23 June, 2025
Q
I understand there are some people who say a woman needs a mahram to travel. If this was purely due to the safety concern, does it still apply today?
Air travel is a very secure and safe way of traveling today. So, do we still have the same restrictions about women travelling without a mahram?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
Muslim scholars generally require a mahram for a woman to travel, regardless of how safe the trip is. The basis of this ruling is not safety, but the act of traveling itself. However, scholars like Ibn Taymiyyah permitted travel without a mahram if it is safe and the woman has the mahram’s permission.
Sheikh Waleed Basyouni answers and explains in this short video:
More insights are provided in the following fatwas:
- Can Aged Women Travel to Hajj without Mahram?
- Can My Mother Travel to Hajj Without Mahram?
- Can a Muslim Woman Travel From London to Morocco Without a Mahram?
- Can Old Women Uncover Face before Non-Mahrams?
- Muslim Women: Is Travel Without Mahram Permissible?
- Can a Woman Make Hajj Without Mahram After Menopause?
Almighty Allah knows best.
Source: FaithIQ