Assalamo Alikum:
1- Wife-beating in Islam is described for those women who are disobedient, extremely rude to their husbands and care very little for their children (NASHEZ); it is not because of sex refusal as reep indicates. It is true that wives are commanded to respond to their husbands call regarding this matter, but husbands on the other hands are not ordered anywhere to ‘rape’ them if they refused! Plus, the Prophet Muhammad PBUH explained that if we must put things right, we may beat them so lightly with Miswak (i.e. natural tooth brush which is in the size of a pencil, just to scare them off and not to cause any injury or to leave any mark).
2- In the Bible man was created to rule over women and she was made to be subject to him, therefore why can’t he discipline her sometimes? If rulers like King David had the right to even kill whomever he wishes and was blessed by God, then why would God object beating lightly the wives if they’ve done something really bad?
3- Why is it so hard for you to accept ‘wife-beating’ as described in Islam and tolerate the punishment of wives in the Bible? Don’t you know that if 2 men were fighting together and the wife of one of them came forward to defend her husband and grabbed the other man’s private part, her hands should be cut off? What about the punishment of whores according to the Bible? It is burning with fire. Why don’t we make a big deal about these punishments first!
4- The Bible gives a list of punishments for some serious offence, like killing, attacking one’s parents, kidnapping, cursing parents, hitting others with stones, beating servants etc. the punishment prescribed is death. However, we don’t see in this list any punishment for ‘wife beating’! Do you know why? Because if you abuse a girl according to the Bible and raped her (rape means violent assault which involve beating of course), his punishment is to marry her and never divorce her as long as he remains alive. So where is the prohibition of ‘wife beating’ in the Bible? if Reep won’t become a Muslim and prepared to be thrown in Hellfire because of the ‘wife-beating’ thing, then it is more sensible to leave the teaching of the Bible altogether because in it you are forced to marry your rapist.
5- Didn’t Jesus ever hear of any incident where one wife was beaten during his ministry? Why can’t we find a word from the master concerning the prohibition of wife beating?
6- In another verse in the Bible we are told to love our wives even though they are adulteresses as God loves the Israelites. If that’s the case, then husbands should really discipline those disobedient wives in the same manner how God has punished the Jews for their disobedience, even though He loves them!
As regards to loving wives in Islam, this would require a never ending thread where you guys would be surprised and keen to learn more about how one should love and respect his wife.
I hope this made some sense
Salam
Wael.