# Is it safe and allowed for a woman to fly alone? *Conclusion: a woman may travel alone; stop circulating the 48-mile rule* - URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/jp8gjvvonms/s/9/ - Date: 2018-04-22 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Hadith Analysis & Fatwa: Women Can Travel Without a Mahram - Mufti Abu Layth (35:07–38:14) - Status: general teaching - Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp8GjvVONMs&t=2107s - Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/jp8gjvvonms/ **Topics:** Interaction between men and women; Women in Islam **Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Yes: Mufti Abu Layth says a woman may travel alone, including by air, since the ruling was always about safety, and rejects the claim that only a husband can protect her. **Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says it is absolutely fine for a woman to travel on her own, the key thing having been safety. **Evidence, his words at 37:04:** “so yes it is absolutely fine for a woman to travel on her own as and the key thing was all about safety” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp8GjvVONMs&t=2224s) ## Longer summary Mufti Abu Layth says women can of course travel, and reports that some Salafis, against those like Mustafa al-Zarqa [?] who allowed a woman to travel by aeroplane and be received at the other end, argued that airport security is not real safety and only a husband can truly protect her. He mocks this, picturing a husband taking on attackers alone instead of trained security staff. Mufti says it is absolutely fine for a woman to travel on her own, the key having always been safety, and asks people to stop circulating rulings about 48 miles, which make a mockery of the religion. He quotes Suhaib Webb [?] that some scholars in the UK are building caves, not communities, and says scholars like al-Baji were ahead of them a thousand years ago. ## Sources and names cited - Mustafa al-Zarqa [?] - Salafi - Suhaib Webb [?] - Abu al-Walid al-Baji ## Transcript (machine tier, 35:07–38:14) [34:29] that the Prophet said two men traveling or shaytan's or they like one is a Shaitaan two or two shaytans but three three of companions why was the Prophet and then Imam Malik wings the hadith let not a woman travel except with the Muharram now you tell me why is the prophet calling two people traveling Devils this was religious rhetoric too kind that was used in the day and age to safeguard them because there was hostile territory okay so this is to kind of bring to our understanding [35:06] people the that women can travel of course they can travel and I was reading a fatwa by some selfies they said Oh some people say that look they said that shared Mustafa's our car from sham in the past had given the fatwa woman can travel by aeroplane it's absolutely fine and she can be received on the other end and people like Cher said that as well and so somebody said no I was reading the criticism and they said because really the safety that these people are saying is in airports [35:45] is it really there and if the woman gets in danger like she's attacked really she needs the husband who can truly take care of these unlike the security staff at an airport I mean really the husband's probably thinking okay I've gotta take on [36:25] everybody I mean the security of God's sake this trained security guards but but I've gotta be the soul warrior I mean this is the kind of thinking that these people are carrying that know if a woman was to come under attack unlike the security and a nipple the true safety can only be undertaken by the husband who who must it is I I am here step back here real for God's sake what [37:04] is wrong with people Wow Wow so this is so yes it is absolutely fine for a woman to travel on her own as and the key thing was all about safety okay and please stop circulating these rulings about 48 miles it is really making a mockery of the Deen and people need to really open up and then then they ask me why do I think some of these colors in the UK you know are building caves not communities you know to quote imam sahib web that look because [37:44] are they doing that is because look you can't this is bizarre that you're asking women that they can travel 47 miles and not 48 it's absurd right so please please please people like Ivan Walid al bhaji were ahead of you and they were a thousand years ago so Live Love Laugh & learn people right so that's some of the interesting ## Cite Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment jp8GjvVONMs/s/9. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/jp8gjvvonms/s/9/ Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.