In view of all this, can any man justify beating his wife for ordinary misbehavior? That would betray total ignorance of the significance of the text. As for the Hadith speaking of women’s deficiency, it is also quoted out of context. The Prophet was speaking to women on the occasion of Eid, just after the prayer. It was a joyous occasion when the Prophet jested with his audience and made them merry. He then admonished them and urged them to give to charity. He then said: “I have never seen people like you who are deficient in mind and religion yet can turn the mind of a wise man.” When they questioned him on this, he explained that the deficiency in religion is that a woman is not required to pray during her period, and the deficiency in mind is the fact that a woman witness should have another woman with her to remind her in case she forgets. This is not allowed to a man who is a witness. Yet people quote only the words, ‘deficient in mind and religion’, taking them out of context. They do not look at the Prophet’s explanation, nor at the relaxed way he said it, nor at the fact that he was jesting with women. They take these words as final and that they define the basis of how to treat women. How ill advised they are! This is how the explanation goes. For all the women that are asking about it.
