Question: These are issues that deal with the woman that I would like you to clarify, and may Allah سبحانه وتعالى reward you:
1- What is the evidence for the prohibition of the woman to travel for Hajj except for with a Mahram (unmarriageable kin)?
2. Is it permissible for the woman to be an ambassador, and if the answer is no then why? With the knowledge that being an ambassador is not a position of ruling?
1- What is the evidence for the prohibition of the woman to travel for Hajj except for with a Mahram (unmarriageable kin)?
The answer: The evidence is:
A. Related by al-Bukhari in his Sahih on the authority of Ibn Abbas (ra) who said: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said
لاَ تُسَافِرِ المَرْأَةُ إِلَّا مَعَ ذِي مَحْرَمٍ، وَلاَ يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا رَجُلٌ إِلَّا وَمَعَهَا مَحْرَمٌ
“A woman should not travel except with a Dhu-Mahram (unmarriageable kin), and no man may visit her except in the presence of a Dhu-Mahram.”
So a man stood up and said, “O Allah’s Apostle! I intend to go to such and such and arm (for Jihad) and my wife wants to perform Hajj.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said (to him):
اخْرُجْ مَعَهَا
“Go along with her (to Hajj)”
B. And Ibn Hajar said in the explanation of the hadith in the book Fath al-Bari: (and Darqatni related it and Abu Awana Hadith al-Bab corrected it through Ibn Hajar through Amru bin Dinar with the phrase:
لَا تَحُجَّنَّ امْرَأَةٌ إِلَّا وَمَعَهَا ذُو مَحْرَمٍ
“A woman does not go to Hajj except with Dhu-Mahram”
This is the most correct that I have, and there are other details… And Allah is the Guide to the way of righteousness.
2. Is it permissible for the woman to be an ambassador, and if the answer is no then why? With the knowledge that being an ambassador is not a position of ruling?
Answer: All of the acts that require private situations, meaning a kind of being in seclusion (khulwa) even if it was only sometimes, then the woman is prohibited from practicing it… and the work of an ambassador requires that, because there are matters that the ambassador is responsible for conveying without anyone viewing… and this is enough of a reason without needing to research other issues of why a woman is prohibited from being an ambassador.
08 Jumada II 1434 AH
19/4/2013 CE