Why Women Still Need a Mahram for Umrah Despite Shorter Travel Times

Understanding the Islamic Ruling on Women Traveling Without a Mahram

Question: You mentioned in response to a question that a mother and daughter cannot perform Umrah without a mahram. A woman objected to this by stating that a hadith mentions that a woman needs a mahram for a journey of three days, while nowadays we can reach Makkah in one or two days. So why is a mahram still required for a woman?

Answer: There are various hadiths regarding a woman traveling without a mahram. Some hadiths state that a woman should not travel even for one night without a mahram, while others mention two days, and some mention three days. All these hadiths are authentic. Additionally, there are some narrations that indicate a woman should not travel without a mahram, regardless of whether it is day or night, as seen in this hadith from Sahih Bukhari.

It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“لَا تُسَافِرِ الْمَرْأَةُ إِلَّا مَعَ ذِي مَحْرَمٍ، وَلَا يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا رَجُلٌ إِلَّا وَمَعَهَا مَحْرَمٌ” (Sahih Bukhari: 1862)
Translation: A woman should not travel without a mahram, and no man should enter upon her unless a mahram is with her.

The summary of these hadiths is that any journey referred to as a journey should not be undertaken by a woman without a mahram. Some scholars have defined the distance of travel as 80 kilometers, meaning that if a woman travels 80 kilometers or more, she must have a mahram with her. Therefore, whether someone covers this distance in one hour, one day, or two days is irrelevant; the main issue is that if a woman travels 80 kilometers or more, she must have a mahram with her.
✍ Sheikh Maqbool Ahmad Salafi, may Allah protect him
❪جــــــده دعـــــوه سنتر- السلامــــة- المملڪــــــة العربيـــــة السعوديــــــة