926 – ʿAbd Allāh ibn Zamʿah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “None of you should flog his wife as he flogs a slave.” Related by al-Bukhārī (1).

Vocabulary
• “should flog” (lā yajlid): I flogged the offender, jaladtuhu, from the root meaning “to strike.” Al-jald is striking with a whip; a single blow is called a jalda. The word is derived from jild, the hide that covers an animal’s body.

Lessons derived from the ḥadith

1. Allah, exalted is He, has honoured women and granted them rights comparable to the duties they owe their husbands, as He says: “And due to them is a right similar to that which is due from them, in accordance with what is fair” (Q 2:228).
2. Some women, however, may treat their husbands badly and refuse obedience. When signs of defiance (nushūz) appear, three graduated measures are prescribed:
   First: Admonition. He counsels her, reminds her of the gravity of the husband’s right over her, warns her of Allah’s displeasure and the sin entailed by disobedience, and recites the relevant scriptural texts. If she responds, all is well; if not, he proceeds to the
   Second: Forsaking her in bed. He refrains from sharing her bed for whatever period he deems suitable. Allah says, “And forsake them in bed” (Q 4:34). Ibn ʿAbbās explained: “Do not lie with her in your own bed.”
   As for verbal interaction, he should not extend the boycott beyond three days, for Muslim relates from Abū Hurayrah that the Prophet ﷺ said, “It is not permissible for a Muslim to shun his brother for more than three days.” If she persists and is not deterred by this estrangement, the stage is: