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After the new revelation, “in the night seventy women came to the family of Muhammad, all of whom complained about their husbands.”<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:144.</ref> If they came by night, they presumably did not feel safe to complain in the open. “So Allah’s Apostle said: ‘Many women have gone round Muhammad's family complaining against their husbands. They are not the best among you.’”<ref>{{Abudawud|11|2141}}.</ref> Elsewhere he warned that women who complained about their husbands were likely to go to Hell.<ref>E.g., {{Bukhari|7|62|125}} “I saw the (Hell) Fire, and I have never before, seen such a horrible sight as that, and I saw that the majority of its dwellers were women … because … they are not thankful to their husbands and are ungrateful for the favours done to them. Even if you do good to one of them all your life, when she senses some harshness from you, she will say, ‘I have never seen any good from you.’” See also {{Bukhari|1|6|301}} and {{Bukhari|2|18|161}}.</ref> When Tamima bint Wahb came to Aisha for help because she was covered with bruises from her husband’s beatings, Aisha observed: “Her face is greener than her veil. Believing women suffer more than any others!” Muhammad took no interest in Tamima’s bruises; he only attended to determining why her marriage had apparently never been consummated.<ref>{{Bukhari|7|72|715}}; Bewley/Saad 8:295.</ref> He also had no recorded reaction to Aisha’s complaint that pagans treated their wives better than Muslims did. | After the new revelation, “in the night seventy women came to the family of Muhammad, all of whom complained about their husbands.”<ref>Bewley/Saad 8:144.</ref> If they came by night, they presumably did not feel safe to complain in the open. “So Allah’s Apostle said: ‘Many women have gone round Muhammad's family complaining against their husbands. They are not the best among you.’”<ref>{{Abudawud|11|2141}}.</ref> Elsewhere he warned that women who complained about their husbands were likely to go to Hell.<ref>E.g., {{Bukhari|7|62|125}} “I saw the (Hell) Fire, and I have never before, seen such a horrible sight as that, and I saw that the majority of its dwellers were women … because … they are not thankful to their husbands and are ungrateful for the favours done to them. Even if you do good to one of them all your life, when she senses some harshness from you, she will say, ‘I have never seen any good from you.’” See also {{Bukhari|1|6|301}} and {{Bukhari|2|18|161}}.</ref> When Tamima bint Wahb came to Aisha for help because she was covered with bruises from her husband’s beatings, Aisha observed: “Her face is greener than her veil. Believing women suffer more than any others!” Muhammad took no interest in Tamima’s bruises; he only attended to determining why her marriage had apparently never been consummated.<ref>{{Bukhari|7|72|715}}; Bewley/Saad 8:295.</ref> He also had no recorded reaction to Aisha’s complaint that pagans treated their wives better than Muslims did. | ||
In fact, there is no evidence that Muhammad believed that it was ''intrinsically'' wrong for a man to strike a woman, child or subordinate. In his Farewell Sermon he only cautioned that wife-beating must be for some reason, in which case “Allah permits you to shut them in separate rooms and to beat them, but not severely … Treat women well, for they are domestic animals with you and do not possess anything for themselves.”<ref>{{Tabari|9|p. 113}}.</ref> Nor did he enlarge on what he meant by “not severely”. He advised his disciples, “Hang your whip where the members of the household can see it, for that will discipline them.”<ref>Al-Tabarani 10:248. A similar ''hadith'' is recorded in Al-Zamkhshari, ''The Revealer'' vol. 1, p. 525: “Hang up your whip where your wife can see it.”</ref> He confirmed a man’s right to do as he liked in the privacy of his home: “A man will not be asked why he has beaten his wife.”<ref>{{Abudawud|11|2142}}.</ref> Muhammad said that his two favourite friends were Abu Bakr and Umar,<ref>{{Bukhari|5|57|14}}.</ref> he was always saying, “I, Abu Bakr and Umar were there or did something or went somewhere.”<ref>{{Bukhari|5|57|26}}.</ref> He appointed Abu Bakr as his successor,<ref>{{Bukhari|9|89|324}}.</ref> and nobody was surprised when Umar succeeded Abu Bakr.<ref></ref> | In fact, there is no evidence that Muhammad believed that it was ''intrinsically'' wrong for a man to strike a woman, child or subordinate. In his Farewell Sermon he only cautioned that wife-beating must be for some reason, in which case “Allah permits you to shut them in separate rooms and to beat them, but not severely … Treat women well, for they are domestic animals with you and do not possess anything for themselves.”<ref>{{Tabari|9|p. 113}}.</ref> Nor did he enlarge on what he meant by “not severely”. He advised his disciples, “Hang your whip where the members of the household can see it, for that will discipline them.”<ref>Al-Tabarani 10:248. A similar ''hadith'' is recorded in Al-Zamkhshari, ''The Revealer'' vol. 1, p. 525: “Hang up your whip where your wife can see it.”</ref> He confirmed a man’s right to do as he liked in the privacy of his home: “A man will not be asked why he has beaten his wife.”<ref>{{Abudawud|11|2142}}.</ref> Muhammad said that his two favourite friends were Abu Bakr and Umar,<ref>{{Bukhari|5|57|14}}.</ref> and he was always saying, “I, Abu Bakr and Umar were there or did something or went somewhere.”<ref>{{Bukhari|5|57|26}}.</ref> He appointed Abu Bakr as his successor,<ref>{{Bukhari|9|89|324}}.</ref> and nobody was surprised when Umar succeeded Abu Bakr.<ref>[http://answering-islam.org/Books/Muir/Caliphate/chap11.htm/ Muir, W. (1924). ''The Caliphate: its Rise, Decline, and Fall from Original Sources'', 2nd Ed., pp. 77, 78, 82. Edinburgh: John Grant.]</ref> Umar was so violent that even the dying Abu Bakr advised him, “Temper severity with mildness.”<ref>[http://answering-islam.org/Books/Muir/Caliphate/chap11.htm/ Muir (1924), p. 78.]</ref> Yet it does not seem to have crossed Muhammad’s mind that his friends’ violence rendered them unfit for leadership. | ||
Later generations of Muslims have too often inferred from all this that, although Muhammad discouraged wife-beating, this was one of those impossible ideals to which no ordinary Muslim could reasonably aspire. A 2013 study by Dr Lateefa Latif is said to have found that nearly half of Saudi women were being beaten by their husbands, fathers, brothers and even their sons, who used their hands, sticks, head-covers and sharp objects.<ref>[http://www.emirates247.com/crime/region/nearly-half-saudi-women-are-beaten-at-home-2013-02-26-1.496510/ “Nearly half Saudi women are beaten at home”] in ''Emirates 24/7'', 26 February 2013.</ref> Leaders of six Swedish mosques in 2012 advised beaten wives not to report their husbands to the police.<ref>[http://www.thelocal.se/40866/20120516/ Mosques’ advice: ‘don’t report abusive husbands’]. ''The Local'', 16 May 2012.</ref> | Later generations of Muslims have too often inferred from all this that, although Muhammad discouraged wife-beating, this was one of those impossible ideals to which no ordinary Muslim could reasonably aspire. A 2013 study by Dr Lateefa Latif is said to have found that nearly half of Saudi women were being beaten by their husbands, fathers, brothers and even their sons, who used their hands, sticks, head-covers and sharp objects.<ref>[http://www.emirates247.com/crime/region/nearly-half-saudi-women-are-beaten-at-home-2013-02-26-1.496510/ “Nearly half Saudi women are beaten at home”] in ''Emirates 24/7'', 26 February 2013.</ref> Leaders of six Swedish mosques in 2012 advised beaten wives not to report their husbands to the police.<ref>[http://www.thelocal.se/40866/20120516/ Mosques’ advice: ‘don’t report abusive husbands’]. ''The Local'', 16 May 2012.</ref> | ||