Penalty of Hunting while on Pilgrimage

Sahih al-Bukhari 1862

Hadith Text

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A woman should not travel except with a Dhu-Mahram (her husband or a man with whom that woman cannot marry at all according to the Islamic Jurisprudence), and no man may visit her except in the presence of a Dhu-Mahram." A man got up and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I intend to go to such and such an army and my wife wants to perform Hajj." The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to him), "Go along with her (to Hajj)."

Scholarly Commentary

This hadith establishes the fundamental Islamic ruling that a woman may not travel without a mahram (male guardian with whom marriage is permanently forbidden). The wisdom behind this ruling is to protect women's honor and prevent potential fitnah (temptation or social chaos).

The term "Dhu-Mahram" refers to male relatives with whom marriage is eternally prohibited, such as father, brother, son, uncle, or nephew. The prohibition applies to all types of travel exceeding approximately 48 miles (the distance of qasr prayer).

When the companion expressed his dilemma between jihad and accompanying his wife for Hajj, the Prophet prioritized the husband's duty as mahram over voluntary jihad. This demonstrates that fulfilling obligatory responsibilities toward one's family takes precedence over supererogatory acts of worship.

Scholars have derived from this that the mahram requirement applies specifically to journeys, not to local movement within one's city. The ruling aims to balance women's religious rights with their protection and preservation of modesty in accordance with Islamic principles.