Returning from Umrah without a Mahram

Question:-

A lady wishes to go for Umrah. Her brother will be her Mahram. However, he will not be returning to SA but will be going for a few days to another country. Would it be permissible for her to undertake Umrah and return to SA alone if he leaves her at the airport and her son fetches her from the airport in SA?

Answer:-

It is not permissible for her to return to South Africa after Umrah without a Mahram. If she doesn’t have a Mahram on her return, she should not undertake the journey. She should keep in mind that Umrah is Nafl whilst returning without a Mahram is Haraam, hence fulfilling a Nafl at the price of perpetrating a Haraam act is foolishness. Yes, she may continue with her Mahram on the forward journey after Umrah and return home with him.

ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Mohammed Desai

Date: 05 Jumadal Ukhra 1445 /18 December 2023