Fatwa ID: 03672
Answered by: Shaykh Umer Khan
Question
My question is that my parents are in Pakistan and it's been 4 years since I have been there. I went once to visit them accompanied by my father-in-law and now I want to visit them again after 2 and a half years. My husband can't take more than two weeks off from work and I wanted to go for a bit longer because I’m going after a long time.
Am I allowed to go on my own and I'll be accompanied by him on the way back?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of Allāh the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said:
- "A woman must not travel except with a maḥram and a man must not enter upon her except if she has a maḥram."[1]
- "A woman must not travel for three days except with a maḥram."[2]
- "It is unlawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the last day that she travels the distance of three nights without a maḥram accompanying her."[3]
Using these narrations, Ḥanafī jurists have concluded that it is impermissible for a woman to travel the distance of three days and three nights (calculated as 48 miles) without a maḥram.[4] Based on this opinion, one of your mahṛams would need to accompany you on the trip.
Only Allah knows best
Written by Shaykh Umer Khan
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
