Can Women Attend Islamic Gatherings and Workshops Without a Mahram?

The Islamic Ruling on Women Traveling for Educational Events and Gatherings

Question: These days, some women’s religious institutions organize workshops, lectures, and gatherings to learn about Islam. Women are gathered from different places, sometimes within the same city and sometimes taken to other cities. These gatherings last from one day to several days. Is this practice permissible in Islam, and to what extent can a woman participate in such activities? Can a woman attend such an event alone without a mahram if it is three to four hours away from her home? Can a woman travel to another city alone from morning till evening without a mahram? Can a woman stay for three to four days in another city without a mahram if the institution provides transportation?

Answer: There is no issue with a woman attending gatherings of women, staying at women-only places, or residing in women-only spaces, whether within her own neighborhood or in a distant city. It is also not an issue if women gather in a place away from home for educational workshops.

However, the essential and necessary condition is that a mahram must accompany them for the journey—each girl should be accompanied by her mahram to the location and also from the location back home. Having transportation provided by the institution is not enough; each girl must have a mahram with her during the journey. There is no requirement for a mahram for local travel within the city or vicinity, but a mahram is necessary for the journey itself.

Respondent: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi Hafizahullah 

Jeddah Dawah Center, Saudi Arabia  

English Interpreter: Hasan Fuzail