Women driving cars

13-5-2002 | IslamWeb

Question:

If a woman leaves her house due to necessity, and she leaves in full and proper Hijab, is she allowed to drive a car? As we live in England we are verbally abused by the disbelievers who are living around us. Some of our family went to visit a sick member of the family and had alcohol thrown at them. In these kinds of situations we are safer in a car? May a woman drive a car if her husband has a medical problem in which the law of this country will not allow him to drive a car, so may his wife drive a car?

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Answer:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the World; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

Initially, it is permissible for the woman to drive a car, and other such means of transport, if she is not exposed during her driving (traveling) for the usual distance or mixes with marriageable persons. In that case, there is nothing forbidden in it, especially if she has need for transportation. For example, her husband is unable to drive, or she doesn't have the Mahram (unmarriageable person) to take her.
If the Muslim woman is exposed to any type of harassment while walking outside her home and she doesn't have any unmarriageable persons to take her by car, no doubt, in this situation is better for her to drive a car for her protection.
Allah knows best.