Is it permissible for a woman to perform Hajj or 'Umrah with a trustworthy group or reliable women in the absence of a mahram?

Scholars have differed regarding a woman's travel for Hajj without a mahram. Some permit it if the path is safe and she is accompanied by trustworthy companions, while others, and this is the view of Abu Hanifa and Ahmad, hold that her travel is not permissible except with a mahram, citing prophetic narrations that forbid a woman from traveling without a mahram. Some scholars have interpreted the narrations that specify distances to mean any journey that is considered travel, not the apparent specific distance.

As for those who permitted her travel without a mahram, they cited the hadith of Adi ibn Hatim concerning the spread of security, but this does not imply the permissibility of the act; rather, it is a statement about its occurrence. It should be known that this difference of opinion pertains to obligatory Hajj. As for voluntary Hajj, scholars are in agreement regarding the condition of a mahram or husband.

The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta' has issued a fatwa stating that a woman who does not have a mahram is not obligated to perform Hajj, because the mahram is part of the prerequisite ability for Hajj to become obligatory, and it is not permissible for her to travel for Hajj or otherwise except with a husband or a mahram.