Are Women Allowed to Travel Alone?

Society Religion & Philosophy
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Are Women Allowed to Travel Alone?
http://www.jamiat.org.za/isinfo/w_travel.html

Muslim women enjoy an exceptional and profound position in society. As a consequence of the sanctity the Shari’ah afforded to her, she attains a lofty and chaste position in society. Muslim women are required by the Shari’ah to remain indoors unless the need arises to leave the home, like going for Hajj, visiting her parents and relatives, visiting the sick, etc. The permission leaving home for the legitimate reasons mentioned, is subject to the condition of fully covering herself. When the conditions for a woman coming out of her home for fulfilling a religious duty are so strict, then what will be the position of that woman who ventures out for a non-religious reason? In order to safeguard the integrity of Muslim women in general, the Shari’ah has discouraged them from stepping out of their homes unless accompanied by a Mahram. The following Ahadith will sufficiently explain the matter in discussion.

Hadith One:
Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiyallaahu Anhu) reported Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) as saying, ‘It is not permitted for a Muslim woman to make a journey of a night unless accompanied by a Mahram.’

Explanation: A woman can only travel with a Mahram, i.e. a male with whom her marriage is forbidden eternally viz. her father, son, brother, uncle, grandfather, etc. In the case of a married woman she can be accompanied by her husband.

The above Hadith mentions the length of journey to be one night while the aforementioned Ahaadith differ in the length of journey, hence, the Ahaadith may seem outward to contradict each other. These variations are due to various reasons. However, it must be understood that the intention behind specifying a particular length of journey denotes that if the distance is such that there is fear of Fitna (danger and risk of her chastity), a woman should not undertake the journey alone, without a Mahram.

In the light of many similar Ahaadith, it is understood that a woman cannot undertake a journey of three days alone. The distance of three days journey is calculated as 88km. A woman cannot travel alone for 89 km. However, for a distance of less than 88km, due to Fitna, it will also not be permissible for her to travel alone.

Hadith Two:
Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radhiyallaahu Anhu) reported that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, ‘It is not permitted for a woman who has faith in Allah and the last day to make a journey of a day and night.’

The narrator reported the same as the previous Hadith.
Explanation: The above Hadith makes mention of one day and night.

Hadith Three:
Abu Saeed (Radhiyallaahu Anhu) reported Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) saying, ‘It is not permitted for a woman who brings faith in Allah and the Last Day to make a journey of more than three days unless she is accompanied by either her father, brother, husband, son or a relative who is her Mahram.’

Hadith Four:
Hadhrat ibn Umar (Radhiyallaahu Anhuma) reported Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) saying, ‘A woman must not make a journey of three days unless accompanied by a relative who is her Mahram.’

Explanation: As regard to the length of journey, four different measurements are recorded viz. that of one night, one night and a day, two days and three days (and three days or more). According to the Muhaddiseen (commentators of Hadith) the term `journey’ used refers to such a length which can generally be considered to be a journey. Consequently, the Jurists have declared that a woman should not make a journey of 88 km without the company of a Mahram.

Hadith Five:
Hadhrath ibn Abbas (Radhiyallaahu Anhuma) reported that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, ‘A woman must not make a journey unless accompanied by a Mahram or her husband.’

Explanation: The above Hadith has no stipulation as to the length of journey, and it’s because of such statements that the Ulama have reached consensus that it is desirable for a woman to be accompanied by a Mahram on a journey less than 88km for the fear of Fitna, it becomes compulsory.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best.

2

Between working, praying 5 times a day and accompanying women everywhere they go, it doesn't leave a man much time to do anything. And are women allowed to go shopping, watch a movie or take kids to the park or beach? Do they need the man's permission or only that he take time from his busy day to accompany them?

If these hadiths were written hundreds of years ago the length of the journey is not relevant to today's modes of transportation. Today someone can go around the world in one day. The 4 different measurements recorded for travel time/distance alone should tell someone that these rules are guidelines or reccomendations for women of 8th century Arabia and do not represent laws or rules laid out by God.

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Honestly, I am speechless.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Faisal: *
Honestly, I am speechless.
[/QUOTE]

What left you speechless the first post or the second.

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I haven't gotten to second post, yet.

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But you got to my post which was fourth :hoonh:

Anyway it only applies to women on long journeys, (which probably doesnt happen much), so why the shock.

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Im ummmm extremely confused

i should cancel my world trip and wait in the hope that some day someone may marry me and then i can go travelling... oh thats if he allows it and he has enuff time

geez

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Re: Are Women Allowed to Travel Alone?

My goodness. Jamatia group has made it to SA. Rubba Khair. Poor Mandela must be on the run from the beardo terror hazrat.

Sista you quota jamatia and saida “allah knowa besta”. Don’t make no sense!!!

time to kick some Jamati terrorist Araab booklicker Behind

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I don't know if their allowed to travel alone or not but they sure do it anyway!

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Allahumma yahdi al mufsideen!

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Islamabad: *
Allahumma yahdi al mufsideen!
[/QUOTE]
Ameen.

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[QUOTE]
Allahumma yahdi al mufsideen!
[/QUOTE]

allahumma ameen!!

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I'm curious though how the 88 km rule was derived at, since the hadith makes no mention at all of distance, rather it mentions a period of time.

Can someone explain this? Do the hadith not explicitly restrict travel alone that is longer than a certain period of time, rather than travel alone that is beyond a certain distance?

By what's given here in the original post, it is permissible for a woman to travel alone for 72 hours to get to a point 88km away, but it is not allowed for her to travel alone for 1 hour to get to a point 400 km away - all this derived from hadiths that make no mention of distance?

Sure the danger of Fitna, the danger and risk to her chastity, is greater on a long journey over a short distance, than a short journey over a long distance?

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i think it would be easier if we looked at some scenarios and then determine for which she can travel alone and for which she can't:

1) going out to buy something necessary i.e. bread, milk, nappies
2) apne maike jaana - lets say karachi to pindi
3) from her hometown to the next town (i.e. london to luton or defence to clifton etc etc)

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What's the implication of this hadith?

Narrated Adi bin Hatim: He (the Prophet) said, "If you should live for a long time, you will certainly see that a lady in a Howdah travelling from Al-Hira will (safely reach Makkah and) perform the tawaf of the Ka'ba, fearing none but Allah."

Adi added: (later on) "I saw a lady in a Howdah travelling from Al-Hira till she performed the Tawaf of the Ka'ba, fearing none but Allah."

Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 793

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what is the point ? women may sleep around during travel if they are alone? or the country is not safe to travel alone?

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by mAd_ScIeNtIsT: *
I'm curious though how the 88 km rule was derived at, since the hadith makes no mention at all of distance, rather it mentions a period of time.

Can someone explain this? Do the hadith not explicitly restrict travel alone that is longer than a certain period of time, rather than travel alone that is beyond a certain distance?

By what's given here in the original post, it is permissible for a woman to travel alone for 72 hours to get to a point 88km away, but it is not allowed for her to travel alone for 1 hour to get to a point 400 km away - all this derived from hadiths that make no mention of distance?

Sure the danger of Fitna, the danger and risk to her chastity, is greater on a long journey over a short distance, than a short journey over a long distance?
[/QUOTE]

I think there are hadiths which say 1 day and 3 days journey (mentioned above).

I think it has something to do with the distance women were able to travel at that time. So they use that to determine the distance allowed. Im sure there must be different interpretations of this by the different schools of thought.

Its only been the last 60, 70 years that women have been able to travel in relative safety. Before that it was quite dangerous, with all the highwaymen and bandits, now they even allow women to travel to hajj without a mahrem as long as they are in a group. Its more to do with safety I think.

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What if a woman doesn't follow what's said above and does travel alone not just for a few days but for years. And she still remains sin-free after all the travel. Would she be subjected to the punishment? And by the same token, what if a woman who never travels alone commits many sins... The point I am trying to make is that a woman (or any human) could commit sins with or without travelling. Then why is travel considered as a source of sin?