I hope [it is permissible]; because she travels for it with other women, and with anyone she feels safe with; but for other than [the obligatory Hajj], it is not. The first school of thought (madhhab) is the established one, and it is what is practiced. Ibn Sirin, Malik, al-Awza'i, and al-Shafi'i said: A mahram is not a condition for her Hajj under any circumstances. Ibn Sirin said: She may travel with a man from the Muslims, there is no harm in that. Malik said: She may travel with a group of women. Al-Shafi'i said: She may travel with a trustworthy, free, Muslim woman. Al-Awza'i said: She may travel with a group of upright people; she should take a ladder to ascend and descend, and no man should approach her, except that he may take hold of the camel's head, and she may place her foot on his arm. Ibn al-Mundhir said: They abandoned the statement based on the apparent meaning of the Hadith, and each one of them stipulated a condition for which there is no evidence. They argued that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) explained 'ability' (istita'ah) as having provisions and a mount (2), and he said to 'Adi ibn Hatim: "A woman will soon travel from al-Hira, aiming for the House, with no neighbor [to protect her] except Allah, fearing no one but Allah" (3). Also, because it is an obligatory journey, a mahram was not made a condition for it, just as in the case of a Muslim woman who has escaped from the hands of the disbelievers. Our argument is what was narrated by Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel for a day's journey, unless she has a mahram with her" (4). And from Ibn 'Abbas, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) saying: "A man must not be in seclusion with a woman unless she has a mahram with her, and a woman must not travel unless she has a mahram with her." A man stood up and said: O Messenger of Allah, I have been enrolled in such-and-such expedition, and my wife has set out for Hajj. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Go and perform Hajj with your wife." Agreed upon (5). Ibn 'Umar and Abu Sa'id also narrated something similar to the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (6).
(2) The hadiths were previously mentioned on page 9. (3) Recorded by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter on the Signs of Prophethood in Islam, from the Book of Virtues, Sahih al-Bukhari 4/239. And al-Tirmidhi, in: The Chapter on the Interpretation of Surah al-Fatiha, from the Chapters on Interpretation, 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 11/72-74. And Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 4/257, 378. (4) Previously mentioned in 3/109. (5) Recorded by al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter on the Hajj of Women, from the Book of the Restricted (al-Muhsar); and in: The Chapter on One Who Was Enrolled in an Army While His Wife Went Out for Hajj, from the Book of Jihad; and in: The Chapter on a Man Not Being in Seclusion with a Woman..., from the Book of Marriage. Sahih al-Bukhari 3/24, 4/72, 7/48. And Muslim, in: The Chapter on a Woman's Travel with a Mahram for Hajj and Other Matters, from the Book of Hajj. Sahih Muslim 2/978. It was also recorded by Imam Ahmad, in: al-Musnad 1/222. (6) See the authentication of the hadith in 3/109.
