Muslim 'marriage manual' offers tips on wife beating

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
3/26/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

'It might be necessary to restrain her with strength or even to threaten her,' book suggests

A book entitled "A Gift for the Muslim Couple" is a purported marriage manual that offers helpful advice on wife beating. Within the book's opening pages, there is a passage that reads that "it might be necessary to restrain her with strength or even to threaten her." The volume has proved to be a hot seller in some bookstores, selling out.

This book advises that a husband may scold her, 'beat by hand or stick,' withhold money from her or 'pull (her) by the ears,' but should 'refrain from beating her excessively.'

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The 160-page book, published by Idara Impex in New Delhi, India, is written by Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi. The author is described in the book's foreword as a "prolific writer on almost every topic of Islamic learning."

The book it readily available at online Islamic bookstores and the online Internet auction site eBay.

The author advises that "the husband should treat the wife with kindness and love, even if she tends to be stupid and slow sometimes."

On page 45, the book spells out the rights of the husband, which include his wife's inability to leave "his house without his permission," and that his wife must "fulfill his desires" and "not allow herself to be untidy ... but should beautify herself for him ..."

The book also advises that a husband may scold her, "beat by hand or stick," withhold money from her or "pull (her) by the ears," but should "refrain from beating her excessively."

"I wouldn't say it's hate, but it is inciting men to hit women," Tarek Fatah says, who describes himself as a moderate Muslim. "This is new to you, but the Muslim community knows that this is widespread, that a woman can be beaten. Muslim leaders will deny this, but... "

Muslim dominance over women has been making headlines for some time, with the recent lengthy trial and conviction of the Shafia family.

Mohammad Shafia, 59, his second wife, Tooba Yahya, 42, and their son, Hamed, 21, were each convicted in January on four counts of first-degree murder in what was characterized as an "honor killing" of four female family members as punishment for disobedience. They were handed life sentences with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Shafia's three daughters and his first wife were found drowned in a car at the bottom of the Rideau Canal in Kingston, Ontario, Canada in 2009.

� 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: iSLAM, MARRIAGE MANUAL, BOOKSTORES, HONOR KILLING

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1 - 6 of 6 Comments

Binoy
1 year ago
While Ahamad, you're point about the author being dead in 1943 does raise the question about the timing of this article, the FACT that Muslim couples are given this book in this day and age, is showing its relevance in the Islamic community.

May I also point out that this author is belongs to the Sufi-sect of Islam, which is largely considered the least aggressive of the Islamic sects (especially as compared to Wahabis and others). Hence if the author, being from such a docile sect of Islam is advising such acts (as wife-beating), you can imagine how much more rigorous the other Sects of Islam would advise similar (wife-beating) acts, with even less 'compassion and love'! I hope you understand that the intention behind this article is not to dig up some old dirt against Islam, but rather because the acts condemned in this article is still being vigorously carried out (under legitimate authority) in Islam.

You, Ahamad, might not be beating your wife, but if you enquire with your friends (who strictly follow Islam), you'll be surprised to find that you'll rarely find someone like you, who'd condemn wife-beating!

GOD Bless!
John Baysson
1 year ago
Ahmad,

The problem here is that your religion seems to ADVOCATE beating ones wife while none of the Western religions would actually even suggest such a thing.

Now the only thing you might be thinking is what about the Old Testament of Christianity which suggest "bad things". As our Apostolic Successors will be happy to tell you, that was for disciplining the Israelites who were spiritual children.

Anyway, the point Ahmad is that in Western society, such an act would be considered heinous, even if it happens. But in a society like Pakistan, that would be NORMAL.

There is a difference in the two and I hope you realize that.
Ahamad
1 year ago
This book has been published since 1950's, its author died on July 4, 1943. It seems publishers have been having a low traffic day to talk about Islam, Muslims, Women, Beating, Backwardness to shore up their advertising revenue.

In the enlightened UK:

45% of women have experienced some form of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking.
Around 21% of girls, experience some form of child sexual abuse
At least 80,000 women suffer rape every year

Given these percentages are very high, it is highly unlikely that all violence takes place in Muslim households
Rose
1 year ago
So Alf, you are no longer able to punch her or burn her to death, that men now have limits on how much harm they can inflict on women. Wow! I feel so much safer now. And people say the Catholic Church is waging a war on women. Is this world backwards or what??
Bulbajer
1 year ago
It's so sad to see that women are still treated like property in so many parts of the world.
Alf
1 year ago
Wife beating ? which society is free from it ? Actually its all over western nations, just check the stats and why there are more divorces in western countries? Its not just wife beating, its girl friends beating, mistreses beating, stripers, pole dancers, prostitutes the abuse of women is just un imaginable right here in the so called civilized nations. The situation in India Hinduism is not better either, actually its worst they don’t even give her another chance, just burn her to death. Actually until recently it was legal to burn wife alive if husband died, the SATI. It’s a fact and reality that men do use force on women once in a while if not all time, no one could ever change it, if you don’t believe it then you are living delusional. Islam just set the limit on what you can go as men. You are not allow to punch her or even burn her to death. Those who follow Islamic Shariah they know their limit in case of really bad situation and those who don’t follow shairah have no limits to abuse wifes. Its just similar to polygamy, all the hypocrites cry about Muslims are allowed to do polygamy, well idiots Muslim can marry only if they fulfill a set of rules, but the vast majority of non Muslims have no rules or limits of how many women they can sleep with all their life without giving women any respect or honor. Thanks to Islam it completely protect the interest of women by setting limits on mens natural behavior.

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