Hijrah for Muslim Women without Mahram Hijrah for the sake of Allah is incumbent upon all Muslims living in a land where they are not able to freely and openly practice their religion. This is a separate issue and well covered by all the major scholars. The issue of women making Hijrah alone (travelling without mahram) is a fiqh issue and therefore there are differences of opinion. The following opinion was passed on to us by the Shaheed Imam Anwar al-Awlaki who researched and referenced for us from the scholars and original sources, unfortunately I do not have the names of the sources with me now, but this is what he said (and he also mentions similar in his lecture series Life of Muhammad (peace be upon him) with more dalil): Hijrah to for Allah’s sake and to protect ones religion and eman is allowed to be done by women without mahram if that woman has no mahram at all such as new Muslims. The opinion of many scholars is that if a Muslim woman has Muslim family in the non-Muslim land, she should not make hijrah on her own but should either stay in that land or travel with a family member. Women with no mahram or family at all are permitted to make Hijrah for Allah’s Cause so long as she has the means. The means are the following: 1. The woman is physically able to travel (not ill or weak or psychologically frail). 2. The woman has the financial means to support herself. 3. The woman has “ansar” people to meet her at her destination. This does not mean airport pick up service only, this means that she has people who will help her to settle into her new home with visa issues, employment, housing and orientation, and emergency assistance if necessary as well as help the sister find a husband. The way my sisters without mahram made hijrah was that an initial group of sisters with their mahrams made hijrah and got settled and when they were ready they invited the sisters without mahram who travelled together and were met by the original muhajireen. The group was then able to live as neighbours and support each other. The single sisters eventually all married and are living good lives as Muslims without the daily harassment and degradation they faced while living in non-Muslim lands. And Allah knows best. Hijrah used to be a lot easier, but as we get closer and closer to the hour our paths will become more difficult as the disbelievers cut us off from our Deen and lifestyles as Muslims who want to practice all of what Allah swt revealed. Some advice from my personal experience: Preparation for Hijrah make strong intention, know the virtues and have yakeen (sureness in what you do and believe) so if you are not sure about the legality of women making hijrah alone make your own research and then make a decision, pray istikhara and so be your decision with the help of Allah. Try to be qualified in useful work (westerners are not employed in unskilled labour) such as education, medical services, womens fitness, administration. This will make finding work and visa a lot easier. Keep up to date on what is going on in countries to which you are interested in making Hijrah. Try to network and find people there and ask about their experiences. Apply for jobs online. Save up money, keep fit and strong in body and eman. Start downsizing your belongings until you just have the essential things you need so that when the opportunity comes, you are light and ready to go. If you have kids, prepare their thinking about talking to them about living in a new country. The younger the kids the easier it is for them to transition to the new life and language. Older kids are affected more by culture shock. Rasool Allah (sas) did not randomly make hijrah without making plans, and his plans were elaborate and complete, from choosing a travelling partner (abu Bakr al-Siddiq), to choosing is route (he did not travel directly to Medina), to how and who supported him with sustenance while hiding in the cave and so on, then the rest he had tawakkul on Allah (reliance on Allah) On Arrival in Country Get to know the geography, where things are, transport services and so on. The initial excitement will wear off and you will feel tired to do all the tiring things early so you can cruise later. Make sure you know the rules and regulations of the country systems – you don’t want to be deported on a technicality. Seek out similar minded people and establish social networks. Take care of your health with good diet and regular exercise, and of course keeping on top of ibadaat and knowledge. Things can be very frustrating at times, just keep calm (as best as you can) and persevere and keep your trust in Allah. Some muhajireen are appalled by the lack of Islam in their destination, but that is usually due to romantic ideas of the lives of the Sahaba (raa). It may not be up to what you had in your mind, but that doesn’t mean it was not worth the effort to make Hijrah. There are still definite advantages of living in Muslims lands from the conservatism to actual Islamic practice. May Allah accept our Hijrah for His sake and protect us and not let us be returned to balad al-Kufr. May Allah make the path to Hijrah smooth for all brothers and sisters seeking it. Amin
Posted on: Sat, 16 Nov 2013 21:17:32 +0000