Saudi Cleric Salman Al-Odeh on How and Why Prophet Muhammad Beat His Wife

The following are excerpts from a lecture by Saudi cleric Salman Al-Odeh:

Al-Odeh:The Prophet turned to [his wife] 'Aisha and thought, "Is she sleeping?" No, but she pretended to be asleep. She closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. But her chest movements and her rapid breathing showed that the woman was not asleep. The teacher and husband, the Prophet Muhammad, turned to her and said: "'Aisha what's going on?" She opened her eyes as though she was awakening and said to him: "Nothing, oh Messenger of Allah." The Prophet said to her: "Either you tell me or Allah will." She said: "Messenger of Allah, I saw you leave and I left after you, because I was afraid you would sleep with one of your other wives."

The Prophet said to her: "Were you afraid that Allah and His messenger would be unfair to you?" 'Aisha answered: "Whatever people conceal – Allah knows, this is why I was afraid and why I followed you." The Prophet said to her: "Were you the figure I saw in front of me?" He noticed a figure but he didn't understand what it was. She said: "Yes, Messenger of Allah." He patted her lightly on the chest, meaning, he beat her but not out of violence, as some men do out of cruelty, but for the sake of discipline, as if to tell her: "What you did was wrong. You shouldn't have thought or acted in this manner." This was only a movement of his fingertip to discipline her.