Visiting someone without a Mahram

CategoriesWomen's Issues [280]

Fatwa ID: 01820

Answered by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Question:

Assalamoalaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatahu, mufti saheb, someone has invited me to her house because of birth of her grandson, I live in hostel and have no mahram here, is it allowed for me to go??? What is better to do, since it is the invitation of the Muslim? I wear a burka. 

Answer:

Bismillah

In the Holy Quran Allah subḥānahu wa ta'āla (glorified and exalted be He) has said that women should stay in their homes:

“And remain in your homes.”   (Al-Ahzaab v.35)

 Furthermore, there are various other hadiths, which support the fact that women during the Holy Prophet (saw) time remained in their homes. The Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam has said that women should stay indoors, because when they come out Satan makes her a means of spreading evil amongst Muslims. 

 “A woman is an object of concealment, thus when she emerges, Satan uses her a means of spreading evil.” 

(Mishkat, Tirmizi)

Ibn-Khuzaymah and Ibn-Hibban have also reported the following hadith.

واقرب ما تكون من وجه ربها وهي في قعر بيتها

 “A woman is closer to her Lord when she is (hidden) in the midmost of her house.”

 Islam’s approach to women staying at home is that they will be prevented and saved from the mischief of the outside world. However, Islam being a divine religion has understood that sometimes and in some situations women need to come out of their homes for their personnel needs.

This can be derived from the following hadith:

ليس للنساء نصيب في الخروج الا مضطرة

“For women, there is no share in going out except if it is necessary.” (Tabrani)

Although Islam has permitted women to leave their homes for necessities, it has placed some guidelines for them. One of them being that if they are travelling for more than three days (48 miles), their husbands or their mahrams (unmarriageable kins) should accompany them.

They are many clear narrations regarding this:

1)      “A woman must not travel except with a mahram and a man must not enter upon her except if she has a mahram.”  (Bukhari p.250 v.1)

2)      “A woman must not travel for three days except with a mahram.” (Muslim p.432 v.1)

3)      “It is unlawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the last day that she travels the distance of three nights without a mahram accompanying her.” (Muslim p.433 v.1)

Allahmah Ibn Aabedeen Shami raḥimahullāh (may Allāh have mercy upon him) writes that it will be impermissible for a woman to travel the distance of three days and three nights without a mahram. However, it will be permissible for her to travel a distance, which is less than that without a mahram because of need. (Raddul Muhtar p.465 v.3)

The reason why Islam takes these measures is to protect women from any sort of harm e.g. physical attacks from immoral people or thieves who might rob them where they will be defenceless to stop them.

With regards to your question, as long as the journey is within the 48 mile radius it will be permissible for you travel.

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

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