Makkah: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, said that women performing the pilgrimages to Haj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia will not require a mahram, or male guardian.
According to state agency SPA, the announcement was made during a press conference held at the Kingdom’s Embassy in Cairo.
The Saudi Ambassador to Egypt, Osama bin Ahmed Nugali, and senior officials from the ministry and embassy attended the event.
Hajj and Umrah Services Adviser Ahmed Saleh Halabi said that it is now permitted for women to perform Hajj or Umrah without a mahram, he said while referring to the Maliki and Shafi views, women can make the pilgrimage accompanied by "trustworthy women or secure company to perform Hajj or Umrah."
Halibi stated, "The supervisor of fatwa at Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Egypt, Abbas Shoman, declared last March that a woman is allowed to perform Hajj and Umrah without an accompanying mahram."
According to writer Faten Ibrahim Hussein, a former adviser to the Minister of Hajj, the Saudi state promises to provide all facilities for pilgrims to perform Hajj and Umrah in accordance with the Saudi Vision 2030.
"This decision to allow women to perform Umrah without the requirement of a mahram simplifies their lives because many already face difficult social and financial constraints in finding a mahram while performing Umrah," Hussein said.
"Luckily, the fight against all forms of social and economic corruption has played a positive role," she added. She said that security is established when corruption is stopped.
"Throughout the Kingdom, strict security has extended to all means of transportation and at ports. This gives full protection to women. Moreover, including the anti-harassment system, a strong infrastructure has been established in the country, "she said.
The state also has deterrent penalties for those who break the law. In addition, surveillance cameras are compulsory in important areas, including airports, border crossing ports, the Grand Mosque, the Prophet’s Mosque, and others. Hence, a woman is safe and secure now, especially when she is accompanied by other women.
"For different purposes like work and study, many women come to the Kingdom without a mahram, and there are no incidents hazarding their security, thanks to the security we live in…The state is safe for women to come without a mahram. "
What exactly is mahram?
In Islam, a mahram is a family member with whom marriage would be considered haram (illegal in Islam) (excluding the husband, with whom the woman is already married), covering purdah, or covering the body with hijab, is not necessary; and, if he is an adult male, she may be escorted during a journey, although the guardian may not be required.
