Is it permissible for a woman to travel without a mahram to seek knowledge?

Question:
The questioner says: Some people argue for the permissibility of a woman traveling without a mahram to seek obligatory Islamic knowledge by citing the migration (hijrah) of the female Companions from Makkah to Madinah without a mahram. Is this argument correct?

Answer:
The argument is incorrect. The analogy is incorrect. The travel for migration was necessary. This was a necessity, and necessities permit what is otherwise prohibited.
So, a woman’s travel for migration to escape with her religion from a land of disbelief is a necessity, and leniency is granted regarding the absence of a mahram. Her travel to seek knowledge is not analogous to this; she can seek knowledge in her own country.
And if there is no opportunity to seek knowledge in her country, it is sufficient for her to learn the matters of her prayer, memorize surahs from the Qur'an, memorize the rulings of prayer, and what she needs—basic principles of knowledge. These are accessible, praise be to Allah. Even if she reads them in summaries or concise treatises, they are accessible and available, and there is no need to travel. She should ask the scholars and educated women around her, and there is no need to travel.