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Fatwa CenterShe needs to study alone in Europe without a Mahram
Question
As-salamu 3laikum, My question is about travelling without a mahram. I was living in a place in Africa where there were a lot of Muslims. I reverted to Islam there. Many there followed Sufi practices and had other views which I felt uncomfortable with. Due to another issue, I returned to my country in Europe with the intention of completing my studies so that I could later move to a Muslim country where it seems that Islam is practiced more correctly. The only way I have found to do this is to have a university degree and work as a teacher (I have teaching experience). When I returned to my country, I found out that travelling without a mahram is haraam. I discovered that to complete my studies I would have to spend a period in another European country, and I travelled there, hoping it would be permissible to do so because it was a necessary part of my plan towards making hijra. After I arrived here, I doubted whether that was correct. I still want to make hijra in sha Allah because life in Europe is very difficult – I don’t feel at all inclined to their way of life, but I suffer from a lot of waswasa and being surrounded by non-Muslims and hearing their ideas confuses me and I find it hard to remember what I have learned of Islam correctly. Now I’m facing a dire situation: at the end of my study period here in two months’ I will have nowhere to stay, no money for food, no family, I don’t know of any halal work to meet my needs and I can’t make hijra directly because I haven’t finished my degree. So which is correct: stay here, go back to Africa where there are mostly Muslims but many doubtful practices, or go back to my own country, complete the final year of my studies and then try to make hijra? My non-Muslim mahrams are in my country and do not have the custom of supporting women financially; they expect us to be independent and fend for ourselves. The only time a mahram travelled with me was when he planned to go to the country anyway. Jazakum Allahu khairan
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.
First of all, we congratulate you for the favor of embracing Islam. We ask Allaah to protect you and your religion, and make us and you firm upon it until death so that we may inherit Paradise and abide therein eternally.
There is no doubt that it is not permissible for a woman to travel without a Mahram except if there is a necessity. The Mahram is only stipulated in travelling and not while residing. Accordingly, there is no blame on you to stay in the country you are in to complete your study. However, you should strive to be in a place in which you feel safe for yourself. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 121191.
We advise you to call Islamic Centers to learn about Islam there and get to know some of your good Muslim sisters. Also, you may benefit from some of the beneficial websites such as ours (Islamweb) and other websites that refute the suspicious arguments of Christians and atheists.
If you need any help, you can seek the help of Muslims in the country you are in, and if you marry a good Muslim man, this may solve your problems. For your knowledge, it is permissible for a Muslim woman to search for a husband or introduce herself to the one whom she wants to marry on condition that she should abide by the Islamic guidelines as we have pointed out in Fatwa 82471.
If you eventually are to choose between the three options you mentioned, then we advise you to immigrate to a Muslim country in which you will be safe for your religion or that African country that, as you mentioned, has a Muslim majority for this may be better than staying in Europe.
You should know that a Muslim woman is allowed to travel without a Mahram when immigrating from a non-Muslim country to a Muslim one as stated by scholars for the necessity of preserving her religion. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 86565.
Finally, we would like to note that Sufis are Muslims in general; however, they practice many matters that involve Shirk and religious innovations which have nothing to do with Islam. They do them ignorantly, believing that they are part of the Islamic religion. Thus, you have to beware of their Shirk-related matters and innovations. You have to treat them kindly and teach them the correct Islam.
Allaah Knows best.
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