Did Prophet (sw) beat his wife Aisha (ra)?

Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Hadith Number 2127 says Prophet (sw) struck his wife Aisha (ra) on the chest which caused her pain. The hadith narrates Prophet (sw) struck his wife Aisha (ra) because Aisha (ra) doubted that God and His Prophet (sw) would deal justly with her.

Islam haters say Prophet (sw) struck his wife Aisha (ra) on the chest. Therefore, it can be said that Prophet (sw) beat his wife Aisha (ra). Let’s analyze the claim Islam haters. First, we need to ask ourselves what kind of “strike” that was. “Strick” means “hit”. “Hit” can be many types, such as punch, slap, push, elbow, and so on. The Arabic word “لْھَدًة” translated as “struck” in this hadith. The Arabic word “لْھَدًة” means “pushed”. Therefore, it is clear that Prophet (sw) pushed (slapped with an open palm) on the chest of Aisha (ra) that caused her pain.

Did Aisha (ra) consider it as a “beating” when Prophet (sw) pushed her on the chest? The answer is “No.” In Sahih Muslim, Book 030, Hadith Number 5756, Aisha (ra) says Prophet (sw) never beat anyone in his life, neither a woman nor a servant.

Did Prophet (sw) consider it as a “beating” when he pushed Aisha (ra) on the chest? The answer is “No”. Prophet (sw) pushed (slapped with an open palm) on the chest of Aisha (ra) in order to drive away her doubt that God and His Prophet (sw) would deal justly with her. There are hadiths those say Prophet (sw) pushed (slapped with an open palm) other people on their chests to drive away doubt or fear in their minds. For example, Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Hadith Number 1787, Sahih Muslim, Book 031, Hadith Number 6051, Sahih Muslim, Book 11, Hadith 3937, and Mustadrak al-Hakim, Hadith 4492.

Some Islam haters may say it doesn’t matter whether Aisha (ra) and Prophet (sw) considered that push (slap with an open palm) as beating or not, that was an act of beating because that push (slap with an open palm) hurt Aisha (ra). In reply to this argument, I will say that it was NOT an act of beating if we look up the meaning of “beat” in the Oxford dictionaries. Oxford dictionaries say: beat (verb) means to “strike (a person or an animal) repeatedly and violently so as to hurt or injure them, typically with an implement such as a club or whip”. Prophet (sw) pushed (slapped with an open palm) on the chest of Aisha (ra) once, NOT multiple times repeatedly. Moreover, that push (slap with an open palm) may cause Aisha (ra) pain but was not violent to make Aisha cry in pain or lose control and fall on the ground.

References:

Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Hadith Number 2127: Muhammad b. Qais said (to the people): Should I not narrate to you (a Hadith of the Holy Prophet) on my authority and on the authority of my mother? We thought that he meant the mother who had given him birth. He (Muhammad b. Qais) then reported that it was 'Aisha who had narrated this: Should I not narrate to you about myself and about the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)? We said: Yes. She said: When it was my turn for Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) to spend the night with me, he turned his side, put on his mantle and took off his shoes and placed them near his feet, and spread the corner of his shawl on his bed and then lay down till he thought that I had gone to sleep. He took hold of his mantle slowly and put on the shoes slowly, and opened the door and went out and then closed it lightly. I covered my head, put on my veil and tightened my waist wrapper, and then went out following his steps till he reached Baqi'. He stood there and he stood for a long time. He then lifted his hands three times, and then returned and I also returned. He hastened his steps and I also hastened my steps. He ran and I too ran. He came (to the house) and I also came (to the house). I, however, preceded him and I entered (the house), and as I lay down in the bed, he (the Holy Prophet) entered the (house), and said: Why is it, O 'Aisha, that you are out of breath? I said: There is nothing. He said: Tell me or the Subtle and the Aware would inform me. I said: Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be ransom for you, and then I told him (the whole story). He said: Was it the darkness (of your shadow) that I saw in front of me? I said: Yes. He struck me on the chest which caused me pain, and then said: Did you think that Allah and His Apostle would deal unjustly with you? She said: Whatsoever the people conceal, Allah will know it. He said: Gabriel came to me when you saw me. He called me and he concealed it from you. I responded to his call, but I too concealed it from you (for he did not come to you), as you were not fully dressed. I thought that you had gone to sleep, and I did not like to awaken you, fearing that you may be frightened. He (Gabriel) said: Your Lord has commanded you to go to the inhabitants of Baqi' (to those lying in the graves) and beg pardon for them. I said: Messenger of Allah, how should I pray for them (How should I beg forgiveness for them)? He said: Say, Peace be upon the inhabitants of this city (graveyard) from among the Believers and the Muslims, and may Allah have mercy on those who have gone ahead of us, and those who come later on, and we shall, God willing, join you.

Sahih Muslim, Book 030, Hadith Number 5756: 'A'isha reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) never beat anyone with his hand, neither a woman nor a servant, but only, in the case when he had been fighting in the cause of Allah and he never took revenge for anything unless the things made inviolable by Allah were made violable; he then took revenge for Allah, the Exalted and Glorious.

Sahih Muslim, Book 004, Hadith Number 1787: Ubayy b. Ka'b reported: I was in the mosque when a man entered and prayed and recited (the Qur'in) ina style to which I objected. Then another man entered (the mosque) and recited in a style different from that of his companion. When we had finished the prayer, we all went to allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said to him: This man recited in a style to which I objected, and the other entered and recited in a style different from that of his companion. The Messenger of allah (may peace be upon him) asked them to recite and so they recited, and the apostle of allah (may peace be upon him) expressed approval of their affairs (their modes of recitation). And there occurred in my mind a sort of denial which did not occur even during the Days of Ignorance. When the Messenger of allah (may peace be upon him) saw how I was affected (by a wrong idea), he struck my chest, whereupon I broke into sweating and felt as though I were looking at allah with fear. He (the Holy Prophet) said to me: Ubayy. a message was sent to me to recite the Qur'an in one dialect, and I replied: Make (things) easy for my people. It was conveyed to me for the second time that it should be recited in two dialects. I again replied to him: Make affairs easy for my people. It was again conveyed to me for the third time to recite in seven dialects and (I was further told): You have got a seeking for every reply that I sent you, which you should seek from Me. I said: O allah! forgive my people, forgive my people, and I have deferred the third one for the day on which the entire creation will turn to me, including even Ibrahim (peace be upon him) (for intercession).

Mustadrak al-Hakim, Hadith 4492: “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him, hit the chest of Umar bin Khattab with his hand three times when he embraced Islam and he said, ‘O Allah remove the malice from his heart and replace it with faith.’” (Hakim authenticated it)

Sahih Muslim, Book 031, Hadith Number 6051: Jarir reported: Since I embraced Islam Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) never refused to see me and he did not see me but with a smile on his face. Ibn Numair has made this addition to this hadith which has been reported on the authority of Ibn Idris that he (Jarir) made this complaint to him (to the Holy Prophet): I cannot sit upon the horse with firmness, whereupon he (Allah's Apostle) struck my chest with his hand and prayed: O Allah, make him steadfast and rightly-guided.

Sahih Muslim, Book 11, Hadith 3937: Abu Talha reported: 'Umar b. al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) delivered a sermon on Friday and made a mention of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and he also made a mention of Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) and then said: I do not leave behind me any problem more difficult than that of Kalala. I did not refer to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) more repeatedly than in case of the problem of Kalala, and he (the Holy Prophet) never showed more annoyance to me than in regard to this problem, so much so that he struck my chest with his fingers and said: 'Umar, does the verse revealed in summer season, at the end of Sura al-Nisa' not suffice you? Hadrat 'Umar (then) said: If I live I would give such verdict about (Kalala) that everyone would be able to decide whether he reads the Qur'an or he does not.