Can an unmarried sister go for Umrah alone?
Assalamu alaikum, I deeply desire to perform Umrah to strengthen my bond with Allah. Alhamdulillah, I have saved enough and can afford it. But being the only practicing Muslim in my family, I have no one to accompany me. I follow the Hanbali madhab and remember the hadith that a woman shouldn’t travel alone if the journey involves staying overnight, and she needs a mahram. I’ve seen many YouTube videos giving different opinions. Please don’t judge me-I know we shouldn’t rely on YouTube for rulings, but it’s a way for me to learn since I can’t easily reach local imams. Even the ones here don’t follow my madhab. I heard Belal Assad say it’s okay for a woman, but Sheikh Al Hassim says no. I’m so confused. Traveling to Saudi feels very safe for me as a woman in my early thirties. Where I live, I travel between cities alone by train for work, and it’s far less safe than in Dubai, which I’ve visited. In Dubai, there are even women-only sections on the train! I’ve also read that women used to travel alone for business or studying. I don’t get why one is allowed and the other not. Sometimes it makes me upset because I feel the ruling is clear, but people twist it for personal reasons, maybe jealousy or something. I’m not here for debates, just looking for clarity. Jazakum Allahu khayran.