The Criterion for a Woman’s Travel

Question:
A woman traveling without a mahram is forbidden, but what is the meaning of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) statement in the hadith: Does her travel from any country to here by plane, where she does not stay for more than an hour and a half, count as travel of less than a day and a night?

Answer:
Whatever is called travel is prohibited, based on his (peace and blessings be upon him) statement: This is how it came in the authentic hadith in the two Sahihs from the hadith of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both).
As for what is reported in some narrations as three days, and in some as a day and a night, and in some as a day, and in some as a night, and in some as a day’s journey (barid), the scholars answered that this is according to the questions asked. This person asked about a day, this one about a day’s journey, this one about a day and a night, and this one about two days, according to the questions. It is not for restriction, but it falls under the category of the questioner’s inquiry, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) answers him according to what he asked, and the intention is not to restrict it. For this reason, it varies in some narrations to three days, in some to two days, in some to a day and a night, in some to a night, in some to a day, and in some to a day’s journey. The criterion in this is travel; whatever is called travel, whether by plane, train, car, or camel, whatever is called travel, her travel is prohibited except with a mahram.

Question : He is one of the employees here, and he sent for his wife from another country to come to him, so that he can go down to meet her and bring her...?

Answer: All of this is wrong, it is all wrong. He must go down to meet her, and her brother, or her uncle, or someone like that should bring her. As for her coming by plane, it may happen that someone ruins her situation on the plane, flirting with her, talking to her, and making an appointment with her for corruption. It may be that no one agrees to meet her when she arrives; an incident may occur, and no mahram comes out to meet her when she arrives at the airport. An incident may occur on the plane, and she returns to another country.