Fatwa ID: 01686

Answered by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Question:

What is the ruling of a brother and sister travelling together for Umrah and staying in the same room?

 Answer:

1)     The Prophet of Allah said, “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)     The Prophet of Allah said,  “A woman must not travel for three days except with a mahram.” (Muslim p.432 v.1)

3)     The Prophet of Allah said, “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 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.

Regarding your question, as a brother is a mahram (unmarriageable kin) of the sister, it will be permissible for a sister to travel with her brother. If they are staying in one room then as long as they are sleeping in separate beds and the sister is covering those body parts which are required in front of her brother (like the area between the navel and knees (including the knees) and the stomach and back. As a consequence it will be permissible for a woman to expose her head, hair, face, neck, chest, shoulders, hands, forearms, and legs from below the knees in front of her brother. Hidayah p.461 v.4), it will be permissible. 

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham.