Allah commands us in the Quran in Surah Al-Anfal verse 20. O, believers! Obey Allah and His Messenger and do not turn away from him while you hear (his call).” As described in the Holy Quran, we should follow Allah and his messenger in every aspect of life. Are you planning for Umrah 2022 and don’t know how old your mahram should be?
We do not only sell Umrah packages, but we also teach for Umrah. The purpose of mahram is to look after and protect the woman. Is it necessary for a mahram to be an adult? According to Shari’ah, when a boy reaches puberty, which is when a boy becomes at least eighteen years old or he has his first wet dream, or thick hair grows around his private parts, is considered an adult.
Some References for a Mahram
- According to Al-Mawsoo Ah al-Fiqhiyyah (36/340), it states: The Maaliki, Hanafis, and Shaafa’is are of the view that a boy who is close to the age of puberty can be considered an adult if he is among her mahram’s list — end quote.
- While the Hanbalis have a different point of view on this fact, they strictly enforced that a mahram should be an adult of sound mind. Ibn Qudaamah said: It was said to Ahmad: can a guy be a mahram? He replied: No until he becomes an adult because he can’t look after himself. How will he take care of another person? The purpose of mahram is protecting, and an adult can only do this — end quote.
- When Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, that is also remembered as ‘A giant with conservative Salafi Islam’, was asked about mahram. He stated that: A boy can only be a mahram if he has become an adult of sound mind. No one is a mahram if he has not reached adulthood. End quote from Liqaa’aat al-Baab al-Maftoohah, 123/20).
Conditions for a Mahram
If a male person fulfils the following requirements, he can be considered a mahram.
- Adult as defined in Islamic Shari’ah. (Or at least nearby to puberty [Durr al-Mukhtar]).
- Sensible
- Reliable, honest and responsible.
Breaking News: A woman over 45 years of age can perform Umrah without a mahram. All official Saudi sources have confirmed the news. Today, women under the age of 45 need a mahram to apply for an Umrah visa.
The Exact age of mahram
A mahram must be at least 18 years old for Umrah. A boy who has reached this age can fulfil the conditions mentioned above, and he can be considered an adult of sound mind. Any person below this age can’t travel with a woman being a mahram to protect her and her honour.
In short, you should book your December Umrah package and take either your brother or son as your mahram who is sensible enough to take care of yourself and enjoy your holidays in the holiest places on earth. Neither you are going to take care of him during Umrah.
