Dr Redhwan Karim, Senior Lecturer at MIHE, Delivers Public Lecture at the University of Johannesburg

On 26 October 2026, Dr Redhwan Karim delivered an online public lecture hosted by the University of Johannesburg, entitled “[A]nd Hit Them”: Re-reading Qur’an 4:34.

The lecture explored how students educated in traditional Islamic seminaries understand and respond to different interpretations of Qur’an 4:34, particularly the contested Arabic term ḍaraba, historically interpreted as permitting limited physical discipline within marriage.

Dr Karim examined three approaches: traditional interpretations that permit limited physical discipline as a last resort; reformist interpretations that advocate non-physical meanings, such as separation; and Ibn ʿĀshūr’s interpretation, which places authority to address marital disputes in legal institutions rather than in individual husbands.

The lecture highlighted that accepting alternative Qur’anic interpretations depends not only on linguistic and theological arguments but also on their relationship to established scholarly traditions and recognised religious authority.