Question:
Im a mature girl yearning to go for umrah as My mother is going and her mahram will be her nephew (sister’s son).
Will it be permissible for me to accompany them and to travel together and my maternal aunt’s husband be there also not as a mahram but as a family member. Only for the duration of the travel we will be together and besides the travel, our room and bathroom is separated and at no point will we be secluded alone together.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-Salāmu ʿAlaykum Wa-Raḥmatullāhi Wa-Barakātuh
In principle, it is not permissible for a woman to travel for umrah or hajj without a maḥram. This ruling applies to all women, whether young or old, and whether traveling alone or with other women.
Nabi ﷺ mention:
«عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم:
(لا يحل لامرأة، تؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر، أن تسافر مسيرة يوم وليلة ليس معها حرمة).»
“It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel a distance of a day and a night except with a maḥram.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 1/369)
Accordingly, in the scenario mentioned, the individual accompanying you is not your maḥram, Thus, it will not be permissible for you to travel with them for ʿUmrah in this situation. However, by refraining from this journey in obedience to the command of Allah, you will, inShā’ Allāh, receive a reward equal to the reward of ʿUmrah rather even greater due to your sincerity and self-restraint. [1]
And Allah Taʿāla Knows Best.
Baba Abu Bakr
Student –Darul Iftaa
Accra, Ghana
Checked and Approved by
Mufti Muhammad Zakariyya Desai
“Can I go for Umrah without a mahram if travelling with family?”
