Why It Is Not Haram for a Woman to Go Out at Night in Islam
C.J Ahmed-06.05.2023
A woman can go at night in Islam. Even during the day, going out with out a male chaperone. The argument that women cannot go out alone is a misunderstood argument by most Muslims and this has resulted in unfortunate situations of hardships for girls and women.
Most of these fatwas that are issued prohibiting women from travelling alone are issued by those who have a harsh worldview on women and by those who have the very wrong notion that women cannot go out without a male chaperone. The below verse in the Quran is one example and is cherry picked and has nothing to do with women travelling alone.
“And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance”
(Al- Quran-33:33)
The above verse is taken out of context and when all the verses are put together, this is what it means,
“O wives of the Prophet, you are not like anyone among women. If you fear Allah, then do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech and abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance”
(Al-Quran-33:32-33)
It is clear after all of the verses are put in the right context, it is addressing only the wives of the prophet (sal) in other words, this verses were sent specially to the wives of the prophet (sal) and not all the other women in general.
Hadiths Proving That Women Can Travel Alone
Jabir Ibn 'Abdullah (Rali) reported,
" My maternal aunt was divorced, and she intended to pluck her dates [from palm trees]. A person scolded her for having come out (during her waiting period). She came to the Prophet (Sal) and he told her: "Certainly you can pluck (dates) from your palm trees, for perhaps you may give out charity or do an act of kindness."
(Sahih Muslim)
In this hadith the prophet(Sal) allowed a woman who was in Idda to come out and pluck dates and the prophet (Sal) never told her to ask for permission from her male guardian before going out. There are several more hadiths proving this point and even the wives of the prophet(Sal) went out with out seeking permission from the prophet (Sal). If women are supposed to ask for permission from every little thing from her husband. During the time of the prophet (Sal), beautiful girls did visit the mosque and these girls were never turned away from the mosque because their beauty could cause any fitna.
Ibn Abbas (Rali) narrated, "A beautiful woman, from among the most beautiful of women, used to pray behind the Prophet. Some of the people used to go to pray in the first row to ensure they would not be able to see her. Others would pray in the last row of the men, and they would look from underneath their armpits [in rukoo’ and sujood] to see her. Because of this act, in regard to her, Allah revealed, “Verily We know the eager among you to be first, and verily We know the eager among you to be behind.” (Qur’an 15: 24)" (Ibn Majah, Abu Dawud, Tayalisi, Baihaqi, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, and Nasai and i Graded Sahih by Sheikh Albani in Silsila Hadith As saheehah)
In the above hadith a beautiful woman used to pray behind the prophet (Sal) and some of the sahabi used to go behind to look at her while in sujood or rukoo and even in such a scenario the prophet (Sa) never told this beautiful woman to not come to the mosque but nowadays if that happens, then surely he woman would be blamed and she would have been banned to come to the mosque telling that she is a cause of temptation. I would lime ask such people , What do they know more on temptation which the messenger of Allah(Sal) dis not know? There was an incidence of rape recorded in one hadith and even in such a scenario, the prophet (Sal never told women to stay in their houses .
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 the above hadith It is clear that even when a woman was raped while her way to the mosque, the prophet (Sal) did not ban women like nowadays from going to mosques. In another authentic hadith, the prophet (sal) predicted a woman with strong faith in Allah (swt) will travel alone.
Narrated `Adi bin Hatim:
“While I was in the city of the Prophet, a man came and complained to him (the Prophet, ) of destitution and poverty. Then another man came and complained of robbery (by highwaymen). The Prophet said, "Adi! Have you been to Al-Hira?" I said, "I haven't been to it, but I was informed about it." He said, "If you should live for a long time, you will certainly see that a lady in a Howdah traveling from Al-Hira will perform the Tawaf of the Ka`ba, fearing none but Allah." (Sahih al Bukhari)
If travelling alone for a woman was a sin, the prophet (sal) would not have praised the lady travelling alone as mentioned in this hadith.
Conclusion
There is nothing wrong in a woman travelling alone and the stipulation of some hadiths where the prophet (sal) ordering that a mahram should accompany a woman is due to the fact that during that particular period , there was insecurity for women and was a means of protection and not as a mean of subjugation as thought by some ignoramuses. Travelling alone for a girl or woman at night is not haram in Islam.
A woman can go at night in Islam. Even during the day, going out with out a male chaperone. The argument that women cannot go out alone is a misunderstood argument by most Muslims and this has resulted in unfortunate situations of hardships for girls and women.
Most of these fatwas that are issued prohibiting women from travelling alone are issued by those who have a harsh worldview on women and by those who have the very wrong notion that women cannot go out without a male chaperone. The below verse in the Quran is one example and is cherry picked and has nothing to do with women travelling alone.
“And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance”
(Al- Quran-33:33)
The above verse is taken out of context and when all the verses are put together, this is what it means,
“O wives of the Prophet, you are not like anyone among women. If you fear Allah, then do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech and abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance”
(Al-Quran-33:32-33)
It is clear after all of the verses are put in the right context, it is addressing only the wives of the prophet (sal) in other words, this verses were sent specially to the wives of the prophet (sal) and not all the other women in general.
Hadiths Proving That Women Can Travel Alone
Jabir Ibn 'Abdullah (Rali) reported,
" My maternal aunt was divorced, and she intended to pluck her dates [from palm trees]. A person scolded her for having come out (during her waiting period). She came to the Prophet (Sal) and he told her: "Certainly you can pluck (dates) from your palm trees, for perhaps you may give out charity or do an act of kindness."
(Sahih Muslim)
In this hadith the prophet(Sal) allowed a woman who was in Idda to come out and pluck dates and the prophet (Sal) never told her to ask for permission from her male guardian before going out. There are several more hadiths proving this point and even the wives of the prophet(Sal) went out with out seeking permission from the prophet (Sal). If women are supposed to ask for permission from every little thing from her husband. During the time of the prophet (Sal), beautiful girls did visit the mosque and these girls were never turned away from the mosque because their beauty could cause any fitna.
Ibn Abbas (Rali) narrated, "A beautiful woman, from among the most beautiful of women, used to pray behind the Prophet. Some of the people used to go to pray in the first row to ensure they would not be able to see her. Others would pray in the last row of the men, and they would look from underneath their armpits [in rukoo’ and sujood] to see her. Because of this act, in regard to her, Allah revealed, “Verily We know the eager among you to be first, and verily We know the eager among you to be behind.” (Qur’an 15: 24)" (Ibn Majah, Abu Dawud, Tayalisi, Baihaqi, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, and Nasai and i Graded Sahih by Sheikh Albani in Silsila Hadith As saheehah)
In the above hadith a beautiful woman used to pray behind the prophet (Sal) and some of the sahabi used to go behind to look at her while in sujood or rukoo and even in such a scenario the prophet (Sa) never told this beautiful woman to not come to the mosque but nowadays if that happens, then surely he woman would be blamed and she would have been banned to come to the mosque telling that she is a cause of temptation. I would lime ask such people , What do they know more on temptation which the messenger of Allah(Sal) dis not know? There was an incidence of rape recorded in one hadith and even in such a scenario, the prophet (Sal never told women to stay in their houses .
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 the above hadith It is clear that even when a woman was raped while her way to the mosque, the prophet (Sal) did not ban women like nowadays from going to mosques. In another authentic hadith, the prophet (sal) predicted a woman with strong faith in Allah (swt) will travel alone.
Narrated `Adi bin Hatim:
“While I was in the city of the Prophet, a man came and complained to him (the Prophet, ) of destitution and poverty. Then another man came and complained of robbery (by highwaymen). The Prophet said, "Adi! Have you been to Al-Hira?" I said, "I haven't been to it, but I was informed about it." He said, "If you should live for a long time, you will certainly see that a lady in a Howdah traveling from Al-Hira will perform the Tawaf of the Ka`ba, fearing none but Allah." (Sahih al Bukhari)
If travelling alone for a woman was a sin, the prophet (sal) would not have praised the lady travelling alone as mentioned in this hadith.
Conclusion
There is nothing wrong in a woman travelling alone and the stipulation of some hadiths where the prophet (sal) ordering that a mahram should accompany a woman is due to the fact that during that particular period , there was insecurity for women and was a means of protection and not as a mean of subjugation as thought by some ignoramuses. Travelling alone for a girl or woman at night is not haram in Islam.