Sold-out guide to Muslim couples advises beating wives

An Islamic guide to marriage counsels husbands on the best ways to beat their wives. The book, A Gift for Muslim Couple, advises husbands to beat their wives with “hand or stick or pull her by the ears.”  Written by Maulavi Ashraf Ali Thanvi, a prominent Muslim scholar of the last century, the blurb for the book claims that it “deals with the subject of marriage and after marriage relationship, as well as the various pitfalls of marriage, causes of breakdown and their causes.” Moderate Muslims, however, have denounced the guide for encouraging violence against women.

A Gift for Muslim Couple says it analyzes "real life incidents," while advising on "different aspects of family life and how to run the institution of marriage successfully." To accomplish marital success with a wife, the book states that a husband may find it “necessary to restrain her with strength or even to threaten her." Apparently emphasizing a sense of balance in the treatment of wives, the book advises that "the husband should treat the wife with kindness and love, even if she tends to be stupid and slow sometimes."

Author Thanvi also declaims upon the "rights of the husband," which, according to his book, include denying  his wife’s access to leaving "his house without his permission." As to other conjugal rights on the part of a husband, the book says that a wife must fulfill his desires” and "not allow herself to be untidy ... but should beautify herself for him."  The book encourages husbands to scold their wives. According to the book, they may also "beat by hand or stick, withhold money from her or pull (her) by the ears." At the same time, the book advises a measure of restraint, saying that husbands should "refrain from beating her excessively."

The book is popular in Canada, which has a large Muslim community, and has sold out at brick-and-mortar stores but is widely available on-line. Alibris.com offers his books for sale, some of which are commentaries on the Koran.  Maulavi was born in India, and died there in 1943. He was a scholar of the Deobandi school of Islam and taught numerous Islamic scholars.