Ruling on a Woman Traveling with a Peaceful Group Without a Mahram

This excerpt is taken from the book 500 Questions and Answers for Women, which is based on the fatwas of the scholars of Haramain. The translation was done by Hafiz Abdullah Saleem.

Question:​

What is the ruling on a woman traveling without a mahram, but in the company of a peaceful group of women? Some people argue for its permissibility based on the Hadith:

"Indeed, a woman will travel from Yemen to Iraq without fearing anything except Allah and the wolf for her sheep."

Answer:​

The mentioned Hadith does not serve as evidence to permit a woman to travel alone, because it does not state any Islamic legislation (تشریع اسلامی) on this matter. Instead, it is merely a prophetic foretelling of a future event, and such reports describe what will happen without necessarily approving or disapproving of it.

For instance, the Prophet ﷺ also said:

"The Hour will not be established until people commit fornication openly in the streets like donkeys."
(Sahih Ibn Hibban, 15/169)
This statement does not justify such an act but rather forewarns that it will happen. Similarly, the Hadith about a woman traveling safely does not indicate any religious ruling on her traveling alone.

Instead, the ruling is established through multiple authentic narrations, such as:

"A woman should not travel for three days unless she has a mahram with her."
(Sahih Sunan ad-Darimi, 2/374)
In other versions of the Hadith, the duration is stated as two days, and in another narration, it is stated:

"A woman should not travel at all without a mahram."
Thus, a woman traveling without a mahram, even with a group of women, cannot be deemed absolutely safe or secure.

Historical Example:​

In Ibn Hazm’s book Ṭawq al-Ḥamāmah, an incident is recorded where a group of women traveled from Maghreb (North Africa) to perform Hajj. On their return journey, while sailing on a ship, one of them committed adultery with a crew member.

This illustrates that merely being in a group does not necessarily prevent harm or wrongdoing.

Two Types of Restrictions in Islamic Law:​

1. Absolute Prohibition (محرم لذاته) – Something inherently forbidden, such as adultery.
2. Preventive Prohibition (محرم لغیره) – A restriction to prevent harm, even if the act itself is not inherently sinful.

For example, the Prophet ﷺ forbade a man from gazing at a non-mahram woman, not because every glance leads to adultery, but to prevent the possibility of temptation. Similarly, the prohibition of women traveling without a mahram is to prevent any potential risk of harm, not because every woman will necessarily engage in immorality.

Even in today’s context, where a flight journey may take only an hour or two, the possibility of a woman being exposed to harm or immoral acts still exists. Cases of misconduct in transit have been reported, making the Islamic ruling timeless and relevant.

Conclusion:​

The presence of a mahram is a necessary condition for a woman’s travel in Islam, as emphasized by multiple authentic narrations. A group of women traveling together does not serve as a substitute for a mahram, as it does not completely eliminate the risks that Islamic teachings aim to prevent.