Can I Drive In a Country Where Women Do Not Normally Drive?

Question: As a woman, can I drive a car in a land where it is not commonly seen? Currently, I am learning but here in my town, usually not many women drive.

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate,

Walaikum assalam,

I hope you are doing well, insha’Allah. May Allah reward you for your concern for doing things according to Divine Guidance.

There is no prohibition against women driving. As such, it is permitted for you to learn to drive and to drive—within the limits of the laws of the land.

Customs often arise due to practical considerations—such as safety or appropriateness. At other times, the considerations may not be reasonable, may no longer apply—or may entail hardship or harm. As such, consult with a reliable local scholar about the specifics.

And Allah is the giver of success and facilitation.

Wassalam,

[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani spent ten years studying with some of the leading scholars of recent times, first in Damascus, and then in Amman, Jordan. His teachers include the foremost theologian of recent times in Damascus, the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas (may Allah have mercy on him), as well as his student Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi, one of the leading Hanafi fuqaha of the present age. He returned to Canada in 2007, where he founded SeekersGuidance in order to meet the urgent need to spread Islamic knowledge–both online and on the ground–in a reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible manner. He is the author of: Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School (White Thread Press, 2004.) Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center.