5 Proofs Why a Muslim Woman Can Go Out Without a Mahram
C.J Ahmed-15.05.2023
There is a huge misunderstanding that a Muslim woman requires a mahram man such as her brother, husband, fathers etc to chaperone her and travelling even to the nearby boutique is haram if she is travelling alone. This extreme view is taken with out understanding the fundamentals of shariah in Islam. Th truth is, travelling alone for a Muslim woman is 100% halal. Lets looks at the evidence,
Allah's Messenger (sal) said, "The best women among the camel riders, are the women of Quraish." (Another narrator said) The Prophet (sal) said, "The righteous among the women of Quraish are those who are kind to their young ones and who look after their husband's property . " (Sahih al-Bukhari 5365)
In this haih it is cler that the prophet (sal) actually praised the Quraish women because they were camel riders and nowadays idiots forbid women from even riding a bicycle.
The usual argument against women travelling alon with out a chaperone is based on the the fllowing hadiths which are misunderstood.
Abbas (rali) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (sal) say, when he was delivering a sermon, “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, and I have signed up for such-and-such a military campaign.” The Prophet (sal) said: “Go and do Hajj with your wife .” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (sal) said, "It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel for one day and night except with a Mahram."(Bukhari)
The above rues that a woman should not travel alone without a mahram manaccompanying her should be understood that due to security situation of women back then this law was stipulated and not to mean that women cannot travel alone. The folloing ahdith answers this,
This hadith puts everything in to the right context and answers those idiots who say that women cannot travel alone. This hadith clearly proves that a woman can travel alone for a long distance and the prophet (sal) even predicted a lady travelling alone. Their were highay robbers and other kinds of dangers back then and this is why the prophet (sal) stipulated that women should travel with another man for protection. It is similar to hat modern day governments will do by restricting people from entering certain places. Take snake island in brazil. The Brazilian government has banned people from going to this islan because of the venomous snakes tht inhabit it. Now lets look at another hadith,
Narrated Wa'il ibn Hujr,
"When a woman went out in the time of the Prophet (Sal) for prayer, a man attacked her and overpowered (raped) her. She shouted and he went off, and when a man came by, she said: That (man) did such and such to me. And when a company of the Emigrants came by, she said: That man did such and such to me. They went and seized the man whom they thought had had intercourse with her and brought him to her. She said: Yes, this is he. Then they brought him to the Messenger of Allah (Sal). When he (the Prophet) was about to pass sentence, the man who (actually) had assaulted her stood up and said: Messenger of Allah, I am the man who did it to her. He (the Prophet) said to her: Go away, for Allah has forgiven you. But he told the man some good words (Abu Dawud said: meaning the man who was seized), and of the man who had had intercourse with her, he said: Stone him to death. He also said: He has repented to such an extent that if the people of Medina had repented similarly, it would have been accepted from them.
(Abu Dawud-Graded Hasan Sahih by Albani)
In this hadith, a woman was raped, and the prophet(Sal) did not admonish her or blame her because because he travelled alone. Unfortunately nowadays if a girl or woman is sexually assaulted, foolish and ignorant Muslims are quick to blame the innocent victim.
(4). Narrated Anas bin Malik:
The Prophet (sal) passed by a woman who was weeping beside a grave. He told her to fear Allah and be patient. She said to him, "Go away, for you have not been afflicted with a calamity like mine." And she did not recognize him. Then she was informed that he was the Prophet (sal) . so she went to the house of the Prophe (sal) and there she did not find any guard. Then she said to him, "I did not recognize you." He said, "Verily, the patience is at the first stroke of a calamity."(Bukhari and Muslim)
In this hadith the lady who ws weeping travelled alone and the prophet (sal) never rebuked her for doing so.
(1)Women Were Seated with the Prophet (sal)
Sa’d reported: Umar ibn Al-Khattab asked permission to see the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while some women from the Quraish were sitting with him and they were asking for his financial support while raising their voices above his. When asked permission to enter, all of them hurried to veil themselves. The Prophet admitted Umar and he entered while he was smiling. Umar said, “May Allah preserve your smile, O Messenger of Allah. Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you!” The Prophet said, “I am amazed by these women who were with me. As soon as they heard your voice, they hastened to veil themselves.” Umar said, “You have more right that they should be modest for you, O Messenger of Allah.” Then Umar turned to them and he said, “O enemies of your own souls! You are modest for me but not the Messenger of Allah?” The women replied, “Yes, for you are stricter and harsher than the Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet said, “O son of Khattab, by the one in whose hand is my soul, whenever Satan sees you taking a path, then he will take another path. (Source: Sahih Bukhari 5735, Sahih Muslim 2397)
Conclusion
There is nothing wrong in a Muslim girl travelling alone and the hadiths which are used toforbid women from travelling alone is misunderstood.
There is a huge misunderstanding that a Muslim woman requires a mahram man such as her brother, husband, fathers etc to chaperone her and travelling even to the nearby boutique is haram if she is travelling alone. This extreme view is taken with out understanding the fundamentals of shariah in Islam. Th truth is, travelling alone for a Muslim woman is 100% halal. Lets looks at the evidence,
- Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (sal) said, "The best women among the camel riders, are the women of Quraish." (Another narrator said) The Prophet (sal) said, "The righteous among the women of Quraish are those who are kind to their young ones and who look after their husband's property . " (Sahih al-Bukhari 5365)
In this haih it is cler that the prophet (sal) actually praised the Quraish women because they were camel riders and nowadays idiots forbid women from even riding a bicycle.
The usual argument against women travelling alon with out a chaperone is based on the the fllowing hadiths which are misunderstood.
Abbas (rali) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (sal) say, when he was delivering a sermon, “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, and I have signed up for such-and-such a military campaign.” The Prophet (sal) said: “Go and do Hajj with your wife .” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (sal) said, "It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel for one day and night except with a Mahram."(Bukhari)
The above rues that a woman should not travel alone without a mahram manaccompanying her should be understood that due to security situation of women back then this law was stipulated and not to mean that women cannot travel alone. The folloing ahdith answers this,
- Narrated `Adi bin Hatim:
This hadith puts everything in to the right context and answers those idiots who say that women cannot travel alone. This hadith clearly proves that a woman can travel alone for a long distance and the prophet (sal) even predicted a lady travelling alone. Their were highay robbers and other kinds of dangers back then and this is why the prophet (sal) stipulated that women should travel with another man for protection. It is similar to hat modern day governments will do by restricting people from entering certain places. Take snake island in brazil. The Brazilian government has banned people from going to this islan because of the venomous snakes tht inhabit it. Now lets look at another hadith,
Narrated Wa'il ibn Hujr,
"When a woman went out in the time of the Prophet (Sal) for prayer, a man attacked her and overpowered (raped) her. She shouted and he went off, and when a man came by, she said: That (man) did such and such to me. And when a company of the Emigrants came by, she said: That man did such and such to me. They went and seized the man whom they thought had had intercourse with her and brought him to her. She said: Yes, this is he. Then they brought him to the Messenger of Allah (Sal). When he (the Prophet) was about to pass sentence, the man who (actually) had assaulted her stood up and said: Messenger of Allah, I am the man who did it to her. He (the Prophet) said to her: Go away, for Allah has forgiven you. But he told the man some good words (Abu Dawud said: meaning the man who was seized), and of the man who had had intercourse with her, he said: Stone him to death. He also said: He has repented to such an extent that if the people of Medina had repented similarly, it would have been accepted from them.
(Abu Dawud-Graded Hasan Sahih by Albani)
In this hadith, a woman was raped, and the prophet(Sal) did not admonish her or blame her because because he travelled alone. Unfortunately nowadays if a girl or woman is sexually assaulted, foolish and ignorant Muslims are quick to blame the innocent victim.
(4). Narrated Anas bin Malik:
The Prophet (sal) passed by a woman who was weeping beside a grave. He told her to fear Allah and be patient. She said to him, "Go away, for you have not been afflicted with a calamity like mine." And she did not recognize him. Then she was informed that he was the Prophet (sal) . so she went to the house of the Prophe (sal) and there she did not find any guard. Then she said to him, "I did not recognize you." He said, "Verily, the patience is at the first stroke of a calamity."(Bukhari and Muslim)
In this hadith the lady who ws weeping travelled alone and the prophet (sal) never rebuked her for doing so.
(1)Women Were Seated with the Prophet (sal)
Sa’d reported: Umar ibn Al-Khattab asked permission to see the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while some women from the Quraish were sitting with him and they were asking for his financial support while raising their voices above his. When asked permission to enter, all of them hurried to veil themselves. The Prophet admitted Umar and he entered while he was smiling. Umar said, “May Allah preserve your smile, O Messenger of Allah. Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you!” The Prophet said, “I am amazed by these women who were with me. As soon as they heard your voice, they hastened to veil themselves.” Umar said, “You have more right that they should be modest for you, O Messenger of Allah.” Then Umar turned to them and he said, “O enemies of your own souls! You are modest for me but not the Messenger of Allah?” The women replied, “Yes, for you are stricter and harsher than the Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet said, “O son of Khattab, by the one in whose hand is my soul, whenever Satan sees you taking a path, then he will take another path. (Source: Sahih Bukhari 5735, Sahih Muslim 2397)
Conclusion
There is nothing wrong in a Muslim girl travelling alone and the hadiths which are used toforbid women from travelling alone is misunderstood.