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Can A Woman Take A Job In A Remote, Isolated Place
Something like working at a fire lookout tower in a remote mountainous region far away from any city or village. Is a woman allowed to work there all alone if she has learned self defence tactics like Karate or kung fu? How should this hadith be understood :
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel for one day and night except with a Mahram.” Sahih al-Bukhari 1088
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Can A Woman Take A Job In A Remote, Isolated Place
updated 5 hours, 51 minutes ago
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Traveling Alone: Understanding the Hadith in Its Context
The hadith should be understood in the context of the circumstances that existed in Arabia during the time of the Prophet ﷺ. At that time, traveling alone was unsafe even for men, and long-distance journeys involved serious risks, including the danger of robbers and other threats.
At the same time, the Prophet ﷺ foretold that a time would come when a woman would be able to travel alone from **Hirah to the Kaaba, wearing her jewelry, without fearing anyone except Allah. This prediction indicates that circumstances and the level of security can change over time.
The hadith states:
The Prophet ﷺ said: “If you live long enough, you will see a woman traveling alone from Hirah in a howdah until she circumambulates the Kaaba, fearing no one except Allah.”
I said to myself in amazement, “What will happen to the robbers of the tribe of Tayy, who have spread corruption and caused disorder in the land?”
Adi ibn Hatim رضي الله عنه later said: **“I myself saw a woman traveling alone in a howdah from Hirah. She traveled until she reached the Kaaba and performed Tawaf, and she feared no one except Allah.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 3595)
The important point in this hadith is that the Prophet ﷺ described a future situation in which the security of the roads would improve to such an extent that a woman could travel alone without fear of being harmed by robbers or other people.
Therefore, whether a woman can travel alone for a long distance, or accept a job in a remote area where she would be living or working alone, may depend on the circumstances and the level of safety. She can assess the situation based on the security of the journey, the availability of reliable safety measures, the nature of the destination, and the conditions of the particular time and place.
Thus, the ruling should not necessarily be understood independently of the circumstances for which the guidance was given. The actual level of safety and security is an important factor when determining whether traveling or living alone poses a genuine risk.
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