Question:
These are matters relating to women that I would like to clarify, and may Allah reward you with goodness:
1- What is the evidence for prohibiting a woman from traveling for Hajj except with a mahram?
Answer:
The evidence is:
a- Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih from Ibn Abbas (ra) who said: The Prophet (saw) said:
لاَ تُسَافِرِ المَرْأَةُ إِلَّا مَعَ ذِي مَحْرَمٍ، وَلاَ يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهَا رَجُلٌ إِلَّا وَمَعَهَا مَحْرَمٌ
"A woman shall not travel except with a mahram, and no man shall enter upon her unless she has a mahram with her."
A man said: "O Messenger of Allah, I want to go out in such and such an army, and my wife wants to perform Hajj." He (saw) said:
اخْرُجْ مَعَهَا
"Go with her." (Sahih Bukhari)
b- Ibn Hajar said in his commentary on the Hadith in the book Fath al-Bari: (Ad-Daraqutni narrated and Abu Awanah authenticated the Hadith of this chapter from the path of Ibn Jurayj from Amr bin Dinar with the wording):
لَا تَحُجَّنَّ امْرَأَةٌ إِلَّا وَمَعَهَا ذُو مَحْرَمٍ
"No woman shall perform Hajj unless she has a mahram with her." (Fath al-Bari)
This is the most preponderant (rajih) view to me, and there are other details... and Allah is the Guide to the path of righteousness.
2- Is it permissible for a woman to be an ambassador? If the answer is that it is not permissible, then why? Knowing that the embassy is not part of the ruling (hukm)?
Answer:
All actions that require a special situation, i.e., a type of seclusion (khalwah) even if only occasionally, then the woman is prohibited from practicing them... and the work of an ambassador requires this, because there are subjects the ambassador is tasked with delivering to the head of state without anyone else’s knowledge... and this is a sufficient reason, without the need to search for other matters, for not appointing a woman to ambassadorial missions.