Part 50

“Tt is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel the distance of a day and night, if she does not have a Mahram with her.’’ Muslim related it thus: “It is not permissible for a Muslim woman to travel the distance of a night unless she has a man who is Dhu Hurmah (i.e., who is a Mahram

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1 Related by Muslim (2114), Ahmad (8565), and Abu Daawood (2556).

"21 4 complete list of a woman’s Mahrams requires a more detailed discussion than is permitted in the scope of this work; sufficient it is to point out (to make it clear that a more detailed discussion is required) that even a woman's male relatives through Ar-Ridaa’ (breastfeeding) are considered Mahrams, yet male cousins are not.

of hers) with her.’

In another hadith, Ibn ‘Abbaas reported that he heard the Prophet ## say, “Let no man be in seclusion with a woman (i.e., if he is not her Mahram), and let no woman travel without a Mahram.”

A man then stood and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have been enlisted for such and such battle, and my woman has left to perform Hajj.” The Prophet #¢ said,

wSshst a E25 Labi “Go and perform Hajj with your woman (i.e., wife). 7)

In this last hadith, we see how serious the prohibition is of a woman traveling the distance of a day and night with a Mahram - her father, brother, husband, son, etc. The Prophet #8 deemed it more important for the man to be with his wife who had left to perform Hajj than to participate with his fellow Muslims in a battle for which he had already been enlisted. An-Nawawee said, “This hadith establishes the principle that, when two matters conflict with one another, one should give precedence to the more important matter. Since the man could either perform Hajj or go out to battle, but not both (since both Hajj and the battle were taking place at the same time), the Prophet # informed him that, in his situation, Hajj was the more important of the two matters. Someone could have taken his place in battle, as opposed to Hajj, where he was needed as a Mahram to accompany his wife.”)

An Argument Made Today: Some people say that, with the

" Related by Bukhaaree (1088), Muslim (1339), Ahmad (7181), At-Tirmidhee (1170), Abu Daawood (1733), Ibn Maajah (2899), and Maalik (1833).

"I Related by Bukhaaree (3006), Muslim (1341), Ahmad (1935), and Ibn Maajah (2900).

exigencies of present-day life, a woman often has no choice but to travel alone. They argue that a woman is not in any danger when she travels with fellow passengers on a plane or train, for example. One of them might say, “Why is it wrong for my wife to travel alone, when I send her off at the airport, making sure she gets on the plane, and her brother receives her in the other country?”

The Answer To That Argument: First, we must understand that the Fitnah (trial and temptation) of women is from the greatest of Fitnahs that any Nation has been tested with - a Fitnah that the Prophet # warned us about in his saying: Sylast Gas HS ga Kaden ai by det GL cl bp eel 6 CIE Yay oo os SE SG ac 25 Cis 26 “Verily, the world is sweet, fresh, and green (here the Prophet #% is perhaps likening the world to the beauty of greenery and vegetation or to the quickness with which the beauty of vegetation fades away and dies). And indeed, Allah has made you to succeed previous generations, and then sees how you act (either with obedience to Him or disobedience); so beware of this world and beware of women, for the first Fitnah (test, trial,

temptation) of Banu Israel (The Children of Israel) was in women, ’"1]

Therefore, if a woman is left alone to travel without a Mahram, and if she is made to work side by side with men, taking on positions of leadership among men, then we have a clear warning sign that we will be afflicted with the same Fitnah that Banu Israel was afflicted with - and we seek refuge with Allah 38.

Second, we must face up to two very real facts: women are weak and, because they need men to protect them and take care of their affairs, they are easily drawn to men; the other very real fact is that many men have weak Eemaan (faith) in their hearts and have almost no religious deterrent in their hearts to hold them

"1 Related by Muslim (2742), Ahmad (10759), At-Tirmidhee (2191), and Ibn Maajah (4000).

back from doing evil. When we seriously consider these two facts, the dangers and trials associated with women traveling, alone should become very clear to us. Sure, a woman who travels ona plane is not alone, for she is with other passengers, but those passengers are all strangers to her. Her being alone, other men being alone, and her need to talk to them to help her, for example - all open up possibilities of evil. The reality is that many people have diseases in their hearts, and even more people have eyes that wander and imaginations that tag along. Given these temptations and evils, a woman who travels alone has no Mahram to protect her or to keep her in check (which is also a form of protecting her).

Now let us consider this argument: “Why is it wrong for my wife to travel alone, when I send her off at the airport, making sure she gets on the plane, and her brother receives her in the other country?” The man who says this does not know for sure whether, due to mechanical problems, the plane will land elsewhere and whether the passengers will be forced to stay there for a number of hours, a day, or even longer. In that case, where is a woman’s Mahram, whom she needs to take care of her and to protect her life as well as her soul from Fitnah? Finding herself alone in such circumstances, a woman is easy prey to temptation.

6) It ls Recommended To Travel On Thursday, At The Beginning Of The Day

" Related by Bukhaaree (2950) and Ahmad (15354).

“O Allah, bless my Nation in its earliness.”

The narration continues: “And when he (the Prophet #8) would send a company (a group of people for a specific mission) or an army, he would send them at the beginning of the day. And Sakhr 4 was a businessman; he 4 would send his merchandise at the beginning of the day, and he then became rich and his wealth became abundant.’”"]

Question: What is the ruling for traveling on Friday?

Answer: According to the madhab (perhaps here meaning, according to the madhab of Imam Ahmad), if one must need travel on Friday, he may not travel after midday; so if he is still in his home city when midday comes to pass, he must perform the Jumu’ah prayer before he departs. It would perhaps be better if it were said: after the call to Jumu’ah prayer is made, as opposed to after noontime, for Allah 3% commanded Muslims to go to Jumu’ah and to leave off trade after the call for Jumu’ah prayer is made:

ell los “O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the salah (prayer) on the day of Friday (Jumu’ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allah [Jumu‘ah religious talk (Khutbah) and salah (prayer)] and leave off business.” (Quran 62:9)

Nonetheless, the proponents of the first view say that, upon the entering of noontime, Jumu’ah prayer becomes compulsory, and the time for Jumu’‘ah prayer sets in, which is why one should not depart for a journey after noontime on Friday.

7) Supplications That Are Related To Travel Sunnah compilations abound with invocations that a traveler

1] Related by Abu Daawood (2606) - the above-mentioned wording is from his narration of the hadith, and Al-Albaanee ruled that it is authentic; by Ahmad (15012); by At-Tirmidhee (1212); by Ibn Maajah (2236); and by Ad-Daarimee (2435).

should say, beginning with when he places his leg on his mount (or means of conveyance, such as a car) to the moment he returns home from his travels. Here are some of those invocations:

a) The supplication for mounting any means of conveyance: ‘Alee Ibn Rabee’ah said, “I saw ‘Alee # once when a mount was brought for him to climb on. When he # placed his foot on the stirrup, he ¢ said, ‘Bismillah (In the name of Allah).’ When he was upright on its back, he 4 said, ‘Alhamdulillah (All praise is to Allah).’ He # then said:

have it (by our efforts). And verily, to Our Lord we indeed are to return!” (Qur’an 43:13,14)’

He # then said, ‘Alhamdulillah (All praise is to Allah),’ three times, after which he said, ‘Allahuakbar (Allah is the Greatest), three times. And then he said, ‘How perfect You are, O Allah, verily I have wronged my soul, so forgive me, for surely none can forgive sins except You.’ Next, he # laughed. It was then said to him, ‘O Leader of the Believers, what are you laughing about?’ He # said, ‘I saw the Prophet #8 do as I [just] did, after which he laughed. I then asked him: O Messenger of Allah, what are you laughing about? He # said:

“Verily, your Lord finds wonder at His slave when he says, ‘forgive me my sins; He knows that, verily, ‘none forgives sins other than Me (i.e., other than Allah).’”

b) The Supplication for going on a trip and for returning froma

" Related by Abu Daawood (2602), and Al-Albaanee ruled that his narration of the Hadecth is authentic. And At-Tirmidhee (3446) related it as well.

“We return, repent, worship and praise our Lord.

trip: Ibn ‘Umar & related that when the Prophet # would be upright on his riding camel, leaving for a journey, he # would say, ““Allahuakbar (Allah is the Greatest),’”” three times. He #@ would then say: