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Domestic Violence in Muslim Communities

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Religion and Men's Violence Against Women

Abstract

Domestic violence is unacceptable in Islam; the relations between husband and wife, as stipulated in the Qur’an, are that of helpers, supporters, and friends of each other. The marital relationship is to be characterized by mutual love, compassion, justice, and mercy. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) instructed men to treat women kindly and admonished those who were abusive to their wives. However, a verse in the Qur’an (4:34) that holds men accountable for caring and protecting women, and spells out several sequential steps of conflict resolution, has often been cited to justify domestic violence. Scholars of Islam interpret this verse in light of the teachings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah which condemns and prohibits any action that promotes violence and oppression, and harms the marital relationship. Culturally competent interventions to address the needs of Muslim women are discussed in this chapter. Recommendations are also provided for facilitating batterer’s intervention programs, involving the men and religious leaders, and collaborating with the mainstream agencies.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    All quotes of the translated Qur’an in this chapter come from Ali (1999).

  2. 2.

    A prescribed waiting period a woman must observe after the death of her husband or after a divorce. During this period, she may not marry another man.

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  1. Domestic Harmony Foundation, Westbury, NY, USA

    Rafia M. Hamid Psy.D.

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  1. Rafia M. Hamid Psy.D.
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Correspondence to Rafia M. Hamid Psy.D. .

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  1. Department of Psychology, Bethel University, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA

    Andy J. Johnson

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Hamid, R. (2015). Domestic Violence in Muslim Communities. In: Johnson, A. (eds) Religion and Men's Violence Against Women. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2266-6_20

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