Answered by Shaykh Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf Mangera
I have an aunt who is in her 50’s, she is a widow. She has 5 sons, she wants to go for her obligatory hajj, she has no debt at all, masha’Allah, her sons will pay for her, but they don’t want to go b/c they think they must be perfect when they come back, (cultural ideas) anyhow, they are not willing to go and a fatwa will not change their mind, what is she to do? Is she allowed to travel in a group? B/c that is the alternative she is seeking, b/c she really wants to go for hajj, the money will be there, but she needs to know about the mahram situation.
Assalamu alaykum
She has to wait to find a mahram for her to be able to travel to haj. It will not be permitted for her to go alone with a group according to the Hanafi school.
She may pay a mahram to go with her if that helps, otherwise she will not be sinful if she remains in this condition unable to perform the haj and until she dies.
Since, she really has an ardent desire to perform the pilgrimage she can continue to pray to Allah and encourage her mahrams to accompany her. At the end, it is all about acceptance. If Allah answers her prayer, she will find a willing mahram. A mature nephew or grandson as young as 15 years of age can generally qualify as a mahram too.
Wassalam
Abdurrahman Ibn Yusuf