[Q-ID0144] Can a woman travel 57.5 miles without a mahram?
Question
Can a woman travel for more than 57.5miles on her own? What if she had a signed letter by a mahram that she has permission to travel on her own?
Answer
It is forbidden for women to travel on her own or without her husbands or Mahram (a male with whom marriage is forbidden forever).
It is in al-Fatawa al-Hindiyyah :-
“It is not permissible for a woman to travel on a distance of three days or more (which is equal to 57.5 miles) without a Mahram. She cannot travel with other women, she needs to accompany her husband or a Mahram.”
[Kitab al-Salah, vol.1, p. 142]
To such an extent, she cannot even embark upon a spiritual journey to Hajj without her husband or any Mahram.
Imam Ahmed Rida Khan (رحمة الله عليه) was asked regarding a woman whether she is allowed to go to Hajj without her husband. He wrote:
“If the Mahram is with her then she can, otherwise she is not allowed to.”
[Fatawa-e-Ridawiyyah, vol. 23, p. 107].
Allah knows best.
Answered by Mawlana Mohamed Husein Qadri
The fatwa in Bahare Shariat is on one day’s journeying due to the fasad of these times according to a riwayah from Imam Abu Hanifah and Qadi Abu Yusuf rahimahumullah
“It is not permitted for a woman to travel the distance of 3 days journeying or more without a mahram, in fact even the distance of 1 days journeying (approx 19 miles).” See Bahare Shariat vol 1 pg 752.
Also see:
[Q-ID0324] Can a woman travel alone to perform Hajj or Umrah without a Mahram?
[Q-ID0247] Can a woman work in a place where non-Mahram men are present?
