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The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has granted conditional permission for women to perform Hajj without a mehram, as reported by ARY News. According to the council’s decision, women can undertake the pilgrimage without a mehram if their parents or husband grant them permission.
In the Fiqah-e-Jafria, Maliki, and Shafi schools of thought, Shariah permits women to perform Hajj without a mehram. The CII also mentioned that according to the Hanafi and Hanbali fiqh, if a woman has no mehram, she is exempted from performing Hajj. However, if she desires, she can travel for Hajj accompanied by trustworthy friends.
Previously, the Saudi Arabian Ministry for Hajj and Umrah shared guidelines for women who wish to travel for Umrah without male guardians. The ministry stated that women aged 45 years and above can obtain a visa for Umrah without a mehram. Local travel agents are required to form women-only groups for this purpose. However, women below the age of 45 must still be accompanied by a male guardian (mehram) when performing Umrah.
The conditional allowance for women to perform Hajj without a mehram and the guidelines for women’s Umrah reflect efforts to accommodate the needs and circumstances of female pilgrims while adhering to religious principles.
