woman from a certain tribe meant forging an alliance with that tribe (it is very much the same today, in this part of the world). Though it was a patriarchal society, a form of matriarchy existed in the sense that women had power derived from their tribe and community. At a certain point, it seems an increasing number of women started abusing this power, and men were reduced to being bed-partners with no rights over their spouses. It may be that because of this phenomenon (and I could be wrong), this ayah was revealed to make a point; i.e. after marriage, a woman's loyalty lies with her husband, not her family or tribe.

It has to do with the western understanding of the term "beat" where beating ones wife means to beat her until she's half dead (or all the way dead). The western mind is a violent one that cannot comprehend hitting lightly, such that no mark is made. That's why people who translate the Quran for western audiences usually translate the word as "chastise" instead of "beat" Some things just don't translate.