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JimJonesSic · Joined: 25 Jan 2010 Posts: 26 Location: UK

Can a western muslim woman working in Jeddah travel to makkah alone?

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Now there is a question that we've never had before. I will be interested in the answer.

I'm guessing that she would have to go with a group. In the rest of the Gulf, they have lots of organized Umrah trips, so I would expect that they do in Saudi too.

VS

rdobbs98 · Joined: 08 Oct 2010 Posts: 236

Depends, if you are 45 or older, then you can travel alone to Mecca but younger than 45, you need to have a male accompaniment to visit the Mecca.

In general, the same rule applies throughout Saudi Arabia. My sister-in-laws mother-in-law (a mouthful) walks to the mosque daily in Riyadh, but she is in her 60's. Same rule.

lynnknows · Posted: Sun Aug 05, 2012 12:10 pm Post subject:

It kind of depends on your school of thought. Muslim women can legally walk around KSA with no problems. They may not want to because of the stares, harassment, and sexual advances you may get. I went to the normal mosque alone in Riyadh all the time. There was no issue. Other women did as well.
I went to Mecca when I lived there alone with some friends. We didnt have any issues. I didnt go for Umrah or hajj. We just went to go pray Mahgrib and Ishaa. Every time I did umrah I took my son.
If you want to go for umrah or hajj then thats a whole other can of worms. There is a hadith people use to support the idea that women should not be allowed to do umrah or hajj alone. There are MANY women that do not have men in their lives to take them, so Saudi came up with the over 45 rule.
If you are over 45 you can go with a GROUP to preform either umrah or hajj. Most scholars will say if a woman does either alone then they are not valid, Allah Knows best....
So to answer your question, if you are living in Jeddah and want to go to Mecca, YES, you can go with no problem. IF you are going for umrah or hajj then you MIGHT want to talk to a scholar or Imam to make sure it is ok. I would not want to do either and it not count.
I hope you do it. Once inside it is the most peaceful place on earth.....WHEN ITS NOT CROWDED Smile

JimJonesSic · Joined: 25 Jan 2010 Posts: 26 Location: UK

JimJonesSic · Joined: 25 Jan 2010 Posts: 26 Location: UK

rdobbs98 · Joined: 08 Oct 2010 Posts: 236

Depends but a woman going alone with a driver that distance may present some danger anyway being alone. Drivers for local stuff is fine but then the woman should have another woman with them, that is what my sister-in-law does and what my wife will do, my mom will go with her. For a woman in the Kingdom it isn't bad but it isn't all that safe either. Caution is the key and then the "Haya" can become a problem too, not to say the Saudi police who can't, or won't, speak English as well.

lynnknows · Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 5:18 am Post subject:

Like the other poster said it all depends. I had a co worker that was going to mecca alone with her driver. She got stopped at one of the check points and they would not allow her to go any further. She and her driver had to wait at a jail until her Mahram( her 13 y/o son) picked her up.
Her son was already in Mecca, he had gone with some family friends, and she was going to meet him there to preform Umrah. So he had to have someone drive him to the jail to explain why his mother was going to mecca alone with a driver.
KSA is a tricky place. Things may not be REALLY against the law but you can run into that one strange cop and BAM youre in jail.

If you are going to visit friends. Dont go alone. Take someone with you and enjoy yourself.

rdobbs98 · Joined: 08 Oct 2010 Posts: 236

Listen to @lynnkows. Don't be bold and go against the current because something bad will occur and all that was needed was common sense to avoid it. There are many horror stories and that alone is enough to say "when in Rome, do as the Romans" and follow the rules, whether they make sense or seem archaic.

My wife is strong willed but knows you can't mess with the police or Haya. So no need to bring attention to yourself and if it isn't any of these, you could be kidnapped or raped by a driver, bandits, or even the police because no one will do anything to help.

Be smart, lay low, don't make waves, and all will be fine.

JimJonesSic · Joined: 25 Jan 2010 Posts: 26 Location: UK

Grendal · Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2012 11:23 pm Post subject:

rdobbs98 · Joined: 08 Oct 2010 Posts: 236

You can drive over and get her if you have a reliable male with the group, that is basically going to make sure no problems.

As far as color of abaya, there is no Quranic edict or Hadeeth that says color, the ruling is modesty and to only show hands and face and that allows the woman to complete this in what manner she wants to. The Salafis and Wahhabis are wrong.

johnslat · Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 1:59 am Post subject:

Dear rdobbs,

"The Salafis and Wahhabis are wrong."

They may well be wrong - but when you're playing in their ballpark, they're always right. Very Happy

Regards,
John

rdobbs98 · Joined: 08 Oct 2010 Posts: 236

If you read what I said earlier, you must do what they want and fit in. But I can say as a Muslim, being not a radical, what I said, because that is not Islam; it is culture and they confuse it.

lynnknows · Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:44 am Post subject:

The sad thing is MANY of the things done in Saudi and the rest of the GCC countries are cultural and have NOTHING to do with Islam.
BUT because they are Arabs and because Makkah, Madinah are there and more than that because the Quran was relieved there, people just assume what they say is right.
Its sad because people, including the Saudis, do not really have a clear understanding of Islam.