CII grants conditional permission to women performing Hajj without a mehram
The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on Wednesday gave conditional permission to women to perform Hajj without a mehram under certain conditions, a spokesperson for the body confirmed.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs had sought the views of CII to determine whether or not women would be allowed to perform Hajj without a mehram (close-male relative) or male guardian.
In October 2022, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, announced that women all over the world would be able to perform Hajj and Umrah without a mehram or male guardian. The Ministry of Religious Affairs sought clarity on the matter from the CII.
A CII spokesperson stated it is acceptable, citing the Islamic Jafri, Maliki and Shafi’i schools of thought, which state that women are permitted to perform Hajj without a mehram under Sharia law.
The Council clarified that according to Hanafi and Hanbali fiqh, a woman is not obligated to perform Hajj if she does not have a mehram.
However, the CII stressed the permission is dependent on certain conditions.
What are the conditions?
Firstly, a woman can only travel sans mehram if granted explicit permission by either her parents or husband. Secondly, if a group of women are to travel for Hajj together, the religious ministry is entitled to a thorough investigation to ensure the group is fit to embark on the pilgrimage.
The CII spokesperson did note that if a woman wanted to solo travel for Hajj and Umrah, and she did not feel insecure while traveling, she had the right to go (of course dependent on her parents’/husband’s permission).
Writer and former advisor to the Minister of Hajj, Faten Ibrahim Hussein, praised the new ruling. According to him, allowing women to perform Umrah without a mehram makes the pilgrimage more attainable, as many come from difficult social situations and may not find a mehram.