Home
Discover Islam
Quran Recitations
Lectures
Fatwa
Articles
Fiqh
E-Books
Women
Boys & Girls 
Enter Question
View By Subject
Fatwa Of The Week
Selected Fatwa
Fatwa CenterDid the Prophet's wives and daughters ride camels and horses alone?
Question
Assalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
Did the wives and daughters of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ride their OWN camels and horses alone? The horse and camel were the car of that time....so why are women in Saudi not allowed to drive?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
The wives of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, rode camels and so did other women from among the wives of the Companions. It was proven that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "The best women among the camel riders are the righteous women of the Quraysh." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] Nevertheless, horses were mostly ridden by men.
However, some scholars forbade women from driving cars due to the evil consequences that might result from that, particularly at this time in which temptations are everywhere.
The Fatwa we give in this case is that cars are like the animals that are ridden, and it is permissible for the woman to drive them if the religious requirements are met. For further information, see Fatwa 84155.
As for banning women from driving cars in Saudi Arabia, this is the concern of that country, and the Saudi scholars have their own considerable Ijtihaad (a juristic opinion on matters which are not specified in Quran and Sunnah) concerning this issue.
Allaah Knows best.
Search Fatwa
Fatwa Subject
