ٱلنِّسَاء : ٣٤

  • ٱلرِّجَالُ [The] men
  • قَوَّـٰمُونَ (are) protectors
  • عَلَى of
  • ٱلنِّسَآءِ the women
  • بِمَا because
  • فَضَّلَ (has) bestowed
  • ٱللَّهُ Allah
  • بَعۡضَهُمۡ some of them
  • عَلَىٰ over
  • بَعۡضٖ others
  • وَبِمَآ and because
  • أَنفَقُواْ they spend
  • مِنۡ from
  • أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡۚ their wealth
  • فَٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتُ So the righteous women
  • قَٰنِتَٰتٌ (are) obedient
  • حَٰفِظَٰتٞ guarding
  • لِّلۡغَيۡبِ in the unseen
  • بِمَا that which
  • حَفِظَ (orders) them to guard
  • ٱللَّهُۚ (by) Allah
  • وَٱلَّـٰتِي And those (from) whom
  • تَخَافُونَ you fear
  • نُشُوزَهُنَّ their ill-conduct
  • فَعِظُوهُنَّ then advise them
  • وَٱهۡجُرُوهُنَّ and forsake them
  • فِي in
  • ٱلۡمَضَاجِعِ the bed
  • وَٱضۡرِبُوهُنَّۖ and set forth to them / strike them
  • فَإِنۡ Then if
  • أَطَعۡنَكُمۡ they obey you
  • فَلَا then (do) not
  • تَبۡغُواْ seek
  • عَلَيۡهِنَّ against them
  • سَبِيلًاۗ a way
  • إِنَّ Indeed
  • ٱللَّهَ Allah
  • كَانَ is
  • عَلِيّٗا Most High
  • كَبِيرٗا Most Great
Men are in charge of women1 by [right of] what Allāh has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allāh would have them guard.2 But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance3 - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them [lightly].4 But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allāh is ever Exalted and Grand.
Footnotes
1 This applies primarily to the husband-wife relationship.
2 i.e., their husbands' property and their own chastity.
3 i.e., major rebellion or refusal of basic religious obligations.
4 This final disciplinary measure is more psychological than physical. It may be resorted to only after failure of the first two measures and when it is expected to amend the situation and prevent family breakup; otherwise, it is not acceptable. The Prophet ﷺ (who never struck a woman or a servant) additionally stipulated that it must not be severe or damaging and that the face be avoided.
Men are in charge of, they have authority over, women, disciplining them and keeping them in check, because of that with which God has preferred the one over the other, that is, because God has given them the advantage over women, in knowledge, reason, authority and otherwise, and because of what they expend, on them [the women], of their property. Therefore righteous women, among them, are obedient, to their husbands, guarding in the unseen, that is, [guarding] their private parts and otherwise during their spouses' absence, because of what God has guarded, for them, when He enjoined their male spouses to look after them well. And those you fear may be rebellious, disobedient to you, when such signs appear, admonish them, make them fear God, and share not beds with them, retire to other beds if they manifest such disobedience, and strike them, but not violently, if they refuse to desist [from their rebellion] after leaving them [in separate beds]. If they then obey you, in what is desired from them, do not seek a way against them, a reason to strike them unjustly. God is ever High, Great, so beware of Him, lest He punish you for treating them unjustly.