What is the ruling on a woman going out with a driver?

Question : The questioner asks: Is it permissible for a woman to take a taxi to a place that is not far away without a mahram (a relative one may not marry) with her?

Answer : The answer is that it is not permissible for a woman to ride in a car with a driver without a mahram with her, because that constitutes seclusion with him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: There is no doubt that if the driver and the woman are alone in the car, it is seclusion; indeed, it is one of the greatest forms of seclusion, because he is able to take her wherever he wishes, and no one would object. A man with a woman, who might be his wife, his sister, or a woman among his mahram relatives, no one is aware of it, and he takes her wherever he wishes and satisfies his desire. We have heard, in what has been asked of us regarding such matters, of the great immoralities that occur, which we should not mention here. So a person should be cautious, and he should have religion, and he should have jealousy (protectiveness), and he should not allow the driver to be alone with any of his female relatives, neither his wife nor his daughter nor any woman over whom he has authority, because he is accountable for that before Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Indeed, Allah says: This issue is serious, serious, and its cause is more serious than it, because the cause of this issue is the abundance of wealth that Allah has bestowed upon us, until we have become extravagant, and in extravagancy lies destruction, as they say. For this reason, I fear that this blessing, which has become the cause of such serious matters, may become the cause of its removal and departure. The removal of blessings from people after they have existed is greater than their being absent from the start, because when people are blessed and then their blessings are removed, it becomes a harsher blow and has a greater impact on their hearts than for a people who never knew these blessings before. So, our brothers, in this blessed land which Allah has blessed with the wealth He has bestowed, we must fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and we must adhere to His limits, and we must adhere to His Shari'ah, and we must make what He has given us a strength for us in what He has commanded us.