Q. Is it permissible for a Muslim female to travel alone for educational or work purposes, if she doesn’t have any mehrem.
Q. Under what conditions can a woman travel alone?
Answer: Kindly Observe the following ahaadith:
Sayyidina Abu Huraira (radiAllaahu anh): Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel for one day and night except with a Mahram.’
[Volume 2, book 20, number 194, Imaam Bukhari]
Sayyidina Ibn ‘Umar (radiAllaahu anh) reports that Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)said, ‘A woman should not travel for more than three days except with a Dhi-Mahram (a male with whom she cannot marry at all, e.g. her brother, father, grandfather, her own husband etc.)’
[Volume 2, Book 20 number 193 Imaam Bukhari]
Sayyidina Ibn Abbas (radiAllaahu anh) narrates that that he heard Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) saying, ‘It is not permissible for a man to be alone with a woman, and no lady should travel except with a Mahram.’ Then a man got up and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) I have enlisted in the army for such-and-such battle and my wife is proceeding for Hajj.’ Allah’s Apostle said, “Go, and perform the Hajj with your wife.”
[Volume 4, Book 52, Number 250 Imaam Bukhari]
Thus, based on the above ahadith, approved consensus by the uluma have made it such that woman should not be alone beyond the distance of 48 miles. This would prevent her from been tempted to do wrong, prevents her from being wrongly accused, prevents her from being viewed as an ‘unchaste woman,’ eliminates or minimizes the possibility of her being harassed, etc. Religion has outlined prescriptions that are beneficial for us; we are unaware of its positive impact. It is only later in life that we appreciate its benefit.
Exceptional circumstances:
Under the principle of zarurah (extreme exigency) a non-permissible element (component, etc) can be made permissible. For example, she would have to prove that no one exists to support her, she is under traumatic conditions and is forced to reside away from her parents, she have to articulate abuse, show she has no caring brothers, lacks a caring and responsible uncle(s), etc. Thus, modern day scholars, with serious reservation have given an allowance of traveling without a Mahram under the aforementioned conditions.
Naturally, her first choice should be to reside in her home land to fulfill her halaal requirements. Should this prove difficult, traveling to strange land would be made permissible. In the process of such travel, she would be utilizing the rulings of Imaams Malik and Shafe’e. She would depart on the journey with a group of woman using extreme precaution and modesty; she should try and never be alone during the cause of travel. Stay with other Muslimahs at all times.
The only educational purpose she can travel for would be to again Islamic knowledge. This too should be undertaken with a group of woman. The imparting of knowledge upon her should be done in an islamiclly religious environment wherein men cannot prey upon her.
Allah Certainly Knows Best.