Chapter Eight
Rulings Specific to Women in Hajj and ʿUmrah

Performing Hajj to the Sacred House of Allah each year is a communal obligation upon the Muslim ummah. Every Muslim who meets the personal conditions of obligation must perform Hajj once in a lifetime; anything beyond that is voluntary. Hajj is one of the pillars of Islam, and it constitutes the Muslim woman’s portion of jihad. ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: “Messenger of Allah, is jihad required of women?” He said, “Yes, they have a jihad in which there is no fighting: Hajj and ʿUmrah.” (1) Al-Bukhārī also relates that she said, “Messenger of Allah, we consider jihad the highest deed. Should we not go out and fight?” He replied, “The best jihad is an accepted Hajj.”

Rulings Particular to Women During Hajj

The Mahram

Among the regulations unique to women is the requirement of a mahram:

1. The general conditions for Hajj that apply to both men and women are Islam, sound intellect, freedom, puberty, and financial ability. In addition, a woman must be accompanied on the journey by a mahram—her husband or a man who is permanently unlawful for her to marry by reason of descent, such as her father or her son.