She Wants to Travel for Hajj with a Group But without a Mahram

She wants to travel for Hajj with a group but without a Mahram

تريد السفر للحجّ مع حملة دون مَحرم

« باللغة الإنجليزية »

Sheikh Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid

محمد صالح المنجد

Translation: Islam Question and Answer website

Format: Islamhouse website

ترجمة: موقع الإسلام سؤال وجواب
تنسيق: موقع islamhouse

2012 - 1433

She wants to travel for Hajj with a group but without a Mahram

I am the only child to my parents. Iam married and have only two daughters.My husband and I live in the USA, and all our families and relatives live in a country in the middile east. Thus the only Mahraam I have is my husband who cannot travel out of the USA for reasons that I cannot mension in this email. I really whant to go to Hajj inshaa-Allah since I have all the means to do so. Is it Halal for me to go to Hajj with an organized group for pilgrims. And if not, how will I ever be able to fullfil this important pillar of Islam when I don't have any Mahrams?!

Praise be to Allaah.

A woman does not have to go for Hajj unless she is able, and having a Mahram who can accompany her is one of the prerequisites for her to be able to go to Hajj. If it is not easy for her to find a Mahram to go for Hajj with her, then she is not able according to Sharee'ah, because in Islam a woman is forbidden to travel without a Mahram. Therefore Hajj is not obligatory for you unless you find a Mahram. So have patience until Allaah makes it easy for you to have a Mahram with whom you can go for Hajj. You have a valid excuse and there is no sin on you for this. As for going with a group without a Mahram, this is not permissible because of the hadeeth narrated by Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'No woman should travel except with a Mahram, and no man should enter upon a woman unless her Mahram is with her.' A man said, 'O Messenger of Allaah, I want to go out with such-and-such an army and my wife wants to go to Hajj.' He said, 'Go to Hajj with her.'" (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 1729). The pilgrims used to go out from Madeenah in one caravan like a group but still the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not allow women to travel without a Mahram.

And Allaah knows best.