The Shari'ah Guidelines for a Woman Leaving Her Home

A sister listener from Al-Mukalla, Hadramaut, sent a message saying: Your sister in Allah (K. H. Al-Akbari)—it appears—has three questions revolving around a woman leaving her home, either for education in the mosques, or for calling to Allah, or for visiting and maintaining family ties. She asks: How is this to be done, especially if she has no one to take her in his car? Is it permissible for her to ride with a non-mahram? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer: This is a good deed. Her going out for education, or giving advice, or visiting a sick person, or visiting good relatives—all of this is a good deed. But she must seek out the Shari'ah requirement: she must be covered, stay away from the causes of fitnah (trial/discord), not display her adornment, and not show any of her beauty. She must be reserved and covered, staying away from the causes of fitnah. She should not go out wearing perfume, because perfume also tempts people. So she may go to the mosque, or to the hospital, or to her neighbors or relatives; there is nothing wrong with that, even if she is alone. She may walk on her feet if there is no danger and the place is safe; there is no blame on her for going on foot, just as the women of the Companions used to go out in Madinah. However, if there is danger, she must not go out except with someone she trusts: either a trustworthy neighbor, or a good woman who walks with her in the market until she arrives. As for riding with a driver in a car, no; because it is dangerous. The driver might take her to a place with bad consequences, and not by her choice. So she must not go with the driver alone. There must be someone else with her: either the driver’s wife, or another person, or her mahram if possible, or another woman. In other words, she must go in a safe manner, in a safe way, where she is not accused of anything, and she must not be alone with him. There must be a third person, or a third and a fourth person. This is necessary. As for being alone, no, she must not go with him alone. Or with a third person who is suspect, where she is accused because the third person is not good and she is accused; then she must not be with them. She must not be in the car with the driver except in a safe, good way where there is no seclusion. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, Your Eminence! I forgot to mention a fourth matter, which is responding to invitations, especially to celebrations?
The Shaykh: There is nothing wrong with that either. This is a Shari'ah-prescribed going out: responding to an invitation to a wedding or a feast to which her relatives or neighbors have invited her, provided the feast contains no fitnah (trial/discord) or corruption. There is nothing wrong with it. She responds to the invitation based on the generality of the hadith. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding the believer: , and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . This includes both men and women. And in another hadith: , narrated by Muslim. Responding to an invitation is a required, obligatory matter for both men and women. But for the wife, it must be with her husband’s permission. The response must be with her husband’s permission and in a safe manner where there is no danger to her religion. So if the invitation is sound, the place is sound, and there is permission—and if she has a husband, he has given permission—then there is no blame. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. So the same conditions for seeking knowledge, for calling to Allah, and for going to the hospital also apply to going to respond to an invitation.
The Shaykh: Yes, yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.