Can a girl perform hajj under the custody of her stepfather?

Before last night I had no worries about how to complete hajj; I, my mother and my stepfather were planning to go on hajj. I came across a page on islamqa.com stating that a stepfather cannot even be mahram to a daughter when it comes to traveling, and another answer on the same page stating that I cannot even be in a room alone with my stepfather? They did not show any evidence or hadith regarding the issue and I have never heard anyone say this before. I am very confused because my understanding is that mahram is mahram and he is allowed to accompany me and my mother. I have no other male mahram relative and I am relying on my stepfather’s guardianship. Please clarify the issue if possible.

Dear Brother / Sister,

The man whom your mother married and slept with is your mahram, and it is forbidden for you to marry him forever. Therefore

It is indicated in the verse below that a stepfather is mahram for his stepdaughter: “Prohibited to you (For marriage) are … your step-daughters under your guardianship, born of your wives to whom ye have gone in.” (an-Nisa, 4/23). It is a well-known fact that a woman can go on hajj with her male relatives who are mahram.

The only condition is that the stepfather must not only marry the mother of his stepdaughter, but also sleep with her. The first sentence of the verse expresses it.

Fiqh scholars established the following rule in this regard:

“Marriage with a daughter makes her mother (whether he sleeps with her or not) haram for him. And marrying a mother makes her daughters haram for that person (on condition that he slept with her).” (see W. Zuhayli, al-Fiqhul-Islami, 9/6629)

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