Concerning Women Performing Hajj Without a Mahram (Male Guardian) – Chapter 2
Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, said: "It is not permissible for a Muslim woman to travel by night except in the company of a mahram." [516]
Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel alone for one day or one night.” He then stated, "I have mentioned the meaning of the preceding hadith."
Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, related the narration exactly as in the preceding report, except that in this narration he said, "It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel (a distance of) one *berid* without a mahram."
[Note: A *mil* is four thousand steps, a *farsakh* is twelve thousand steps, and a *berid* is forty-eight thousand steps. According to modern measurements, an English mile is 1855 meters. A *farsakh* is approximately 5 km. A *berid* is twenty km.]
Abū Sa’īd (may Allah be pleased with him) related:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said: “It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel unless her father, brother, husband, son, or one among those to whom marriage is forbidden from her accompanies her.”
From 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him:
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “A woman should not travel except in the company of a mahram.” [519]
Nafi related from Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him:
Ibn Umar would take Safiyya, the freed slave girl, with him on his travels. [520]
EXPLANATION
It is not obligatory for women to travel alone for Hajj unless they have a mahram (guardian). If she has a guardian who can afford her travel expenses, then they may go and return together. Hajj is not obligatory upon a woman who does not have such a relative. The madhhabs of Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and Imam Abu Hanifa are also like this. Imam Malik says that if women travel in a group, they may travel even without a male mahram. Imam Shafi’i says that if a trustworthy free woman accompanies the woman, she may go for Hajj with her. The evidence is that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked about what is necessary to have strength for Hajj, and he replied, “provisions and means.” Therefore, it is obligatory for a woman to perform Hajj if she finds provisions and means. The hadith which prohibits women from traveling without a mahram pertains to voluntary travels and does not include obligatory ones. Scholars of the Shafi’i school compare the obligation of Hajj for a wealthy woman and her ability to travel to that of a woman who embraces Islam in a land of war. If a woman becomes Muslim in a land of war, she may emigrate to the Islamic homeland without a mahram. A female slave who converts to Islam may flee to the Islamic homeland without a mahram if she can escape from the hands of the disbelievers; and since Hajj is an obligatory journey, she may go for it without a mahram.
According to Imam Abu Hanifa, a woman does not need to enter into the marriage contract with someone in order to perform Hajj and thereby make it obligatory upon herself. (Ma’alim al-Sunan, vol. 2, p. 277)