The ruling on female teachers traveling without a mahram and shortening the prayer

Question:
Umm Bashair from Jeddah says: We are female teachers who travel every day to the region where we teach, a distance of two hundred and fifty kilometers. We used to combine and shorten the 'Asr and Zuhr prayers. After that, we heard from some shaykhs that it is not permissible because it is a journey of disobedience and it does not have any dispensation. What should we do regarding the prayers that we used to combine and shorten in that situation?

Answer:
First, women traveling without a mahram is a matter that is not permissible. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: In one narration, it is a journey of one day; in another, a journey of one day and one night; in another, three days. There are various narrations. It contains a general wording that a woman should not travel except with a mahram. It is not permissible for a woman to travel except with a mahram, and a group of women does not suffice in place of that. Rather, she must have a mahram with her. So this journey is not permissible. The one who said that shortening is not permissible in it considered this meaning, because it is a journey that is prohibited, so it is a journey of disobedience. Many scholars have said that in a journey of disobedience, the prayer is not shortened and the fast is not broken in Ramadan, because the dispensations of travel are not made lawful in a forbidden journey that is prohibited. So this has a valid aspect. This fatwa that was mentioned for her has a valid aspect. In any case, it is not permissible for these women to travel without a mahram. So either they should reside in the town where the work is, or they should request to have their jobs transferred to their own town where they are, or they should leave the jobs. Jobs are not a necessity. If committing a haram is involved in a matter, then it is not permissible. And provision is in the hand of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). Yes.