Prepared by: Dr. Saeed Ismaeel Sini                                                                                      

Does Islam Discourage Women Driving?

     Practically, the correct Islamic legal opinion is a result of a perfect interaction between the texts of the Holy Quraan and the authentic Prophetic traditions, on the one hand, and the diagnosis of the reality. We can assure the reader that Islam does not prohibit, nor does it encourage, women to drive cars. The whole question depends on the environment in which women live and the kind of veil she wears.

     In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for example, women tend to apply the maximum limits of veiling (hijaab); i.e. to cover her complete face or only reveal her eyes, and the society in Saudi Arabia also prefers that kind of hijaab and demands that from the females. In this kind of environment it seems better for a woman not to drive herself, especially if she is alone. This tendency, in fact, goes in harmony with the natural tendency of many people, including men, who like to have the luxury of having a driver to take them around, as long as this luxury does not cost them too much.

     In other environments, women prefer observing the minimum limit of hijaab; i.e. revealing the whole face and wearing Islamic clothes that do not reveal except the necessary parts of her body. In this environment, though some prefer to drive themselves, many still like to have the luxury of having someone to drive the car for them as long as it does not cost too much.