Driving

[Umm Hufsah]

A person asked me this question, I didn't know what to say, please can anyone guide me on this matter.

Are women allowed to drive according to Islam, If not why? and if they are why aren't they allowed to drive in Saudi Arab?

Jzk

 

[Yusuf Saeed]

There's a following hadith according to which prophet Muhammad has said: "The best women who ride the camels are the pious women of the Quraish; /.../" [or "The best women are those who ride (the camels); /.../"] In the nowadays world it probably could be applied on driving the car as well.

Anyways, driving cars is not prohibited for women by Islam, thus it is allowed for both men and women. As much as I know the reason why it's not allowed in Saudi Arabia is that they claim that it would be dangerous for women to drive with their veil on. However, we shouldn't take Saudi Arabia as an example of an Islamic state, there simply isn't any true Islamic country in today's world. Saudi Arabia is perhaps close to this but still they practise only parts of Sharia law and neglect the rest.

 

[Umm Hufsah]

Wa - Aliekum - Asalam,

Jazakallah khyair brother for reply.

Few more questions related to this matter. Did the Muslim women in the time of Prophet Muhammad SAW, used to ride the horses and the camels by themselves? is there any clear evidence on this.

Saudi Arab claiming that it would be dangerous for women to drive with their veils on, in my opinion can't be correct because I have seen many sisters wearing veil here in the United Kingdom, driving perfectly safely with their kids in back in their safety chairs.

However, could it be that it's to do with how each country's road are like because UK has usually very straight and smooth roads but when I went to Saudi Arab for Ummrah, they were very steep in some places and had cliff sides at some places. I saw many cars with dents on them and saw men struggling to keep control of the car at some places. So, could it be that this country's roads are not suitable for women to drive safely.

 

[Beardo]

There's a following hadith according to which prophet Muhammad has said: "The best women who ride the camels are the pious women of the Quraish; /.../" [or "The best women are those who ride (the camels); /.../"] In the nowadays world it probably could be applied on driving the car as well.

Anyways, driving cars is not prohibited for women by Islam, thus it is allowed for both men and women. As much as I know the reason why it's not allowed in Saudi Arabia is that they claim that it would be dangerous for women to drive with their veil on. However, we shouldn't take Saudi Arabia as an example of an Islamic state, there simply isn't any true Islamic country in today's world. Saudi Arabia is perhaps close to this but still they practise only parts of Sharia law and neglect the rest.

Interesting Hadith. do you have the source for it?

 

[ardianto]

:wa:

There's a following hadith according to which prophet Muhammad has said: "The best women who ride the camels are the pious women of the Quraish; /.../" [or "The best women are those who ride (the camels); /.../"] In the nowadays world it probably could be applied on driving the car as well.

"The best women are women who expert/good in riding camels. The best Quraishi women are women who have great love to children and expert/good in manage their husband's treasure (who poor)".
(H.R Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim)

 

[Rhubarb Tart]

I think it is allowed but obviously you cannot drive with men who are not relatives. I think personally it is safer to drive in the UK then to go on the bus. My mother drives, she drives to pick us up, she drives to take us to school, and she drives to do the shopping. Do you know how much harder it would be for her to walk for shopping?

 

[S<Chowdhury]

I think it is allowed but obviously you cannot drive with men who are not relatives. I think personally it is safer to drive in the UK then to go on the bus..

More convenient but safer how so?

 

[Rhubarb Tart]

More convenient but safer how so?

Yobs, harassment and theft in buses.

In a car, you to point A to point B without or little to no walking. In a bus, you have to walk to certain distance for most people, wait for buses and put up with any kind of people in the bus.
:hmm:

 

[Yusuf Saeed]

Interesting Hadith. do you have the source for it?

It seems brother Ardianto already mentioned the hadith collections this hadith is in. Anyways, in case you had more specific source I shall give the numbers of book and hadith:
Sahih Muslim: Book 31 : Hadith 6137
Sahih Bukhari: Book 7 : Volume 62 : Hadith 19

Few more questions related to this matter. Did the Muslim women in the time of Prophet Muhammad SAW, used to ride the horses and the camels by themselves? is there any clear evidence on this.

Saudi Arab claiming that it would be dangerous for women to drive with their veils on, in my opinion can't be correct because I have seen many sisters wearing veil here in the United Kingdom, driving perfectly safely with their kids in back in their safety chairs.

However, could it be that it's to do with how each country's road are like because UK has usually very straight and smooth roads but when I went to Saudi Arab for Ummrah, they were very steep in some places and had cliff sides at some places. I saw many cars with dents on them and saw men struggling to keep control of the car at some places. So, could it be that this country's roads are not suitable for women to drive safely.

This very hadith is a clear proof of women themselves riding camels at the time of the Prophet Muhammad saws.

I also do not believe that a veil can really prevent women from driving safely. I do not have the knowledge about what the real reason behind women not being allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia is so I can only guess and try to have some logical assumptions. One excuse given by one Saudi cleric is also that when women are allowed to drive they'd be able to mix with non-mahram men and it would bring immorality to society etc. I find it ridiculous as those women who have an inclination to socialize too much with non-mahram men can nowadays do it through the Internet in the privacy of their own rooms anyways. And does it mean that the camel-riding women who were considered the best by our Prophet were then also immoral as they by riding camels had better opportunites for meeting non-mahram men? Audzu billah.

I don't think roads can be a reason as they can't be much different from those of Saudi Arabia's neighbouring countries, let's say Yemen, where women can drive. I just hope this law that has no basis in Islam will be changed there soon insha'Allah. Really, Saudi Arabia has way more bigger and more important things to do to be more like an Islamic country than to prohibit women from driving. Let them start with discouraging shirk by removing the king's images from everywhere.

 

[S<Chowdhury]

Yobs, harassment and theft in buses.

In a car, you to point A to point B without or little to no walking. In a bus, you have to walk to certain distance for most people, wait for buses and put up with any kind of people in the bus.
:hmm:

I know it happens but in all my years in London its never actually happened to me or seen it happen in front of me......you get the occasional rowdy school children and minus the midnight buses but other than that most of the time i find the bus easier than using my car to travel around the City every1 seems to mind there own business

 

[UmmSqueakster]

:wa:

"The best women are women who expert/good in riding camels. The best Quraishi women are women who have great love to children and expert/good in manage their husband's treasure (who poor)".
(H.R Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim)

I think I can safely say I am one awesome woman! Alhamdulilah, Allah (swt) has blessed me with being a good driver. And I always have to attribute it to Allah (swt). When AbuS and I were first married, we (ie me) were driving to visit my parents several hundred miles away. I had just bragged what a good driver I was and how I never had gotten a ticket. What do you know, 5 minutes later I was pulled over for speeding mg: Never again will I brag about any skill I possess, unless I attribute it to Allah (swt)'s blessings.

 

[ardianto]

I think I can safely say I am one awesome woman! Alhamdulilah, Allah (swt) has blessed me with being a good driver. And I always have to attribute it to Allah (swt). When AbuS and I were first married, we (ie me) were driving to visit my parents several hundred miles away. I had just bragged what a good driver I was and how I never had gotten a ticket. What do you know, 5 minutes later I was pulled over for speeding mg: Never again will I brag about any skill I possess, unless I attribute it to Allah (swt)'s blessings.

Yaa Ukhti. Do not focus only to the first sentence in this hadith, but you must notice the whole words in this hadith. It doesn't means Muslimah who can't drive camel or car are not good Muslimah. Actually, this hadith is about women duty to support their husbands.