Fatwa ID: 01836
Answered by Ustadha Aysha Ravat
Question
Mufti sahib,
Once I was trying to tell my wife about how to tackle household issues and not to get frustrated about homely matters in a friendly mood. However, nothing settled in my wife's mind and so I became angry. Thus, I neither used bad language to her nor uttered anything to her, but I slapped her face hard and she started to cry. Now my question is, firstly, does slapping my wife on her face affect my nikah?
Secondly, does any other Islamic ruling apply to me now due to this incident?
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Men stand as caretakers of women since Allah has made some of them excel the other, and because they have spent of their wealth. So, the righteous women are obedient, guarding in absence with the protection given by Allah. As for women, whose disobedience you fear, convince them, and leave them apart in beds, and beat them. Then, if they obey, do not seek a way against them. Surely, Allah is the Highest, the Greatest. (Surah Nisaa, Ayat 34)
This quranic ayat gives men three methods of correcting the wife’s behaviour who is disobedient or she fails to cooperate with the husband in running family affairs in a recognised manner. The ayat says the first step towards their correction is that you should talk over with them nicely and softly. Still, if they remain adamant and do not change their attitude, the next step is not to share the same bed with them, so that they may realise the displeasure of the husband. If this gentle admonition fails to produce any effect, some corrective form of a little beating has also been allowed as a last resort, of course, In a manner that it does not affect the body, nor goes to the undesirable limits of hurt or injury to the skin or bones. (Maariful Quran, Vol.2 pg 422-423 Maktaba e Darul-Uloom)
Sulaiman bin Amr bin Al-Ahwas said: “My father narrated to me that he witnessed the farewell Hajj with the Messenger of Allah. So he thanked and praised Allah and he reminded and gave admonition. He mentioned a story in his narration and he (the Prophet) said: “And indeed I order you to be good to the women, for they are but captives with you over whom you have no power than that, except if they come with manifest evil behaviour. If they do that, then abandon their beds and beat them with a beating that is not harmful. And if they obey you then you have no cause against them. Indeed you have rights over your women, and your women have rights over you. As for your rights over your women, then they must not allow anyone whom you dislike to tread on your bedding (furniture), nor to admit anyone in your home that you dislike. And their rights over you are that you treat them well in clothing them and feeding them.” (Sahih) (Tirmizi Book 12, Hadith 1195)
As for slapping or hitting on the face, it is absolutely forbidden as is mentioned in a Hadith “and do not hit the faces, and do not say abuses to her” (Mishkat pg. 281)
Hazrat Abdullah bin Zam’aa [radiallahu anhu] narrates from Rasulullah 
that He said: “One of you should not hit your wife like the way you hit your slave and then he has relations with her in the last part of the night.” (Sahih Bukhari, Vol.2 pg 784 Qadeemi KutubKhana)
As for your nikah, it will remain intact. Looking back into history at the story of Hazrat Ayyub Alayhi Salaam when he fulfilled his oath of hitting his wife 100 times by tying 100 sticks and striking once, his nikah remained as normal and today the same rule applies. And as mentioned before hitting is allowed but not something desirable and there is no Islamic ruling of kaffarah. However, if the 3 methods mentioned above was not carried and the hitting/slapping was quite harsh one should do tawbah and seek forgiveness, Surely Allah is the Most forgiving.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Ustadha Aysha Ravat
Checked and Approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
