Traveling without mahram

Opinion 1: It is allowed for a woman to travel without a mahram for Hajj

This opinion includes traveling with a group. It is a way to perform Hajj if a mahram or husband is not available.

This is the opinion of, among others: 'Ata, Muhammad ibn Sireen, Hasan al-Basri, Imam Malik, Imam al-Awza'ee, and Imam Shafi'i.

حدثنا أبو بكر قال نا وكيع عن يونس عن الزهري قال: ذكر عند عائشة " المرأة لا تسافر إلا مع ذي محرم " فقالت عائشة: ليس كل النساء تجد محرما.
[المصنف - ابن أبي شيبة الكوفي - ج ٤ - الصفحة ٤٧٨]

'Aisha was informed that a woman should not travel except with a mahram. 'Aisha said: "Not all women can find a mahram." [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah - Volume 4 - Page 478]

أخبرنا مسلم عن ابن جريج قال سئل عطاء عن امرأة ليس معها ذو محرم ولا زوج معها ولكن معها ولائد وموليات يلين إنزالها وحفظها ورفعها؟ قال: نعم. فلتحج.
[المصنف - ابن أبي شيبة الكوفي - ج ٤ - الصفحة ٤٧٧]

'Ata was asked about a woman who has no mahram or husband with her, but has young maidservants and female slaves who can help and protect her. He said: "Yes, let her perform Hajj." [Kitab Al-Umm - Imam Shafi'i - Volume 2 - Page 127]

حدثنا أبو بكر قال نا هشيم عن يونس عن ابن سيرين قال: تخرج في رفقة فيها رجال ونساء، وتتخذ سلما تصعد عليه، ولا يقربها الكاري.
[المصنف - ابن أبي شيبة الكوفي - ج ٤ - الصفحة ٤٧٧]

Muhammad ibn Sirin said: “She travels with a group that includes both men and women, and she uses a ladder to mount (her riding animal), and the (male) owner (of the animal) does not come near her.” [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah - Volume 4 - Page 477]

حدثنا أبو بكر قال نا جرير عن ابن شبرمة قال: كان الحسن بن أبي الحسن يرخص للمرأة التي لم تحج قط أن تحج مع المرأة التي معها محرم.
[المصنف - ابن أبي شيبة الكوفي - ج ٤ - الصفحة ٤٧٧]

Al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan (Hasan al-Basri) allowed a woman who has never performed the Hajj to go on Hajj together with a woman who does have a mahram with her. [Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah - Volume 4 - Page 477]

وَاخْتَلَفَ أَهْلُ الْعِلْمِ فِي الْمَرْأَةِ إِذَا كَانَتْ مُوسِرَةً وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهَا مَحْرَمٌ هَلْ تَحُجُّ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ لاَ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهَا الْحَجُّ لأَنَّ الْمَحْرَمَ مِنَ السَّبِيلِ لِقَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَِّ ‏:‏ ‏(‏ لِمَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً ‏)‏ فَقَالُوا إِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهَا مَحْرَمٌ فَلاَ تَسْتَطِيعُ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً ‏.‏ وَهُوَ قَوْلُ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ وَأَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ ‏.‏ وَقَالَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ إِذَا كَانَ الطَّرِيقُ آمِنًا فَإِنَّهَا تَخْرُجُ مَعَ النَّاسِ فِي الْحَجِّ ‏.‏ وَهُوَ قَوْلُ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ وَالشَّافِعِيِّ ‏.‏

Imam Tirmidhi said: "The scholars differ on the matter of a woman who is financially capable but does not have a mahram to perform Hajj with. Some of them referred to the verse: "For those who can make their way there." According to them, if she does not have a mahram, she is not considered capable (and thus not obliged to perform Hajj). This is the opinion of Sufyan al-Thawri and the scholars of Kufa. Other scholars said that if the journey is safe, she can go on Hajj with a group. This is the opinion of Malik bin Anas and Al-Shafi'i. [Commentary of Sunan Tirmidhi 1169]

Imam Malik and Imam Shafi'i permit a woman to go on the obligatory Hajj in a group. They cite as evidence that the Sahabi 'Umar allowed the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) to go on Hajj in a group.

'Umar allowed (during his caliphate) the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) to perform Hajj, and he sent with them 'Uthman bin 'Affan and 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Awf as escorts. [Sahih al-Bukhari 1860]

قال فهل عليه أن يحج معها؟ قلت: لا والاختيار له أن يفعل وقل مسلم يدع ذلك إن شاء الله فإن لم يفعل لم أجبره لم عليه وإذا وجدت نسوة ثقات حجت معهن وأجبرت وليها على تركها والحج مع نسوة ثقات إذا كانت طريقها آمنة من كان وليها زوجها أو غيره
[اختلاف الحديث - الإمام الشافعي - الصفحة ٥١٤]

Imam Shafi'i said: "Her husband or another of her mahrams has the choice to accompany her on Hajj. It is not obligatory for them to do so. If she finds a trustworthy group of women with whom she can perform Hajj, he (her husband) must allow her to go. Thus, she travels with a group of trustworthy women if the route is safe." [Ikhtilaf al-Hadith - Imam Shafi'i - Page 514]

وكانت المرأة تجدهما وكانت مع ثقة من النساء في طريق مأهولة آمنة فهي ممن عليه الحج عندي والله أعلم وإن لم يكن معها ذو محرم لان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يستثن فيما يوجب الحج إلا الزاد والراحلة، وإن لم تكن مع حرة مسلمة ثقة من النساء فصاعدا لم تخرج مع رجال لا امرأة معهم ولا محرم لها منهم، وقد بلغنا عن عائشة وابن عمر وابن الزبير مثل قولنا في أن تسافر المرأة للحج وإن لم يكن معها محرم
[كتاب الأم - الإمام الشافعي - ج ٢ - الصفحة ١٢٧]

Imam Shafi'i said: "If a woman can reach it (Hajj) and she travels with trustworthy women on a safe and inhabited route, then she is considered to be obligated to perform Hajj in my view, and Allah knows best, even if she does not have a mahram with her. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made no exceptions regarding what is required for Hajj, except for provisions and transportation. If she does not travel with a trustworthy Muslim woman and only travels with men without any female companions or mahram, then it is not permissible for her to travel with them. It is also known to us from 'Aisha, Ibn 'Umar, and Ibn Zubair that they agree with our view that a woman can perform Hajj, even if she does not have a mahram with her." [Kitab Al-Umm - Imam Shafi'i - Volume 2 - Page 127]

Imam Shafi'i also says that a woman can go on Hajj with another woman, thus without the need for a group.

قال فهل عليه أن يحج معها؟ قلت: لا والاختيار له أن يفعل وقل مسلم يدع ذلك إن شاء الله فإن لم يفعل لم أجبره لم عليه وإذا وجدت نسوة ثقات حجت معهن وأجبرت وليها على تركها والحج مع نسوة ثقات إذا كانت طريقها آمنة من كان وليها زوجها أو غيره
[اختلاف الحديث - الإمام الشافعي - الصفحة ٥١٤]

Imam Shafi'i said: "Regarding the rule that it is forbidden for a woman to travel without a mahram, this applies only to non-obligatory travels. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) explained that the punishment for an unmarried fornicator is a hundred lashes and a year of exile, which may also include travel. The Messenger (ﷺ) also prohibited a woman from being alone with a man who is not a mahram. In the case of exile, she would be alone with someone who is not a mahram while traveling. This indicates that it is forbidden for a woman to travel in non-obligatory situations. As far as I know, there is no disagreement that if a woman were in a distant city without a ruler and committed an offense requiring punishment or had a right or dispute with a Muslim, she would be brought before the ruler. All this shows what was described earlier, namely that it is forbidden for a woman to travel in non-obligatory situations." [Ikhtilaf al-Hadith - Imam Shafi'i - Page 514]

Imam Shafi'i states that the rule 'not to travel without a mahram' applies only to non-obligatory travels. According to him, it is thus permitted to travel without a mahram for the obligatory Hajj, as this is an obligation for which the rule does not apply.

He also mentions two examples of other obligatory travels for which the rule is similarly lifted. According to Imam Shafi'i, it is forbidden to travel without a mahram for non-obligatory matters such as vacations, work, or family visits.

قال مالك في الصرورة من النساء التي لم تحج قط إنها إن لم يكن لها ذو محرم يخرج معها أو كان لها فلم يستطع أن يخرج معها أنها لا تترك فريضة الله عليها في الحج لتخرج في جماعة النساء
[موطأ مالك صفحة 329 جزء 1]

Imam Malik said: "Regarding a woman who has never performed Hajj: if she does not have a mahram or if her mahram is not able to go with her, she should not forgo her obligation. She should then travel with a group of women." [Al-Muwatta - Imam Malik - Volume 1 - Page 329]

Opinion 2: It is permissible for a woman to travel alone in all cases, if the road is safe

Although this opinion does not come from the Salaf Saliheen, some people adopt it based on a hadith narrated by 'Adiy ibn Haatim. This hadith mentions that a woman would travel alone from Al-Hira to Mecca.

`Adiy bin Haatim narrated: While I was in the city of the Prophet, a man came and complained to him (the Prophet (ﷺ)) about poverty. Then another man came and complained about theft (by bandits). The Prophet said: "Adiy! Have you been to Al-Hira?" I said: "I have not been there, but I have heard of it." He (ﷺ) said: "If you live long, you will see a woman in a Howdah (a type of carriage on top of an animal) traveling from Al-Hira, safely reaching Mecca and performing the Tawaf, fearing no one except Allah." Adiy added: I saw a woman in a Howdah traveling from Al-Hira to the Ka'ba until she performed the Tawaf, while fearing no one but Allah. [Sahih al-Bukhari 3595]

The narration indicates that during the time of the Prophet (ﷺ), when bandits were active, the situation would change such that it would become safe for women to travel to Mecca.

The woman mentioned in this narration traveled from Al-Hira (a city in Iraq, now known as Kufa) to Mecca, a distance of about 2,000 kilometers or 1,242 miles. It is remarkable that, shortly after the death of the Prophet (ﷺ), the roads were so safe that a woman could make this long journey alone.

Based on this narration, some conclude that it would be permissible for a woman to travel for vacation or work, as long as the road is safe. However, this opinion is rejected by the Salaf Saliheen. According to them, it is only permissible for Hajj, provided the road is safe.

Opinion 3: It is forbidden for a woman to travel more than 80 kilometers or 50 miles without a mahram

This opinion is held by Ishaq ibn Rahawayh and Ahl al-Raiyy, among others.

They use the narration which states that a woman should not travel more than three days without a mahram. They calculate that someone would cover about 80 km or 50 miles on foot in three days.

The problem with this argument is that there are other narrations indicating that a woman should not travel alone for even two, one, or even half a day.

2 days The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "A woman should not travel a distance of two days without a mahram." [Sahih al-Bukhari 1864]

1 day The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "It is not halal for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel a distance of one (full) day without a mahram." [Al-Muwatta Book 54, Hadith 38]

0.5 day The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "It is not allowed for a Muslim woman to undertake a night journey except with a mahram." [Sahih Muslim 1339a]

Based on other narrations that indicate a woman should not travel alone for a night or a day without a mahram, it is therefore incorrect to claim that it would be permissible if the woman travels within a certain distance.

Opinion 4: It is haram for a woman to travel without a mahram in all cases

Other scholars, such as Imam Ahmad, stated that a woman should not travel without a mahram, not even for Hajj.

[[١٣٧٩-] قلت: مسيرة كم لا تسافر المرأة إلا مع ذي محرم؟]
قال أحمد: لا تسافر سفراً١ وإن (كان) ٢ ساعة، في حديث ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما: "لا تسافر سفراً، وقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: لا يخلُوَنَّ رجل بامرأة إلا ومعها ذو محرم"
[ص2093 - كتاب مسائل الإمام أحمد وإسحاق بن راهويه]

Ishaq ibn Mansour asked: "How long can a woman travel without a mahram?" Ahmad ibn Hanbal answered: "She should not travel, even if it is for two hours. According to the hadith: 'A woman should not travel without a mahram.' And the hadith: 'A man should not be alone with a woman unless she is accompanied by a mahram.'" [Masail al-Kawsaj - Number 1379]

قلت: امرأة موسرة ليس لها محرم؟
قال: المحرم من السبيل.
قال إسحاق: كما قال،١ وليس على المحرم بواجب حملها, ولكن يستحب له حملها, فإن لم يفعل, فأعطته من مالها فعليه حملها.
[ص2080 - كتاب مسائل الإمام أحمد وإسحاق بن راهويه]

Imam Ahmad was asked about an able woman who has no mahram to accompany her for Hajj. He responded: 'The mahram is considered part of the means (so she has an excuse).' [Masail al-Kawsaj - Number 1368]

Ishaq ibn Rahawayh agrees with Imam Ahmad on this matter. He added that the mahram is required to accompany her if the travel expenses are covered by the woman.

قال إسحاق: كما قال،١ وليس على المحرم بواجب حملها, ولكن يستحب له حملها, فإن لم يفعل, فأعطته من مالها فعليه حملها.
[ص2080 - كتاب مسائل الإمام أحمد وإسحاق بن راهويه]

Ishaq ibn Rahawayh said: As Ahmad said, and it is not obligatory for the mahram to accompany her at his own expense, but it is recommended for him to do so. And if she covers the costs for him, then he must accompany her. [Masail al-Kawsaj - Number 1368]

However, Ishaq ibn Rahawayh holds the view that if Mecca is within a distance shorter than 80 km or 50 miles, then the woman may travel for Hajj without a mahram. If it is a greater distance than that, she is not obligated to perform Hajj according to him. The same opinion is held by Ahl Raiyy.

The Most Correct Opinion

The most correct opinion regarding a woman traveling without a mahram, regardless of her age, is that it is haram, even if the journey is only two hours or shorter than that. Both young and old women can perform Hajj with a group or with another woman.

The same applies to 'Umrah; it is haram for a woman to travel without a mahram or with a group, as 'Umrah is not obligatory.

No scholar among the Salaf Saliheen has issued a fatwa allowing a woman to travel without a mahram for work or tourism.