The Meaning of Daraba: Difference between revisions

{{QualityScore|Lead=3|Structure=3|Content=4|Language=2|References=4}}

Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.}}The word "wadribuuhunna" means "beat them (i.e. the wives of men)," yet some modern Islamic [[Dawah|du'aah]] and proponents of progressive Islam, have claimed rather that this verb means to "separate from them" or to "strike them out (sic)." All the verses in the [[Qur'an]] that contain ''daraba'' against a human (as a direct object) are understood to mean "beat" or "strike" that human, by their context, and this is agreed upon by both ancient and modern translations. There is no compelling reason to translate it in this verse in any other fashion. The attempts to translate this word in this way are novel, done exclusively for audiences in majority non-Muslim countries, and fly in the face of over a thousand years of Islamic commentary and exegesis.  

An argument has been presented on some Islamic websites ( exclusively geared towards western audiences) and by some Muslims and apologists which claim to have more "modern" translations of the [[Qur'an]]<ref>Such as [http://free-minds.org Free-Minds.org] and [http://progressive-muslims.org Progressive-Muslims.org]</ref>, which proposes that the Arabic verb "ضرب" "daraba" means something other than to "strike" "beat" or "hit." Alternatives offered include "separate from them" or somewhat nonsensically for a native English speaker  "strike them out." The people making these claims are generally seeking to "reform" [[Islam]], but this translation flies in the face of over a thousand years of understanding of the Arabic language, by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.  These apologetic arguments are clearly directed people of a westernized/liberal background with little to no knowledge of Arabic, as any Muslim who has an adequate command of the [[Arabic]] language or any non-Muslim Arab, or any non-Arabic speaking Muslim familiar with the [[hadith]] and [[tafsir]] text [[Wife Beating in Islamic Law#Islamic_Scriptures_and_Wife-Beating|related to this issue]], will find the claim being presented to be ridiculous and prima facia untenable. Despite this, this obviously incorrect translation of this verb can be found in prominent cases such as that of Laleh Bakhtiar, an American progressive Muslim apologist. She went so far as to incorporate this incorrect translation into her  translation of the Qur'an, a translation which the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) refused to sell in their bookstore for its inaccuracy.

 

Almost all Qur'anic professional translators  in English have translated the term as "beat them". The only alternative translations which do not translate "daraba" as "to beat/hit/strike" are those that have caused controversies such as that of Leila Bekhtiar.  

{{quote ||"...And those wives whose refractoriness ye fear, exhort them, and avoid them in beds, and '''beat them'''; but if they obey you, seek not a way against them; verily Allah is ever Lofty, Grand." <ref>http://al-quran.info/default.aspx#4</ref> }}

{{quote ||"...And as for those woolen whose ill-will" you have reason to fear, admonish them [first]; then leave them alone in bed; then '''beat them''' and if thereupon..." <ref name="ia4-34"/> }}'''Sahih International:'''{{quote ||"...but those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them...." }}

 

 

 

 

 

}}

Careful study of all the above verses reveals that they do not affect the interpretation of verse 4:34 whatsoever, and that the verb ''daraba'' was indeed correctly understood and translated as "beat."

In fact, all the other verses presented which contain ''daraba'' are actually using the term figuratively. For example, "hit the sky" is a figurative expression; nothing can literally "hit" or "crash" with the sky, it is meant to be understood as "fly high through" the sky. The translators and apologists proposing this bad translation will claim that this is a "different meaning" for the word "hit", when in fact it is simply a analogical extension of the main meaning of the verb. In effect this would mean when someone says in Arabic  "I'll hit you," in actuality they meant "I'll fly high through you"; the argument is absurd to anyone with even a basic command of Arabic.

Ten of these metaphorical/derived meanings are as follows (note that the nouns in the brackets are the objects to be hit):

#Set out (''Road'')

#When an English speaker "hits the road," [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY4jondX6tg as in this famous song], it means he "departed" or "set out." It surely doesn't mean he got a hammer and hit the road with it. The base meaning of "hit" remains untouched when not used with "the road."

#When an English speaker says they will "hit the Mouse," they mean to say they will "click on the mouse." The base meaning of "hit" remains untouched when not used with "the mouse."

#When an English speaker says they'll "hit the bottle," what they really mean is, they'll "drink the bottle" or "drink alcohol heavily." The base meaning of "hit" remains untouched when not used with "the bottle."

#When a darts player "hits the target" in English, he didn't get the dart board and break it, he simply shot the dart and it "landed on the target." The base meaning of "hit" remains untouched when not used with "the target."

#When an author's book "hits the market" in English, it means the book "reaches the market." The base meaning of "hit" remains untouched when not used with "the market."

#When an English speaker says they'll "hit the brakes," it doesn't mean they'll break the braking pedal, but rather it means they'll "press on the brakes" to stop the car. The base meaning of "hit" remains untouched when not used with "the the brakes."

#When a an English speaker "hits the beach," they didn't fall from the 11th floor and "crash" into the beach, but they "went to the beach." The base meaning of "hit" remains untouched when not used with "the beach."

#When an English speaker says it's (some food is) fine but it didn't "hit the spot," they mean to say it's fine but didn't fulfill their needs or satiate their hunger or desire for a specific food. The base meaning of "hit" remains untouched when not used with "the spot."

#When an English speaker says the activists "hit the streets," it means the activists "demonstrated in the streets" again no image of activists bashing streets with hammers is evoked. The base meaning of "hit" remains untouched when not used with "the streets."

#When an English speaker says they "hit the jackpot" it actually means they "won the jackpot" or "won the prize", not that they physically struck a pot. The base meaning of "hit" remains untouched when not used with "the jackpot."

 

As can clearly be seen, each of those sentences involves a different meaning of the word "hit", which is applied accordingly to the object used in combination with it. Yet even with all of these "different meanings" of the word "hit" in mind, the sentence "I will hit my woman" remains clear: the meaning is "I shall strike my woman", or in Arabic "سوف أضرب إمرأتي" There is no possible alternative meaning to "I will ''beat'' my woman."' The difference between, for example, "hit the road" and "hit the woman", is the ''object'' to be hit, and not the meaning of "hit" itself; the meanings of the two sentences are different but clear.

Most of the verses containing the eight different meanings which have been given by the apologists are using the verb ''daraba'' (hit) not against human beings, but rather "hitting the land," "hitting an example," "hitting the truth"... etc., figurative uses which are derivative of the main meaning "to hit." In the verses in the Qur'an where ''daraba'' is used against a human being without a modifiying preposition, it means to "beat" or "strike," which confirms our understanding of the use of ''daraba'' in verse 4:34.

What follows now is a discussion of ''daraba'' in the contexts where it is found in the Qur'an with a meaning other than "to hit" or "to strike." The original verse in Arabic will be presented, along with word-by-word literal translation of the statement in '''Bold''' in each verse, which is the place where ''daraba'' (hit) and its object (i.e. Land) are used; and above each verse will be found the name of the object being hit. For example, in the example of the phrase "strikean example," its will literally translation will be presented as is, not as "give an example" like the standard Qur'anic translations. Although this translation may sound strange, it will make the object to be hit, easily identifiable for the non-Arabic speakers.

''daraboo ضَرَبُوا۟''  is a form of ''daraba ضرب'', meaning "hit" 'beat" or "strike." ''Fee في'' literally means "in". ''Al-Ardi'' ٱلْأَرْضِ  means "the land" or "the earth." Thus, the whole statement ''daraboo fee al-ardi'' ضَرَبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ translates literally as "hit in the land", with a meaning of something like "hit the road" that is "'''to travel'''", a figurative extension of the main meaning of the verb,  "hit."

"Hit" here gives this meaning only when it is against "land"; it is a well-known expression in Arabic.

''darabtum fee al-ardi ضَرَبْتُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ'' literally meaning "you (plural) hit in the land" again meaning here "'''to travel'''" or to move across the land.  

''yadriboona fee al-ardi'' يَضْرِبُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ literally meaning "they hit in the land" again meaning here "'''to travel'''" or to move across the land.  

''darban fee al-ardi'' ضَرْبًا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ literally  "a hit in the land" again meaning "'''moving about in the land'''."

''faduriba baynahum bisoorin'' فَضُرِبَ بَيْنَهُم بِسُورٍ literally  "a wall was struck between them" which is understood as "'''a wall was placed between them'''."

''daraba Allahu mathalan ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا'' literally  "Allah struck an example",  meaning "'''he gave an example.'''"  

''Waidrib lahum mathala'' وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلَ literally "'''and struck for them an example'''" meaning "'''and he gave an example.'''"

''wayadribu Allahu al-amthala وَيَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْأَمْثَٰلَ'' literally meaning "'''And Allah hits the examples'''" with the meaning that "'''he Allah provides the examples.'''"  

''Daraba lakum mathalan'' ضَرَبَ لَكُم مَّثَلًا literally meaning "'''struck an example for you'''" meaning and "'''and he set forth for you all an example.'''"  

''darabna liInnasi fee hatha alqur-ani min kulli mathalin وَلَقَدْ ضَرَبْنَا لِلنَّاسِ فِى هَٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٍ'' literally meaning "'''We have struck in this Quran for every example for the people'''" meaning "'''we have given an example for the people in this Qur'an.'''"

''Walaqad darabna liInnasi fee hatha alqur-ani min kulli mathalin وَلَقَدْ ضَرَبْنَا لِلنَّاسِ فِى هَٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ مِن كُلِّ مَثَلٍ'' literally meaning "'''And we have struck in this Quran from every example for the people'''"

''Daraba Allahu mathalan ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا'' literally meaning "'''Allah stuck an example'''"

''bima daraba liIrrahmani mathalan'' بِمَا ضَرَبَ لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ مَثَلًا literally meaning "'''in the examples struck by the Merciful'''" with a meaning of "in the examples given by the merciful."  

''watilka al-amthalu nadribuha liInnasi'' وَتِلْكَ ٱلْأَمْثَٰلُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ literally meaning "'''and these are the examples that we struck for the people'''"

''Daraba Allahu mathalan ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا'' literally meaning "'''Allah has strikes an example'''" and with a meaning

''Wadaraba Allahu mathalan وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا'' literally meaning "'''And Allah has strikes an example'''" meaning "'''and Allah has given an example.'''"

''Afanadribu 'ankumu aIththikra'' أَفَنَضْرِبُ عَنكُمُ ٱلذِّكْرَ literally meaning "'''shall we strike the remembrance from you'''" meaning "shall we forget to remind you." Again, this is a known expression.

''waduribat 'alayhimu aIdhdhillatu wulmaskanatu وَضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلذِّلَّةُ وَٱلْمَسْكَنَةُ''  literally meaning "'''and the humiliation and poverty was struck open him'''" id est "he was struck down/laid low with humiliation and poverty." The humiliation and poverty are the subjects of the passive verb here, will Moses and his people are the objects of the preposition "'ala" على meaning "upon."

''Fadarabna AAala adhanihim فَضَرَبْنَا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاذَانِهِمْ'' literally meaning "'''we have hit upon their ears,'''" which is a common expression in Arabic that means "'''we will make your ears hear nothing.'''" Just like "beat your feet" can mean "start walking." What was hit here was the ears, ''not'' the people themselves.

This verse mentions the verb ''daraba ضرب'' twice. In the first occurrence, it says ''walyadribna bikhumurihinna AAala juyoobihinna وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ'' literally meaning "'''and they should strike their veils over their bosoms'''," meaning they should place their veils over their bosoms or cover their bosoms.

Another two instances of "daraba" here: ''yadribu Allahu alhaqqa waalbatila يَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْحَقَّ وَٱلْبَٰطِلَ ۚ'' literally meaning "'''Allah hits the truth and the vanity'''," as in "Allahs explains the truth and the vanity."

The main meaing of "daraba" is to hit or strike, including with a sword where the meaning should be rendered in English as "cut", "chop", or "chop off."

''idrib bi'asaka alhajara ٱضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ ٱلْحَجَرَ'' literally meaning "'''hit the rock.'''"

''idriboohu bibaAAdiha ٱضْرِبُوهُ بِبَعْضِهَا'' literally means "'''beat him with part of her.'''" The one to be beaten is the dead man [a whole human], which is the equivalent of the wife [a whole human] who is to be beaten as instructed in verse 4:34. The only possible meaning here for ''daraba'' is "strike" or "beat." The mysterious translation of "separate from them" that was used instead of "beat" in 4:34 cannot be applied here, as the cow and the man were '''definitely not connected''' in any way to be "separated." This verse confirms for us, that when you are told to "''daraba"'' a man, it means to strike or beat them. Thus, it is logical to conclude that ''daraba'' against a woman will also mean to "strike" or "beat" them, not "separate".

''idrib bi'asaka alhajara ٱضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ ٱلْحَجَرَ'' literally meaning "'''hit the rock.'''"

''faidriboo fawqa al-a'naqi waidriboo minhum kulla bananin فَٱضْرِبُوا۟ فَوْقَ ٱلْأَعْنَاقِ وَٱضْرِبُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ كُلَّ بَنَانٍ'' literally meaning "'''hit over the necks and hit from them all their fingers.'''" The first "hit" means "beat" and the second means "cut-off." Both objects here are not whole bodies, but only parts (necks and fingers).

''faid'rib lahum -tareeqan'' فَٱضْرِبْ لَهُمْ طَرِيقًا  literally meaning "'''so strike a road for them."''' The usage is somewhat eccentric here for an English speaker, but the idea is that a strike or hit will carve out a path for Moses through the sea.

This verse is a repeat and has already been discussed under the section below - ''To cover''.

''an udrib bi'asaka albahra أَنِ ٱضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ ٱلْبَحْرَ'' literally meaning "'''to hit with your stick the sea.'''"

This is a great example. Here, ''darban bialyameeni ضَرْبًۢا بِٱلْيَمِينِ'' literally means "'''hit them [people] with the right [hand].'''" According to this verse, when verb ''daraban'' ''ضَرْبًۢا'' is applied to humans, it means "beat" or "strike." It cannot be translated as "separate them from your right hand," as that is utterly ridiculous. The Islamic sites in question, also agrees that ''daraban'' here means  "strike."

''fadarba aIrriqabi'' فَضَرْبَ ٱلرِّقَابِ literally meaning "'''the hit of the necks.'''" as in "beaten on their necks."

''yadriboona wujoohahum يَضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ'' literally meaning "'''hit their faces,'''" or "beat their faces."

''yadriboona wujoohahum ضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ'' literally meaning "'''hit their faces.'''"  

''Beat them'' and ''leave them'' are different phrases in Arabic, utilizing the same verb, but here differentiated by the preposition used. The Arabic word ''idribohunna'' is the command form of the Arabic verv ''Daraba'' does not have any other meaning than ''Beat'' when it comes to the sentence ''"Yadribu Ahadan"'' يضرب أحدا=  he hits someone. ''Idriboohunna'' <font size="4">(أضربوهن)</font> means beat them (for female plural). ''Idriboo 'anhunna'' <font size="4">(اضربوا عنهن)</font> with the preposition 'an عن would mean "leave" or "abandon" them.  According to Lane's Arabic lexicon.<ref name="Lane's Lexicon">[http://ejtaal.net/aa/#hw4=h642,ll=1866,ls=5,la=2565,sg=626,ha=427,br=572,pr=95,aan=347,mgf=535,vi=230,kz=1418,mr=373,mn=815,uqw=966,umr=638,ums=534,umj=478,ulq=1118,uqa=257,uqq=202,bdw=h538,amr=h383,asb=h576,auh=h925,dhq=h329,mht=h537,msb=h143,tla=h67,amj=h469,ens=h171,mis=h1279]</ref>