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Is it permissible for a female student to travel abroad alone to pursue her studies, knowing that she is currently studying in a mixed-gender environment, and is the pursuit of worldly knowledge under these circumstances considered impermissible (haram)? And if it is not permissible, can she marry a man of faith and good character and travel with him to complete her studies?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If a girl cannot find a university free from mixing, then her studying in a mixed university is permissible, provided she adheres to the Sharia guidelines. As for a woman traveling without a mahram, it is not permissible except out of necessity according to the majority of scholars. It is permissible if she is accompanied by women, and the journey is less than a day and a night, and the path is safe. There is no harm in a girl requesting marriage from a man of good character and religious commitment so that he may travel with her for her studies. It is permissible for a woman to offer herself in marriage to a righteous man, in accordance with Sharia guidelines. This marriage is not flawed by being a "marriage of convenience" as long as the convenience does not contradict the original purposes of marriage.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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