The Harms of Women Driving Cars

Question:
In these days, there are calls to permit women to drive cars. Some of the callers and those who consider themselves among the people of good see no harm in this, arguing that it is far less burdensome and lighter than having foreign drivers. What is your guidance, O your Eminence? What is the legal ruling? And what is the evidence that refutes the inclinations of these people?

Answer:
Answer: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions. The scholars have spoken on this issue and answered it with decisive answers—praise be to Allah—and that is that women driving cars involves many dangers. One should not look only at a partial benefit; there are many dangers, and one should not focus on a partial aspect while leaving the rest of the harms. Blocking the means to harm takes precedence over seeking benefit; this is a legal principle. Women driving cars involves harms, among which are: She will be forced to remove her hijab. It is not possible for her to drive the car while wearing her hijab, and even if she wears it, her hijab will be exposed to being removed; it is exposed to removal out of necessity. Secondly, among the harms is that the woman will mix with men, with traffic police officers, especially if an accident occurs, and accidents are very frequent. She will mix with men, going to police stations. Also, if her car breaks down and stops in the middle of the road, she will be forced to ask men for help, as happens among men drivers among themselves. Thus, the woman will be exposed to mixing that causes fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). Among the harms is that if a woman holds a car, she will go out whenever she wishes, night or day, because the key is with her and her car is with her, so she goes wherever she wishes. This is different from if she is tied to the driving of her guardian (wali), who drives the car with her and accompanies her. But if the matter is in her hand, she will go wherever she wishes and wherever she requests, so she will have connections with evildoers and ties with evildoers. As you see, connections are now continuous; a call to a woman while she is on her bed, in the depths of her house, in her room, and she is enticed, because the woman is weak, she is enticed, and she goes. So, women driving cars involves many dangers. You know now that traffic is congested in the streets, so how will it be if women are permitted to drive cars? The number of cars will double, and the danger and severe congestion will double. So, women driving cars involves many dangers, the greatest of which is the danger to her femininity, her chastity, and her modesty. This is what caused the prohibition of women driving cars.