The second question states that a woman performed Hajj and her mahram was her son, who was eight years old. Is her Hajj valid, and what are the conditions required for the mahram, i.e., what are the conditions that must be present in him?
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The questioner : The second question states that a woman performed Hajj and her mahram was her son, who was approximately eight years old. Is her Hajj valid, and what are the conditions required for the mahram, i.e., what are the conditions that must be present in him?
The Shaykh : As for her Hajj, it is valid.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, her action and her travel without a mahram is forbidden and a disobedience to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), for he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 9:2565 And a young boy who has not reached puberty is not a mahram.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because he himself needs guardianship and care, and one who is in that state cannot be a caretaker or guardian for another. The conditions required for a mahram are that he be a Muslim, male, adult, and of sound mind. If he is not so, then he is not a mahram. Here is a matter for which we feel great regret, which is the negligence of some women in traveling by plane without a mahram. They are negligent in this; you find a woman traveling alone on a plane, and their excuse for this is that her mahram sees her off at the airport from which the plane takes off, and another mahram receives her at the airport where the plane lands. This excuse is actually flawed. The mahram who sees her off does not put her on the plane; rather, he puts her in the waiting hall. Perhaps the plane is delayed in taking off, and this woman remains lost. Perhaps the plane takes off and is unable to land at the airport she intended for one reason or another, and lands in another place, and this woman is lost. Perhaps she lands at the airport she intended, but her mahram does not come for one reason or another, whether sleep, illness, traffic congestion, an accident in his car that prevented him from arriving, or something else. And if all these obstacles are removed, and the plane arrives on time, at its arrival time, and the mahram who is to receive her is there, then who is to be beside her on the plane? It may be a man who does not fear Allah the Exalted and does not have mercy on the servants of Allah, who tempts her and she is deceived by him, and thus fitnah and the forbidden occur, as is well known. It is obligatory for the woman to fear Allah Mighty and Majestic and not to travel except with a mahram. It is also obligatory for her male guardians, whom Allah has made as those who have authority over women, to fear Allah Mighty and Majestic and not to be negligent regarding their mahrams, and that their jealousy and religion not be lost. For a person is responsible for his family, because Allah the Exalted made them a trust with him, so He said:[At-Tahrim 66:6].
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : As for her Hajj, it is valid.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : However, her action and her travel without a mahram is forbidden and a disobedience to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), for he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
No woman should travel except with a mahram.
لا تسافر امرأةٌ إلا مع ذي محرمThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because he himself needs guardianship and care, and one who is in that state cannot be a caretaker or guardian for another. The conditions required for a mahram are that he be a Muslim, male, adult, and of sound mind. If he is not so, then he is not a mahram. Here is a matter for which we feel great regret, which is the negligence of some women in traveling by plane without a mahram. They are negligent in this; you find a woman traveling alone on a plane, and their excuse for this is that her mahram sees her off at the airport from which the plane takes off, and another mahram receives her at the airport where the plane lands. This excuse is actually flawed. The mahram who sees her off does not put her on the plane; rather, he puts her in the waiting hall. Perhaps the plane is delayed in taking off, and this woman remains lost. Perhaps the plane takes off and is unable to land at the airport she intended for one reason or another, and lands in another place, and this woman is lost. Perhaps she lands at the airport she intended, but her mahram does not come for one reason or another, whether sleep, illness, traffic congestion, an accident in his car that prevented him from arriving, or something else. And if all these obstacles are removed, and the plane arrives on time, at its arrival time, and the mahram who is to receive her is there, then who is to be beside her on the plane? It may be a man who does not fear Allah the Exalted and does not have mercy on the servants of Allah, who tempts her and she is deceived by him, and thus fitnah and the forbidden occur, as is well known. It is obligatory for the woman to fear Allah Mighty and Majestic and not to travel except with a mahram. It is also obligatory for her male guardians, whom Allah has made as those who have authority over women, to fear Allah Mighty and Majestic and not to be negligent regarding their mahrams, and that their jealousy and religion not be lost. For a person is responsible for his family, because Allah the Exalted made them a trust with him, so He said:
O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلائِكَةٌ غِلاظٌ شِدَادٌ لا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَThe questioner : May Allah bless you.