Why Islam Disallows women to travel alone.

format_quote Originally Posted by azc

No, this modern age is more corrupted than previous one, let alone the age of prophet s.a.w

You are most likley right and i would tend to agree , but my point was in many cases due to inventions like the motor car, busses , trains and areoplanes, travelling is safer but walking across a city might not be, and not all situations are the same..

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format_quote Originally Posted by Umm♥Layth

The end times began when the prophet arrived. The corruption you speak of was something the prophet warned us about and is to be expected. It doesn't mean the religion itself is corrupted, it doesn't mean the Quran and Hadith were corrupted, rather, the mentality of people has been corrupted (hence the sects etc). People have been severely deceived (which is why usury is widespread and unavoidable today). You won't get very far in your eschatology studies (end time studies) without hadith.

In order to figure out what time you are in today, you will need to accept the authority hadith has and learn to pair it up with Quran. Also, you may want to study the seerah so that you understand just how hadith and Quran go together. I'm a convert by the way, and I've been where you are.

It never occured to me the end times came when the Prophet arrived, what makes you say that? i was thinking more along the lines of armeggedon and the reuturn of Jesus and the Djaal..
And yes i agree the Koran and Hadiths cant be corrupted but the hearts of those who interprit them into legislation can be..As the Quran warns about.
I try not to ignore the Hadiths, there is immense wisdom and knowlage in them..

I know its extemely difficult but usury can be avoided, i have been meaning to ask on this forum how Islam deals with this problem.

And thanks for your reply and for mentioning the Seerah..Are there many of those translated into English?
Which ones would you reccomend?

format_quote Originally Posted by beleiver

You are most likley right and i would tend to agree , but my point was in many cases due to inventions like the motor car, busses , trains and areoplanes, travelling is safer but walking across a city might not be, and not all situations are the same..

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It never occured to me the end times came when the Prophet arrived, what makes you say that? i was thinking more along the lines of armeggedon and the reuturn of Jesus and the Djaal..
And yes i agree the Koran and Hadiths cant be corrupted but the hearts of those who interprit them into legislation can be..As the Quran warns about.
I try not to ignore the Hadiths, there is immense wisdom and knowlage in them..

I know its extemely difficult but usury can be avoided, i have been meaning to ask on this forum how Islam deals with this problem.

And thanks for your reply and for mentioning the Seerah..Are there many of those translated into English?
Which ones would you reccomend?

even in car, bus and other vehicles women aren't safe. They have been raped there too. However, I've not heard of rape in aeroplane

format_quote Originally Posted by beleiver

And thanks for your reply and for mentioning the Seerah..Are there many of those translated into English?
Which ones would you reccomend?

The sealed nectar is pretty good and popular.
https://www.kalamullah.com/sealed-nectar.html

format_quote Originally Posted by azc

even in car, bus and other vehicles women aren't safe. They have been raped there too. However, I've not heard of rape in aeroplane

http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2018/0...to-settle.html

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel...b7ad629e4920eb

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.77a41c89df5a

https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/27/polit...hts/index.html

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/indi...de-him-1796089

https://qz.com/533256/the-disturbing...-on-airplanes/

format_quote Originally Posted by Umm♥Layth

Many feel the hour is upon us, but again, the Prophet (saw) also felt similarly and he had his suspicions as to who the dajjal was. You may enjoy reading : http://www.imranhosein.org/books/571...-al-zaman.html

I'm not even half way through it myself, however, I am familiar with his work and have listened to him discuss the subject many times. He also explains usury quite well and how it can no longer be avoided (not saying we give up on not getting into debt or taking loans etc.).

I am aware of Imran Hosein's lectures, i have much respect for his work, inshalla i will read his books one day, I am sure though he says to be ca
refull when saying some thing is an integral part of Islam when it is not from the Quran?

format_quote Originally Posted by Umm♥Layth

As far as the hadith about women needing a mahram to go out and other hadith where rulings are derived from, they are very much relevant to modern day. Women are constantly subjected to cat calling, fondling in public areas especially areas like public transport. Having a mahram there would reduce these instances quite a bit. Here are just a couple of examples of just how rampant this is in modern day.

This woman took it upon herself to document every time she is subjected to cat calling in a month's time. Have a look at her instagram feed. She takes a photo with each pervert to create awareness of how common this is: https://www.instagram.com/dearcatcallers/?hl=en

If you google "Sexual harassment in _________'s streets" you will find a problem just about anywhere. In Egypt alone, 99% of women have said they have been victims of sexual harassment. That's a pretty large number.

I don't know if you are aware of some of the latest news of an 8 year old girl who was gang raped in India very recently.

This stuff is real and as a grown woman myself, I appreciate having the company of my mahrams when I go out. I do go out alone when I have to and if it is close by. Out of necessity I've had to travel on my own before and I was fine Alhamdullilah, but I have been a victim of harassment myself when I was younger and I can honestly say that if my dad or brothers were with me, nothing would have happened to me.

Just my take on it

I am kind of aware of the harrasment women get still, and read about that horrific rape of that child in India, its like the world is going backwards to a degree, but its still not the same as the times of the Propeht (pbuh) when prior to His revalations ALL women were mens property and the sex slave trade and prostitution was open and accepted part of a brutally patriachical society..
It would of been much more dangerous then during times of war venturing out side of lands under Muslim control than it is now getting on an areoplane.

I was reading a link on a previous post about a woman that was raped on a areoplane, the police got her satement when she got off yet let the accused rapist walk out the air port unmollested..wow.
Also i was reading a case where a high up ex civil servant in Ireland was caught with large amounts of child porn, he served no prison, yet the same judge convicted a man for 6 years for not paying enough tax on food imports..

The Quran does tell us how to deal with those that harras women, which is zero tollerance, and that could be said of all forms of oppression of the strong over the weak.

I do think its great advice to be accompanied by a mharam but not ideal for all situations and think the idea that men can openly harras women without fear of punishment is a serious ill of a perverse society and our wives and daughters should be safe to travel without personal guards.

I thank you for your take.

format_quote Originally Posted by beleiver

As long as she is not harming herself or others nor putting hers self in a stupid dangerous situation , i could not oppress my own dughter, certainly not in the name of Allaha, He blessed us with freedom of choice, ears to hear, eyes to see, and heart to feel, may He guide her.




Inshalla , she will be conscious of Allaha, But for an imaginary example, say she gets a place in a foreign university say in Barcalona, in my experience (i am fairly well travelled) she would be safer being driven to the airport then getting a Taxi, bus or what ever to her digs and going about her bussiness than say if she lived in a british city like say Birmingham and walked across town at night by her self...The most dangerous situation is allowed in whats called 'Islam' but not the other..Cant you see the problem with ruling, its not universal law for all people for all time, every situation is different there is a reason such a law is created by stupid men not by Allaha. There is a reason why he gifted us with eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart and mind to be guided by His conscioussness for each and every situation.



The debate is becomming foggy here, i am not sure what mental health issues have with the disccusion?
But my understanding and i think a message lost from the Quran and True Islam is if its causing no harm or loss to any one , it none of their bussines.
If someone sins, advise against it by all means but dont transgress and be forcing your will on others, thats the action of those gone astray and actually comparable with gangsters and thugs whether they have the monopoly of force or not.

"Part of the perfection of one’s Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him.” Mohamed (pbuh)

And if they deny thee, say: Unto me my work, and unto you your work. Ye are innocent of what I do, and I am innocent of what ye do.

The preceding and following ayats to this are a beauty regarding Allhas sovereignty and why a believer need to worry of the ations of fools and Kafir.




If you want drink strong drink all day every day there will be reaction to that action as sure as night follows day..I believe people should be free to choose, i beleive Allah to be the sovereign and best punisher.

Check out thegreaterjihad's faq page, its a tumblr blog, shes studying islam, she specialises in this kinda stuff. You can view it via ur browser even if you dont have a tumblr account

And this is how we'll supress women by taking their freedom of going out alone?? No where in Quran , it says that women requires a men with them wherever they go . Its true that the number of rapes will reduce but the number of rapists won't fall down !!! The rapists will always find their own way, we need strict laws to deal with the rapists . We need to educate our men and teach them how to respect women . It's sad that even today in some societies, women don't get the respect they deserve.

format_quote Originally Posted by Nashita

And this is how we'll supress women by taking their freedom of going out alone?? No where in Quran , it says that women requires a men with them wherever they go . .

Islam is not the quran only. The Quran itself says "we revealed the dhikr (Quran) AND something like it", which all notable scholars agree refers to the Sunnah. Also, that very Quran states "Obey the Messenger and you have obeyed Allah".

And it is in the Sunnah we find that Islam states women can't travel far distances without a mahram. She can go about locally in her own city on her own but outside of that she needs a mahram for her own safety. Following Islam's guidelines is not suppressing/oppressing women. Islam's and Allah's notion of freedom is different then kuffar societies bare your breasts and burn your bras notion of freedom.

You said you are indian-born so you should understand this better than anyone, even if you were not born and raised in india. You can't even travel alone within your own city in india without getting sexually molested or raped.

format_quote Originally Posted by Zzz_

Islam is not the quran only. The Quran itself says "we revealed the dhikr (Quran) AND something like it", which all notable scholars agree refers to the Sunnah. Also, that very Quran states "Obey the Messenger and you have obeyed Allah".

And it is in the Sunnah we find that Islam states women can't travel far distances without a mahram. She can go about locally in her own city on her own but outside of that she needs a mahram for her own safety. Following Islam's guidelines is not suppressing/oppressing women. Islam's and Allah's notion of freedom is different then kuffar societies bare your breasts and burn your bras notion of freedom.

You said you are indian-born so you should understand this better than anyone, even if you were not born and raised in india. You can't even travel alone within your own city in india without getting sexually molested or raped.

Islam never said that women can't go out alone, it's the society then that assumed women can't travel alone. I agree to the fact that there will be less crimes over women if they don't travel alone but that won't cut down the number of rapists or molesters. We can't eradicate rape, molestation by just taking this step . Even men in the society needs to change their mentality and learn how to respect women.

Yes I am an Indian Muslim, a proud Indian as well. I don't know how you picture India and whatever it is , it's not of my concern. I am an 18 year old girl and do travel alone to my university, tuition, mall ... I don't want my father or my mother to accompany me to the University everyday because it's not only gonna be hectic for them, it's also because I won't learn how to be independent and to do my own job.

Women are not born to get married and be someone's wife, raise children and just take care of the family. Even women have their own dreams to be successful in life whether being a doctor, engineer, teacher or lawyer. Even today, most men don't wanna see successfull and independent women. And note that by saying independent , I don't mean something which is against Islamic rules. Not everyone women wants to see themselves just as a "bride" , such women want to be successful and make their parents feel proud.

format_quote Originally Posted by Zzz_

Islam is not the quran only. The Quran itself says "we revealed the dhikr (Quran) AND something like it", which all notable scholars agree refers to the Sunnah. Also, that very Quran states "Obey the Messenger and you have obeyed Allah".

And it is in the Sunnah we find that Islam states women can't travel far distances without a mahram. She can go about locally in her own city on her own but outside of that she needs a mahram for her own safety. Following Islam's guidelines is not suppressing/oppressing women. Islam's and Allah's notion of freedom is different then kuffar societies bare your breasts and burn your bras notion of freedom.

You said you are indian-born so you should understand this better than anyone, even if you were not born and raised in india. You can't even travel alone within your own city in india without getting sexually molested or raped.

I gotta say, i kind of agree with Nashita on this one. If we start making this a requirement more than a recommendation, it will rob women from the freedom that they already have. It is not correct to make it a requirement or a must to have a mahram whenever or wherever the muslim female goes. And to demonstrate how absurd it would be if that rule was implemented in real life, lets take an example of a common wife trying to fulfill her duties towards her husband and family.

Say the woman was not able to buy groceries with her husband the last few days and now she has run out of food to cook, so she needs go and buy some asap. What does she do? call her husband from work to go take her grocery shopping? Let any man try that often and see how that will affect his reputation at work. Who else? Father, brother, or even her sons? Again, they are either working or studying. And its not just grocery shopping. Sometimes the woman needs to get things for the house, buy new clothes for herself, beautify herself in a saloon before her husband comes back from work, get the kids from school, take care of other family problem she may be having and much more. The needs outside the house never stop. And your suggesting that every single time the woman needs to leave the house she should be accompanied by a mahram? A woman who requires a mahram to be with her everytime she goes out would be considered a hindrance and a burden, not a blessing to her husband. I think you can start to see how this would cause more problems in our society than this solution would seem to suggest. And what use is it to eliminate the risk of rape if there is no functioning society to live in it in the first place?

Its not just that though. The suggestion given by the OP in his original post is slightly insulting to women as well (not that i take offence to it as i know he meant well and for that i thank him for his efforts). But if we think about it a little deeper, you would notice that the only person who would require such intense supervision is a toddler who has just learned to walk or a pet that is roaming outdoors. You wouldnt enforce such supervision on a teenager or a young adult let alone a fully grown woman. I get that it reduces the risk of getting harassed and raped and what not. But then i can apply the same logic to other things and demand to enforce such safety measures to be taken on everyone. For example, the number of teens who fall into the sin of watching pornography via their smartphones or computers is off the scale. Does that mean that i should ban all teens from having smartphones and computers unless they are under supervision? Can you imagine how ridiculous that would be? The solution to this problem is moderation. Moderation of the safety measures we take against these risks. Its true that having a mahram accompany a woman would reduce the risk of her getting harassed or molested in the streets, but we shouldnt make it an obligation for each and every time a woman needs to go out. Specially for small outdoor activities such as grocery shopping or taking a walk in the part. There are other solutions to reduces those risks we speak of. Heck, a woman can even go out with the neighbor's wife and both of them would be a little safer, and if she had a bigger circle of women that would even be better.

What im trying to get at here is that ... we shouldnt make this a requirement or obligation unless it is explicitly and clearly mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah. I personally do not know of any hadith that demands women to be accompanied by their mahrams when outdoors 24/7 every step of the way. So if you know of such hadeeth that we do not know of then please, feel free to share and i would retract all of what i have said.

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PS. Just for your information. A large portion of rape or even child molestation cases happens between family members. So imagine when you expose those muslim women to the authority mahrams who have statically been proven to being a significant chance of being a rapist or a molestor, how exposed to risk will these women be? not saying its worse than not having a mahram all together. But having a mahram can be considered risky too through statistics.

The prohibition is only for traveling, not for daily errands within the city. I've updated the thread title now.

Please see following quoted posts for details.

format_quote Originally Posted by azc

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

Generally, it is impermissible for a woman to travel the distance of three days (equivalent to 48 miles) without her husband or a Mahram (unmarriageable kin) accompanying her.

There are many clear narrations of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) in this regard.

1) Sayyiduna Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “Let no woman travel for more than three days unless her husband or a Mahram is with her.” (Sahih Muslim)

2) Sayyiduna Abd Allah ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “A woman must not travel for three days except with a Mahram.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1036 & Sahih Muslim)

3) Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “It is unlawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the last day that she travels the distance of one day and one night without a Mahram accompanying her.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1038)

4) Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: “’A woman must not travel except with a Mahram and a man must not enter upon her except if she has a Mahram.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 1763)

Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) states in his monumental commentary of Sahih Muslim:

“There are many such narrations that assert the impermissibility of a woman travelling without a Mahram. These narrations vary in their wordings. The narration of Ibn Abbas in Sahih al-Bukhari says that a woman must not travel without a Mahram, but it adds nothing else. However, the other narrations, in Sahih al-Bukhari and elsewhere, mention lengths of journeys for which a Mahram is required – some of the narrations specify three days, some two, some one, and some even less.”
Imam Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him) also mentions that the difference found in these narrations is due to the different questioners and the places wherein the answers were given to them. al-Bayhaqi said: “It is as though the messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) was asked regarding travelling for three days without a Mahram, and he refused. He was then asked about her travelling for two days, and regarding one day, etc and each narrator related from him what he heard.” (See: Commentary of Sahih Muslim by Imam Nawawi, 1015)

According to the Hanafi Ijtihad, the distance that is considered here is three days and three nights, for the narrations mentioning three days & three nights have reached the level of certainty. All the Companions who narrated other than three days also narrate the distance of three days and three nights. The narrations that mention two or one day will be restricted to specific circumstances, such as the fear of more fitna. Hence, they (Hanafi School) considers the narrations that mention three days & three nights as the basis of prohibition. (Zafar Ahmad al-Tahanawi, I’la al-Sunan, V. 10, P. 11)

It must be remarked here that this refers to the distance usually covered by walking or on an animal in three days & three nights (with the usual breaks for resting and eating). Therefore, the restriction of travelling with a Mahram applies if the distance of the journey exceeds this, even if the journey itself is accomplished in a shorter time.

The scholars have differed on the length of this distance. Many scholars are of the opinion that it is 16 Farsakh, and each Farsakh equals three miles, thus totalling to 48 miles. (See: Faydh al-Bari ala Sahih al-Bukhari, 2/397)
http://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa/7865

format_quote Originally Posted by MuhammadHamza1

Be sure to read this paragraph copied from islamqa.info.
With regard to a woman going out of her house, according to sharee’ah it is not conditional upon her being accompanied by her husband or mahram as long as she is trustworthy and she goes to places where there is no fear for her, and the route she takes is safe. The presence of a mahram is a condition when she is travelling, but she does not have to be accompanied by a mahram everywhere she goes in the city – unless there is some evil or fitnah (temptation, tribulation) involved in her going even a short distance, in which case a woman should not go out on her own. Then it is better to be on the safe side and not go out unless she is with her husband or someone who can protect her and take care of her.

format_quote Originally Posted by ChosenTCO

I gotta say, i kind of agree with Nashita on this one. If we start making this a requirement more than a recommendation, it will rob women from the freedom that they already have.

What im trying to get at here is that ... we shouldnt make this a requirement or obligation unless it is explicitly and clearly mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah. I personally do not know of any hadith that demands women to be accompanied by their mahrams when outdoors 24/7 every step of the way. So if you know of such hadeeth that we do not know of then please, feel free to share and i would retract all of what i have said.

You misunderstood or misread what I said. I said she is free to travel within the city for her daily life necessities. I was referring to traveling outside of the city or far distances. AabiruSabeel has clarified this as well in the previous post.