Salaam. In my country, there is this public transportation service called ojeg (pronounced OH-JACK). It is basically a motorcycle taxi that only counts to 1 passenger per motorcycle unit. In Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) times, he rode a camel together with a woman behind him, with a note that the Prophet and the woman rode the same camel, but the camel hump separates them two. When I took a ride with an ojeg, which majority of them are male riders, is it similar to when our Prophet rode a camel and gave a women a ride with him? The difference is it was then using a living creature with a hump and it is now using a mechanical transportation with nothing to separate the rider and the passenger. I have gotten opinions from several of the local ustadh, but most of them agree that it is not allowed for a woman to take an ojeg ride. They also do not allow woman to take a taxi ride alone. The ojeg riders and taxi drivers in my country are all harmless and take their passenger with utmost manner and no bad intentions at all, but those ustadh are saying that it is not allowed for us women to do a ride alone. I am completely cannot relate to their opinion. How do you perceive of this matter? Thank you very much for your time. May Allah Bless you.
Alaikumassalam wa rahmatullah,
There are different opinions on this issue. According to the Palestinian scholar Dr. Ziyad Miqdad this is no a matter in which the ruling of either halal or halam applies (i.e. it is not a black and white issue). In his opinion if the woman’s safety and dignity are guaranteed, then there is no issue with a woman riding alone in a taxi.
Shaykh al-Albani’s opinion is that if the following three conditions are satisfied, then it is permitted for a woman to ride alone in a taxi:
- The ride should be “in the middle of the city” (he probably means that the ride should not be to an isolated or out of the way place, or to a different city).
- The driver should be a religiously observant person.
- The woman should be safe from kidnapping.
According to both al-Albani and the Jordanian Fatwa Authority, a woman’s riding in a taxi is not a form of khalwa (being alone with the opposite sex) that is forbidden, since a taxi is a public place due to not providing much privacy from the public. By bringing these opinions together, I believe we can express the requirements for such rides being permissible as follows: If the woman’s safety and dignity is preserved, and if such a ride is acceptable in her society and culture and is not considered scandalous, then it is permitted.
I believe al-Albani’s requirements that the ride should be in the city center and with a religious person are only heuristic recommendations meant to ensure a woman’s safety and dignity. If her safety and dignity are preserved in another way, then these requirements will not be necessary (for example by riding in a car that belongs to a company that carefully monitors its drivers and perhaps has a video camera inside the car).
As for riding on a motorcycle, the same rulings would apply. If her safety and dignity is preserved, and if such a ride is not considered scandalous in her society, and if there is no physical contact involved, then it may be acceptable.
- Article from Felesteen Online that mentions these opinions (Arabic PDF)
- Fatwa from the Jordanian Fatwa Authority (Arabic PDF)
I think there’s an important point that needs to be understood clearly — a bike taxi and a car taxi are not the same thing at all. In a car, there’s a physical separation between the driver and the passenger. The woman usually sits in the back seat, keeping a proper distance, and there’s no physical contact between her and the driver.
But when it comes to a motorbike taxi, the situation is completely different. Both the rider and the passenger sit very close together, and no matter how much one tries to maintain distance, the closeness is unavoidable. On uneven roads, bumps, or sudden stops, there’s often unintentional body contact. It doesn’t matter whether either person wants it or not — it just happens because of how bikes work.
I’m not a scholar; I’m just an ordinary person living in Pakistan, and I actually drive a bike taxi myself. Lately, some women have started using bike taxis here. It’s still not socially accepted by many, but it’s happening. In the beginning, I personally felt uncomfortable taking such rides. But a few times I had to, and that’s when I experienced something I think is worth sharing honestly.
Even though I tried my best to keep my intentions clean — I didn’t say anything wrong, didn’t misbehave, didn’t look back, and completed the rides respectfully — still, my body reacted naturally. Despite my mind and heart wanting to stay decent, my biological system, my hormones, reacted automatically just because of the physical closeness. My blood circulation increased, and I could feel that internal reaction.
This wasn’t a one-time thing; it happened more than once whenever a non-mahram woman was sitting behind me. But when a close family member or a mahram was sitting, there was absolutely no such feeling — nothing like that at all. That’s when I realized something very real: this physical reaction is not under conscious control; it’s biological.
Later, I discussed this with some of my close friends, and they all admitted they felt the same when a non-mahram woman sat behind them on a bike. I can’t say it happens to every single man, but in general, this seems to be a natural reaction that many experience — and Allah knows best.
In Islam, such physical closeness or the kind of feelings that arise between non-mahrams are clearly discouraged. Even if one doesn’t intend it, the situation itself invites fitnah (temptation). That’s why I personally believe that women using bike taxis is not the same as using car taxis. The level of physical proximity and human biological response makes it a completely different case.
I wanted to share this based on real-life experience, not theory. Maybe other men don’t talk about it openly, but I’m sure many have felt the same. Islam doesn’t only guide our intentions but also protects us from situations that can lead to natural but inappropriate desires.
So in my view, this is not about disrespecting women or limiting their movement — it’s about acknowledging a real biological and moral concern that comes with physical proximity on a bike. And it’s better, in my opinion, that we discuss it honestly instead of pretending it doesn’t exist.