An Islamic Perspective on Domestic Violence

By: Azizah al-Hibri, Esq.

Al-Hibri presents a holistic analysis of the “Chastisement Verse” (4:34), grounded on the Qur’an’s egalitarian and harmonious vision of gender relations.   Invoking the core principle of Islamic monotheism, tawhid, and the principles of diversity and harmony evident in the Qur’an, al-Hibri describes a Qur’anic worldview in which God’s will is supreme and arbitrary hierarchies among men and women are denounced.