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The majority of scholars say it is not permissible for a woman to travel without a mahram, except in exceptional cases.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No woman should travel except with a mahram and no man should enter upon her unless she has a mahram with her.” A man said: O Messenger of Allah, I want to go out with such-and-such an army, but my wife wants to go for Hajj. He said: “Go with her.” Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1862
A woman should be accompanied by her mahram when she travels because the purpose of having her mahram present is to protect her and look after her. Traveling is a situation in which emergencies may arise, no matter what the length of the journey is.
