Question Summary:
1. it is mentioned in Quran(not in hadith) for the woman to be accompanied by a mahram 2. You might as well be familiar with the name Yousuf Islam(Cat Stevens). Now many say that music is haram in Islam.

Question Detail:

Asalam u alaikum wrthwbrkth!
Q1.(a)Brother, I wanted to ask you whether it is mentioned in Quran(not in hadith) for the woman to be accompanied by a mahram when she is going out of her house? If it is mentioned, please mention the ayats and the surah.
(b) I also want you to give me a detailed explanation about the 5 and 6 ayat of surah al-muminun. And please make it a simpler one as i already have read many translations but still cannot understand it properly.
(c) And how does one offer Tahajud nimaaz?
Q2. You might as well be familiar with the name Yousuf Islam(Cat Stevens). Now many say that music is haram in Islam. But after converting to Islam, Yousuf got to know that music is not haram, only senseless music is haram. Music with certain percusions is allowed. Now he has accompanied Dr. Zakir Naik  and late Ahmed Deedat for many discussions and i possibly cannot question his saying that it is not haram. Please mention the ayats in Quran which tell us that music is haram without giving references of the hadith.

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
 
1)
a) There is no specific verse in the Quran which states that a woman must leave her home while in the company of her mehram. However, it is clearly mentioned in Sahih Hadith that a woman is not permitted to travel the distance of safar (48 miles or 78 km) without being accompanied by her mehram. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said:
« لا تسافر المرأة ثلاثا إلا ومعها ذو محرم ».
“A woman cannot travel (a distance of) three days unless she has a mehram with her” (Sahih Muslim #3322)
 
« لا يحل لامرأة تؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر تسافر مسيرة ثلاث ليال إلا ومعها ذو محرم ».
“It is prohibited for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to travel a distance of three nights unless with a mehram” (Sahih Muslim #3324)
 
There are many more narrations regarding this ruling from Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam). In fact, other narrations even state a woman should not travel without her mehram for the distance of two days and even one day. Although the opinion in the Hanafi madhab is that it is forbidden for a woman to travel without her mehram for the abovementioned distance (48 miles), the fuqahaa still mention that a woman should not travel without her mehram for distances under 48 miles due to the abundant fitna nowadays. If out of necessity she needs to travel less than 48 miles, she may do so if proper hijab is observed and with the permission of her husband. Furthermore, the Hanafi Jurist Ibn Abideen (Rahimahullah) states:
 
( قوله في سفر ) هو ثلاثة أيام ولياليها فيباح لها الخروج إلى ما دونه لحاجة بغير محرم بحر ، وروي عن أبي حنيفة وأبي يوسف كراهة خروجها وحدها مسيرة يوم واحد ، وينبغي أن يكون الفتوى عليه لفساد الزمان شرح اللباب ويؤيده حديث الصحيحين " { لا يحل لامرأة تؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر أن تسافر مسيرة يوم وليلة إلا مع ذي محرم عليها } " وفي لفظ لمسلم " { مسيرة ليلة } " وفي لفظ " { يوم } " لكن قال في الفتح : ثم إذا كان المذهب الأول فليس للزوج منعها إذا كان بينها وبين مكة أقل من ثلاثة أيام  (رد المحتار)
“It is impermissible for a woman to travel the distance of three days and three nights. However, it will be permissible for her to travel the distance which is less than that without a Mehram because of need. It is reported from Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Abu Yusuf (Rahmatullahi Alyhima) that they disliked the travelling of a woman on herself even to the travel distance of one day and one night, and the Fatwa should be on this opinion due to the widespread immorality. This is also affirmed by the Hadith recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim:
‘It is Impermissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the last day that she travels the distance of one day and one night except with a Mehram accompanying her’.  However, it is stated in al-Fathul-Qadir: ‘When the relied upon opinion is the first (i.e. distance of three days and three nights), the husband does not have a right to prevent her from performing Hajj if the distance between her and Makkah is less than three days’.“ (Raddul Muhtaar)
 
b) The verses you refer to in your query are as follows:
والذين هم لفروجهم حافظون (5) إلا على أزواجهم أو ما ملكت أيمانهم فإنهم غير ملومين (6)
“And those who guard their private parts except from their wives or from those (slave girls) owned by their right hands, because they are not liable to blame” (23:5-6)
It is firstly important to mention that the first few verses of Surah al-Muminun mention attributes of a successful believer. The abovementioned verses are included amongst these attributes. The meaning of these verses is that one of the attributes of a successful believer is he who fulfills his desires lawfully and in a permissible manner (with his wife or slave-girl and in a permissible manner with them). Following these verses, Allah Ta’ala says:
فمن ابتغى وراء ذلك فأولئك هم العادون (7)
“However, those who seek (sexual pleasure) beyond that, they are the transgressors” (23:7)
This is regarding those who fulfill their sexual desires in an unlawful manner, including adultery, masturbation, having relations with one’s wife while she is menstruating, anal sex, etc.
(Ma’ariful Quran, 6/303)
c) It was the general habit of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) to observe 8 rakats of tahajjud prayer. Therefore, it is advisable to observe 8 rakats (in pairs). However, different narrations also state that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) sometimes observed 4, 6, 8, and 10 rakats of tahajjud. Therefore, if one is unable to observe the recommended 8 rakats, then one may observe whatever amount is possible for him. It is also more virtuous to offer tahajjud in the latter part of the night. If one is unable to get up at this time, he may observe it after the Isha salat.
عن عبد الله بن أبى قيس قال قلت لعائشة رضى الله عنها : بكم كان رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يوتر قالت : كان يوتر بأربع وثلاث وست وثلاث وثمان وثلاث وعشر وثلاث ولم يكن يوتر بأنقص من سبع ولا بأكثر من ثلاث عشرة.
(Sunan Abi Dawud #1357)
( قوله وأقلها على ما في الجوهرة ثمان ) قيد بقوله على ما في الجوهرة لأنه في الحاوي القدسي قال : يصلي ما سهل عليه ولو ركعتين والسنة فيها ثماني ركعات بأربع تسليمات
(Raddul Muhtar, 2/25, HM Saeed)
 
2) Hereunder is a detailed research on the prohibition of music in Shari’ah, including proofs from the Holy Quran:
http://www.al-inaam.com/fataawa/music_detailed.htm
 
And Allah knows best
Wassalaamu `alaykum
Ml. Asif Umar,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah