Women and traveling

[Believer1985]

:salam2:

I wanted to ask this question here, and I hope I get some fruitful responses.

The topic is traveling. I've been married for the last few years and my husband and I have mostly traveled places together. But he does get picky when I say I want to go places on my own. Like, I have a dear friend of mine who has gone to study in the north of my country, and by train it'll take me about two hours to get there. He says it is because he thinks of my safety, that's his reason for not letting me go. But I think it's a control issue, because I seem to find it unfair how he can make plans with his brother to fly to the other side of the world. I have a very dear friend who lives in Canada, for example, and I'm in the UK. Now, he feels comfortable to say he wants to fly places alone, or with his brother, but I'm certain that if I outlined the fact I'd like to fly to visit my friend, he'd never, ever let me go.

Is this an Islamic thing, not to let women travel alone? He can trust me, but I'd like to know what holds him back.

Insight from you brothers here will be interesting...

 

[Hard Rock Moslem]

Wa'alaikumusalam.

Dear ukhti,

Better listen to your hubby, it is not advisable for women to travel alone. If you really need to go places you wish get him to accompany you... use your skill to persuade him and make du'a inshAllah... Allah will help you. If you look at it, those dos and don't's in our ibadat also applicable in our daily lives. Women are required to be accompanied by mahram during haj pilgrimage, it is also applicable when you are travelling especially long distance. It is not about whether he trust you or otherwise and not really control issue, it is your safety and the requirement of our deen. Allah knows better why he required women not to travel alone.

And remember Allah's Favour upon you and His Covenant with which He bound you when you said: "We hear and we obey." And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Knower of the secrets of (your) breasts. [Al-Ma'idah, 5:7] - Muhsin Khan

http://qa.*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=1993&CATE=143

 

[Ershad]

:salam2:


Achieving benefits and averting evils is a basic principle of Shari‘ah whose essential purpose is to preserve people’s honor and purity of lineage. There are clear proofs in the Qur’an and Sunnah asserting the necessity of blocking the means leading to violation of honor and mixing of lineage. Among such forbidden means that must be blocked are Khulwah (being alone with a member of the opposite sex); a woman publicly displaying her beauty or adornment to anyone other than her husband, Mahrams, or males coming under the heading of Mahrams who are specified in Surah Al-Nur; and furtive glances and not lowering the gaze. Therefore, women traveling without their husbands or a Mahram, who are considered in the view of the Shari‘ah the means that ensure their safety, is prohibited. Moreover, it is regarded as a means leading to adultery, rape, and mixing of lineages. It was authentically reported from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: No woman should travel a three-day journey except with a Mahram. (Related by Ahmad, Al-Bukhari, and Muslim) It was authentically reported on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: No woman should travel for a Barida (a distance equal to four parasangs or a distance of half a day) without a Mahram. (Related by Abu Dawud and Al-Hakim) It was authentically reported that Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) while delivering a Khutbah (sermon), stating: No man should be alone with a woman unless there is a Mahram with her, and no woman should travel except with a Mahram. A man stood up and said, 'O Messenger of Allah! My wife has set out for Hajj, whereas I am enrolled in such-and-such an expedition.' He (peace be upon him) said, 'Go and perform Hajj with your wife'. (Related by Ahmad, Al-Bukhari, and Muslim) According to some reports, the limit is restricted to "one day," in some reports it is restricted to "one night," in some to "three days," and in some to "two days." Therefore, specification of the limit is not what is meant, for these reports were stated in reference to specific incidents. No attention should be paid to days or distance, for their connotation will disagree with the explicit statement in the Hadith on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) and those conveying the same meaning.

This is not the point to be considered; rather, what should be considered is the general ruling given in the Hadith on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) that clearly states that anything that is regarded as traveling is forbidden to a woman unless she has a Mahram with her. This applies regardless of the woman’s age, the distance of the journey, or the means of transportation. Anyone who opposes this claiming that the prohibition is limited to young women, to fixed distances or days mentioned in some reports, to insecurity of the road, or who claims that the company of trustworthy, pious women is sufficient, their argument is rejected based on the general meaning of the Hadith on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father). The ruling explicitly stated in this Hadith should be given precedence over the implications of the number of days in other Hadiths. Accordingly, it is prohibited for a woman, whether she a student or not, to travel by air without a husband or Mahram. Since the case mentioned in the question entails traveling, the general prohibition indicated by the Hadith applies to it. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions.

The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta'

Source: http://alifta.org/Fatawa/fatawaDetails.aspx?View=Page&PageID=6564&PageNo=1&BookID=7