Islam cares for the dignity and honour of the woman. Because of her weakness and vulnerability to being targeted by vile men, Islam is keen to close the doors to such situations by insisting that a woman should not travel long distances or stay away from home by herself unless she has taken adequate measures to ensure her protection.
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states: “Islamic laws are always based on tangible purposes, benefits and wisdom for humankind. Therefore, the interdict against a woman traveling by herself is intended to ensure her honour and dignity; it is not in any way intended to restrict her freedom of movement or prevent her from attaining her full potential.
It is in this spirit that many scholars and jurists, even in the early days, understood the interdict of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) concerning a woman traveling. That is why they said that she can travel in the company of women or any safe company. The Prophet’s hadith quoted above can definitely be taken to indicate that the safety of the woman is the major issue; so there is nothing preventing women from traveling if the way is considered to be safe and if there is no fear of molestation.
Today’s planes and public transportation provide sufficient protection. They are far safer than traveling in the desert. Even in the latter cases, pious Muslim women did not hesitate to travel with a group that would ensure her safety.