Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
by Hazrat Maulana
Yunus Patel Saheb (Rahmatullahi 'alayh)
IN THE EARLY YEARS, Allah Ta’ala granted us the
opportunity of performing Hajj. We departed from Johannesburg for Jeddah. At 6 a.m. an announcement was made that we
were landing in Brussels. Where we were supposed to land and where we ended up!
…There was some problem due to the sanctions against South Africa because of
Apartheid.
We spent one night in Brussels and the next day we
flew to Beirut. At that time, Beirut was known as the sin city. Unfortunately,
the hotel that we were booked into, by the airline, also had song and dance. The
second night was spent in Beirut and the next day we left Beirut only to be
taken to Athens. So we reached Athens on the third day. None of these cities
were on our itinerary.
There are always lessons derived from travel, and
in that trip, there were women who were traveling alone. They had no husband,
no father, no brother – no Mahram accompanying them. Being alone, and in that
unanticipated situation, moving from one foreign city to another, they
experienced a lot of difficulty. There was also no technology as we have in
these days, of cell phones, tablets, WiFi, etc., where a person can keep in
touch with family and be updated on any situation. As passengers, none of us
really knew where we would be taken next and what would happen thereafter.
That experience made me reflect over the Command
of Allah Ta’ala, that a woman must travel with a Mahram – that is, if it is the
Safr distance.
Alhamdulillah, we find that Islam prioritises the
safety, chastity and well-being of women. Allah Ta’ala has established various
laws which offer a shield and protection for women – so that they are not
exploited, abused, harassed, or left alone and vulnerable. Unfortunately,
modernists, feminists and others take these same beautiful laws and present
them as prejudiced and biased and as undermining women
– نَعُوْذُ
بِاللّٰه.
…There is a condition found in certain people
called colour blindness. A person who is colour blind has difficulty or
inability to distinguish between certain colours; usually between the red and green.
This condition arises because of some kind of defect in the eye nerves.
Similarly, we have people with the condition of spiritual colour blindness –
who cannot see the colour of Truth, due to a weakness or defect in their
spiritual hearts. They see the colour of falsehood and thus do not appreciate
the beauty and perfection of Islam.
In these times, we read and hear of women who are
promised work with high salaries and other perks, in foreign countries. They
fall for the bait and travel out on their own, or travel with strangers who
give them all kinds of assurances. However, their passports are thereafter
taken away from them, and they are then drawn into prostitution, pornography
and drugs.
Human trafficking has become the fastest growing
criminal operation in the world. An article, which presented statistics
regarding human trafficking, stated that the largest group of victims are women
and young girls – who are bought and sold like slaves. Besides prostitution,
many are used as cheap labour – which also entails very oppressive and abusive
treatment. They live in harsh conditions, without any family support or
protection. They are not given proper food and clothing and suffer various
physical sicknesses and emotional trauma.
We have also read of planes being hijacked and of
the distress that passengers have to endure. …Presently, throughout the world,
Muslims are being targeted due to Islamophobia. There is so much of aggression
against Muslims. Muslim women especially have been harassed, attacked, beaten
and even killed. Here, in South Africa, rape and hijackings are everyday
occurrences.
Allah Ta’ala is our Creator and knows our
vulnerability as well as the evil that is inherent in human beings, which leads
to exploitation and injustices. His Laws are to protect us as well as curb the
evil within us. We should appreciate His guidance and understand that it is
best for us.
…In this day and age, travel is promoted and
advertised because it has become a business and a commercial venture. Advertisements
seek to create the desire within us to visit other countries and experience
different cultures. ‘Globe-trotting’ is a term that has been coined for those
who travel often and it is looked upon as something glamourous.
Added to this, nowadays, the means of travel have
become so advanced that you just board a plane, and within a matter of hours
you can be in a country, thousands of miles away. Similarly, we find so many
people traveling locally – because of the ease of flight travel.
Traveling is not Haraam. If it is for a noble
purpose – such as acquiring the knowledge of Deen, it is extremely rewarding.
If it is to engage in Haraam, then of course, such traveling will not be
endorsed by the Shari’ah. Many people now travel with the sole intention of
participating in some Haraam entertainment, such as attending concerts and
other entertainment places and events.
Sadly, we find that many Muslim women are also
carried away by the western culture and they too start “living it up” by
working in foreign countries, traveling for business, or for leisure and
pleasure, or even to visit family or attend a Nikah or Walimah – and they do so
without a Mahram accompanying them. Often, it is plain disregard and disrespect
for Allah Ta’ala’s Commandments.
We should consider and deeply reflect over the Ahādīth of
Rasulullah 1:
“It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah
and the Last Day to travel the distance of one day, except with a Mahram.”[1]
In another Hadīth, Rasulullah 1 said:
“No woman should travel except with a Mahram and no man may visit her unless
she has a Mahram with her.”[2]
A woman should be accompanied by her Mahram when
traveling. The Mahram too must be of sound and good character. Shari’ah forbids
traveling with a Mahram or being alone with him – whether he is one’s father, brother,
uncle, nephew or anyone else, if he is of loose morals, corrupt character, and
a risk to one’s chastity and modesty. Although he is a Mahram, he is now the
danger and threat. Traveling alone with him or being alone with him should be
avoided.
The Ahādīth and the clear ruling found in them takes into account all
forms of travel. Of course there are exceptions to the rule and this exception
would arise when there is some emergency. But generally, in these times, the
reasons for traveling without a Mahram are flimsy and carry no weight.
Some women say that they do not have a Mahram for
traveling long distances. They should understand that this is Allah Ta’ala’s
choice for them – and there is wisdom and great khayr (good) in all His
Decisions. We need to nurture the qualities of a true Believer. In this case,
the qualities of Tafweez[3], Sabr,
Ridha bil Qadha[4] and Dua.
By doing so, great rewards will be secured.
Allah
Ta’ala mentions the response of His sincere servants:
“The
only reply of the (true) believers, when they are summoned to Allah and His
Messenger, that he (the Messenger) may judge between them, is that they say, ‘We
hear and obey.’ Such people are the successful.
Whoever
obeys Allah and His Messenger and has awe of Him and observes Taqwa for His
sake, then such people are the victorious.”
[Surah An-Noor 24 : 51 / 52]
May Allah Ta’ala grant us the concern and the
understanding, grant us appreciation and the Taufeeq to practise on the
beautiful way of life called Islam.
