84 Page Notes

04 Surah An-Nisa (continued)

Page 84 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

4:34

4:35

4:36

4:37

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 84 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 84 of the Holy Quran contains Surah An-Nisa (Chapter 4), verses 34 through 37. This page addresses some of the most widely discussed social, marital, and ethical concepts in Islamic law, moving from domestic authority, conflict resolution, and the rights of vulnerable household members to broader socioeconomic duties and the psychological sins of miserliness and pride.

The Prophetic Sunnah and Hadith literature provide critical textual subtexts, ethical restrictions, and historical contexts (Asbab al-Nuzul) for these four verses.

1. Verse 34: Domestic Authority (Qiwamah) and Marital Conflict Resolution

"Men are the caretakers (Qawwamun) of women because of what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend from their wealth..."

The Cause of Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul)

The historical context of this verse highlights a direct intersection between early Islamic societal shifts and Prophetic jurisprudence (ijtihad). Authentic classical narrations from Ibn Abbas and Al-Hasan al-Basri record that Habibah bint Zayd, a woman from the Ansar, was slapped by her husband, Sa'd ibn al-Rabi (Affani, 2021).

Habibah and her father complained to the Prophet Muhammad, who initially applied standard Islamic retributive justice, declaring: "Let her have retaliation (Qisas) against him" (Affani, 2021). However, before the punishment could be executed, Verse 34 was revealed, establishing the husband's structural role as head of the household and vetoing immediate corporal retaliation in domestic disputes to prevent family collapse in a heavily patriarchal tribal system (Affani, 2021).

The Sunnah’s Strict Restriction on "Chastisement" (Darb)

Verse 34 outlines a three-step behavioral correction pathway for a wife's persistent, malicious rebellion (Nushuz): counseling, separating beds, and finally, a physical reprimand (wadribuhunni). The Prophetic Sunnah provides strict, definitive boundaries for this final step, completely forbidding domestic violence:

• Non-Injurious Contact: During his famous Farewell Sermon (Khutbat al-Wada), recorded in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet specified that if a husband ever reaches this absolute last resort, it must be a Darban Ghayra Mubarrih—a symbolic strike that leaves no mark, causes no physical pain, and avoids injury. Companion Ibn Abbas explained this practically as brushing the spouse with a Siwak (a small tooth-cleaning twig).

• Absolute Ban on Striking the Face: In Sunan Abi Dawud, when a companion asked about the rights of a wife, the Prophet explicitly commanded: "Feed her when you eat, clothe her when you clothe yourself, and do not strike her face, nor insult her."

• The Prophet's Personal Example: Aisha narrated in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet Muhammad "never hit a woman, a servant, or anyone else with his hand" throughout his entire life, establishing that avoiding the practice entirely is the higher Sunnah.

2. Verse 35: Institutional Marital Arbitration

"And if you fear a split between the two, send an arbitrator from his family and an arbitrator from her family..."

Prophetic Enforcement of Arbitration

The Sunnah actively implemented this verse by formalizing third-party legal mediation before allowing a divorce to proceed. The Prophet's companions treated this text as a mandatory judicial process.

In a notable application recorded by Imam Al-Shafi'i, when a marital dispute arose between the companion Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan and his wife, Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab designated arbitrators from both lineages exactly as commanded by Verse 35, instructing them to thoroughly evaluate whether reconciliation (Islah) or a peaceful separation (Talaq) was the healthier path.

3. Verse 36: The Rights of Neighbors, Companions, and the Vulnerable

"Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the farther neighbor, the companion by your side, the traveler, and those whom your right hands possess..."

This verse maps out a comprehensive grid for social interaction (Hablumminannas) (Iskandar & Hidayat, 2023). The Prophetic Sunnah expands heavily on the specific categories highlighted here:

The Rights of the Neighbor (Jar)

The Prophet emphasized the clause concerning neighbors to an extraordinary degree. In a universally accepted Hadith (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim), he stated:

"Angel Gabriel kept recommending me to treat neighbors kindly until I thought he would secure a share of inheritance for them."

Another Sunnah tradition records the Prophet declaring: "He is not a believer whose neighbor is not safe from his harmful conduct."

Ethical Treatment of the Companion/Worker

Concerning "those whom your right hands possess" (which historically applied to enslaved workers and conceptually extends to employees), the Prophet delivered a stern deathbed sermon recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari:

"They are your brothers whom Allah has placed under your authority. Feed them from what you eat, clothe them from what you wear, and do not burden them beyond their capacity; if you do burden them, help them."

4. Verse 37: The Condemnation of Arrogance, Miserliness, and Concealing Blessings

"Who are stingy and enjoin stinginess upon other people and hide what Allah has given them of His bounty..."

This verse condemns the psychological state of those who withhold their wealth and hide God's material favors due to greed or a lack of gratitude.

The Sunnah of Visually Manifesting Blessings

The Prophetic Sunnah provides a direct psychological antidote to the behavior condemned in Verse 37. In a Hadith recorded in Sunan At-Tirmidhi, a companion came to the Prophet wearing cheap, tattered garments despite being highly wealthy. The Prophet asked him if he possessed wealth, and the man replied that he did. The Prophet Muhammad instructed him:

"If Allah has given you wealth, let the mark of His blessing and generosity be seen on you."

This Sunnah application clarifies that hiding one's wealth out of a miserly fear of charity or social obligation is a major spiritual transgression, whereas clean, appropriate presentation is an act of gratitude.

References

• Affani, S. (2021). The intervention of Quranic revelation in domestic spheres: Historical-hermeneutical analysis of Surah An-Nisa verse 34. Religia: Jurnal Ilmu-Ilmu Keislaman, 24(1), 25–32.

• Iskandar, W., & Hidayat, B. (2023). The contribution of Hablumminannas to the development of psychological well-being. Psikis: Jurnal Psikologi Islami, 9(2), 245–257.

• Mahmad Robbi, A. A., Mohd Yunus, S., & Mohamad Sharin, M. F. (2023). Muslim women in politics: Does it align with Shari'ah parameters? Al-Burhān: Journal of Qurʾān and Sunnah Studies, 7(2), 162–172.

• Yuwafi, A. H. S. (2023). Rereading Surah Al-Nisa' [4]: 34: Contextual approaches to gender equality in Islam. Journal of Ushuluddin and Islamic Thought, 2(1), 12–19.