Is It Permissible for Women to Travel Without a Male Mahram? Islamic Ruling Explained
Question: Several women are traveling together from Aurangabad to Hyderabad without a male guardian, except for one who has her mahram. Can the others travel with her? One woman claims that women can act as mahram for each other. Is this correct?
Answer: It is obligatory for every woman to have a mahram when traveling, and no woman can serve as a mahram for another. A mahram is strictly a male relative with whom marriage is permanently forbidden, as stated by the Prophet (peace be upon him):
“No woman should travel the distance of three days or more, unless she is with her father, brother, son, husband or a Mahram.” (Ibn Majah: 2898).
Shaykh Albani authenticated this narration. The statement that women can be mahram for one another is incorrect. A mahram for a woman is exclusively a man with whom marriage is not permissible.
Respondent: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi Hafizahullah
Jeddah Dawah Center, Saudi Arabia
English Interpreter: Hasan Fuzail