✅ Answer: Pay attention to the following narrations:

1 أَبِي مَرْيَمَ عن أَبِي جَعْفَر قال: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ أَ يَضْرِبُ أَحَدُكُمُ الْمَرْأَةَ ثُمَّ يَظَلُّ مُعَانِقَهَا

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 509

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: Does one of you strike a woman and then embrace her?!

2 عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: وَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ امْرَأَةً فَلْيُكْرِمْهَا فَإِنَّمَا امْرَأَةُ أَحَدِكُمْ لُعْبَتُهُ فَمَنِ اتَّخَذَهَا فَلَا يُضَيِّعْهَا

📚 Qurb al-Isnad, p. 33

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: Whoever takes a woman (in marriage) should honor her. Indeed, your woman is your playmate, so whoever takes her should not waste or ruin her!

3 عن أَبِي عَبْداللَّهِ قَال: اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ فِي الضَّعِيفَيْنِ يَعْنِي بِذَلِكَ الْيَتِيمَ وَ النِّسَاءَ

📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 3, p. 392

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Observe God-consciousness regarding the two weak ones, meaning orphans and women!

4 Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said regarding the rights of a woman upon her husband, among other things:

إِنْ جَهِلَتْ غَفَرَ لَهَا

Namely: If a woman acts ignorantly, her husband should forgive her!

5 Allah, the Exalted, says in Surah An-Nisa, Verse 34:

وَاللَّاتِي تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَاهْجُرُوهُنَّ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ وَاضْرِبُوهُنَّ فَإِنْ أَطَعْنَكُمْ فَلَا تَبْغُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ سَبِيلًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيًّا كَبِيرًا

Translation: As for those women from whom you fear rebellion (nushuz), admonish them [first], then refuse to share their beds, and [if that does not work] strike them. But if they obey you, seek no way against them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted, Great.

✅ The above verse, which is sometimes misused by men and criticized by detractors of Islam, has several points:

1. It applies in the case of fear of nushuz, meaning rebellion or disobedience by the wife.

2. What Allah has recommended in this case is first admonishment, then separation in beds, and then, if necessary, disciplinary striking.

3. Regarding the manner of separation in beds, it has been narrated:

From Abu Ja'far: 'He turns his back to her (in the place of sleep).'

📚 Nur al-Thaqalayn, Vol. 1, p. 478

4. In case disciplinary striking is needed, it has been narrated:

From Abu Ja'far: 'It is striking with a miswak (tooth-stick).'

📚 Nur al-Thaqalayn, Vol. 1, p. 478

✅ Therefore, under the divine permission, which has its specific conditions and limits and applies only in the case of fear of nushuz—i.e., a wife stepping outside the bounds of obedience to her husband—one cannot subject a woman to severe or bruising strikes.

✅ Also, in Al-Muqni' by Sheikh Saduq, p. 350, which is said to convey the meanings of hadiths without their chains, and in some other Shia books, it is stated:

Namely: This striking is with a miswak or something similar, in a gentle and mild manner!

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 512

وَ الضَّرْبُ بِالسِّوَاکِ وَ غیره (شِبْهِهِ) ضَرْباً رَفِیقاً

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: Jibril advised me so much regarding women that I thought divorcing them is not permissible except in the case of clear immorality!

6 مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْداللَّه قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّه أَوْصَانِي جَبْرَئِيلُ بِالْمَرْأَةِ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ لَا يَنْبَغِي طَلَاقُهَا إِلَّا مِنْ فَاحِشَةٍ مُبَيِّنَةٍ

6 Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) narrated from Jabir ibn Abdullah regarding the Farewell Pilgrimage of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his sermon in the valley, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Fear Allah regarding women, for you have taken them under Allah’s trust, and their private parts have been made lawful for you by the words of Allah.

And it is their duty not to allow anyone you dislike into your bed.

If they do so, strike them with a non-harmful, non-injurious strike!

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ فِی النِّسَاء فَإِنَّکُمْ أَخَذْتُمُوهُنَّ بِأَمَانِ اللَّهِ وَ اسْتَحْلَلْتُمْ فُرُوجَهُنَّ بِکَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ وَ لَکُمْ عَلَیْهِنَّ أَنْ لَا یُوطِئْنَ فُرُشَکُمْ أَحَداً تَکْرَهُونَهُ فَإِنْ فَعَلْنَ ذَلِکَ فَاضْرِبُوهُنَّ ضَرْباً غَیْرَ مُبَرِّحٍ

✅ According to the above narrations, a Muslim is commanded to treat his wife with kindness, honor her, and refrain from striking her. Although in the case of fear of nushuz, striking is permitted as one of the stages, this striking is with a miswak or similar object, in a gentle and mild manner without severity.