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i am about to get married alhamdulilah and both me and my fiancee are from westernized muslim families and im striving to be practise islam like they did at the time of the prophet saw.

now prior to getting engaged i didnt realize this was a thing as within my immediate family, the womenfolk wouldn't really travel alone (although now my younger cousins who have become of age have started to also).

it is normal for my fiancee and her family to travel without a mahram (they are aa family of 4 sisters and have alot of female cousins similarly aged)

now from the studying i have done, there seems to be 3 main hadiths discussed pertaining to this (& no quran verses but we find many verses in surah al-ahzab which talks about the etiquettes of womenfolk leaving the house etc.)

Reported by Abu Hurairah, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel the distance of one day and one night without a Mahram accompanying her." (Sahih Muslim 1339b)

Reported by Ibn 'Umar and Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, the Prophet (ﷺ) 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) or her own husband." (Sahih al-Bukhari 1086). [1, 3]

Reported by Ibn 'Abbas, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "No man must not be alone with a woman except in the presence of her (Mahram). No woman should travel except in company of a (Mahram)." (Sahih al-Bukhari 1862)

Hadith and Evidence Used for Exceptions or Adjustments

It has been narrated through ‘Adiy Ibn Hatim (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) told him, “And if you live a long life, you will surely see women traveling from Hira till they circumambulate the Ka’ba, fearing no one except Allah.” [Bukhari and others]

Imam Ahmad’s report of the hadith includes: “By He in whose hands is my soul, verily Allah will bring this matter [Islam] into completion till women travel from Hira and circumambulate the Ka’ba without being accompanied by anyone.”

The Fatwa of Shaykh Ibn Jibreen  in this regard reads:

What is forbidden is for a woman to travel alone for a distance of a day and night. If the distance is less than that, whether she is travelling by airplane, train, or car, then it is not included in the prohibition. This is because what is forbidden is for a woman to ride a camel or the like of mounts and travel a long path in the desert for several days during which she may encounter bandits and immoral people (i.e. who may try to rape her), and to be gone for long. However, travelling in a car in the company of trustworthy women for five or ten hours on a road that is trodden by many travelers, and she is not alone with a non-Mahram (marriageable) man, and whenever she arrives at her destination where she works, she would stay in a suitable accommodation in the company of religiously committed women, then there is no religious violation in that because they are usually safe from corrupt people, and this is not considered prohibited travel... [End of Quote]

 As-Subki  said in his book, Al-Ashbaah wa An-Nathaa’ir: “It is permissible for the person lacking religious knowledge to imitate a scholar and avail himself of the legal concessions that they grant in case of a dire need without deliberately looking for the legal concessions of the different scholars on a regular basis. It is this aspect that makes it correct to say that the difference (of opinion among scholars) is a source of mercy because the legal concessions are a source of mercy for Muslims.” [End of Quote]

Shaykh Abdul-Muhsin Al-Ubaykaan was asked about the permissibility of women travelling without a mahram by airplane:

 the nusoos have stated that it is impermissible for a woman to travel without a mahram, however it is not an unconditional ruling. This is why some narrations state:

?(She should not travel) For the period of three days (and nights except with a mahram.)? (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)

?(She should not travel) For the period of two days (except with a mahram.)? (Al-Bukhaaree and At-Tirmidhee)

?(She should not travel) For the period of a day (and night except with a mahram.)? (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)

So why is this ruling is specified by distance (measured by means of days)? Because of the factor of the woman being endangered, this is why it is mentioned in Al-Bukhaaree the hadeeth of the da?eenah -  and the da?eenah is the woman who rides a camel:

?Traveling from Al-Heerah (a place in Iraaq) safely reaching Al-Makkah fearing none but Allaah."

The scholars have said that the Messenger (sallallaahu ?alayhi wa sallam) mentioned this story to show the excellence of such a time wherein justice will prevail and the woman will have no fear. Therefore, what is the reason for preventing the woman from traveling without a mahram? No one with intelligence would say that it is a strictly a matter that is ta?abudiyyah (i.e. there is no known reason or logic behind it and it is done simply as act of ibaadah), this is incorrect. Rather, the reason is the fear for her safety such as someone attacking her and there is no one to protect her. So if she considers herself within a safe environment, as Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah stated, he does not see anything wrong with a woman traveling to make hajj without a mahram as long as she is safe. And he considered this a principle that applies to every type of travel that is undertaken in order to fulfill an act of obedience. Furthermore, most of the scholars say that if she is safe amongst other women who are trustworthy, or so forth, then there is no problem. Also concerning the hadeeth of the da?eenah, we harmonize the different nusoos, we don?t take some and leave the others. So if we use our intelligence and think ? the sharee?ah didn't come to negate the intellect: not at all ? there must a wisdom. For example, a woman walks along a dark, constricted street, isn?t it possible that someone can attack her without there being anyone to defend her? This happens, and it is very possible that it can happen. Yet in spite of this, no one claims that it is haraam for a woman to walk along a dark, constricted street. However, if she travels on a plane, this is not at all possible for someone to attack her, for there are security guards and so forth. Some of them say: if the airplane is hijacked, then she would be in danger. We say: if airplane is hijacked, her marham would also be kidnapped with her, and he would be unable to defend her. So the mahram in this case is of no benefit. If airplane is hijacked, what is the benefit of the mahram if he cannot do anything? Therefore, this supposition is unacceptable, for a woman can be in her house and a man jumps on her and hurts her, this is quite possible. However, this cannot happen in an airport in front of the people. This is why making  jam? (reconciliation) between the differing nusoos is something that is needed. Na?am, I gave this fatwa, and I believe that it is a correct fatwa, and I worship Allaah based on this. We should not be Dhaahirees, not understanding the meaning of the nusoos (texts), nor its? reasons: simply reading the nuss (text)and not understanding reason behind the ruling, for the rulings are intertwined with the reason behind them. So whenever the reason is present, the ruling is present, and vice versa. This is why we must have fiqh, and have the proper understanding of the rulings of the sharee?ah and its reasons.

(Recorded on Friday April 30th 2004 at Masjid Faysal bin Fahad, Riyaadh)

may allah guide us allah and make it easy for us