Muiz Bukhary – Ramadan FAQs #01 Can You Break Your Fast When Travelling

Muiz Bukhary
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The host introduces a new series on the rules of fasting during travel, highlighting the benefits of breaking fast and allowing travelers to continue on their own journey. The importance of knowing the flexibility Islam offers and being prepared for the journey is emphasized. The speaker emphasizes the need to listen to one's body and make a judgment based on their intentions, as well as balancing spirituality with practicality. The speaker also offers tips on traveling during Feb.

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			My dear brothers and sisters, I welcome you
		
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			all to a brand new series for this
		
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			month of Ramadan titled
		
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			fast and curious
		
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			your Ramadan FAQs
		
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			answered. Insha Allahu Ta'ala in the series I
		
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			want to try and address and answer as
		
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			many FAQs as possible
		
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			So for episode number 1,
		
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			have you ever wondered about the rules of
		
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			fasting
		
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			whilst you are on the move? So today,
		
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			we are navigating the fascinating journey of fasting
		
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			when traveling.
		
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			Buckle up as we unpack the truth behind
		
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			this intriguing
		
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			question.
		
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			You see travel and fasting,
		
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			2 significant
		
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			aspects of life that often intersect
		
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			especially
		
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			during the noble month of Ramadan.
		
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			Now the big question is can you
		
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			or rather should you break your fast when
		
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			you are traveling?
		
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			Let's dive into the wisdom
		
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			and flexibility
		
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			our beautiful deen Islam offers for the fasting
		
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			traveler.
		
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			So firstly, we need to understand that Islam
		
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			is a religion of ease. It is a
		
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			religion of accommodation
		
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			and flexibility,
		
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			especially when it comes to the physical demands
		
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			placed upon us. So when you are traveling,
		
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			you are granted
		
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			concessions
		
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			by Allah
		
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			with regards to fasting, with regards to prayers.
		
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			So the concession related to fasting is that
		
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			you are allowed to either break your fast
		
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			or to continue it based on your own
		
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			capacity
		
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			and the journey's demands.
		
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			So scholars of the past and of modern
		
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			times have long discussed this,
		
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			emphasizing
		
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			that this concession
		
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			is a mercy from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
		
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			It is a blessing
		
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			from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that permits travelers
		
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			to make their journey without undue
		
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			hardship.
		
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			Now whoever studies the rulings on fasting,
		
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			the fiqh of fasting,
		
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			will find that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
		
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			has prescribed
		
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			it as something to be done
		
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			in an easy manner and that taking an
		
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			easy attitude towards it is something that is
		
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			beloved to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Now what
		
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			is the proof with regards to this? Allah
		
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			as our
		
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			maker himself says in
		
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			the verses on fasting within those verses
		
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			in Surat Al Baqarah, aya number
		
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			185,
		
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			Allah intends for you ease and he does
		
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			not want to make things difficult for you.
		
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			So if the hardship of fasting reaches such
		
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			a level
		
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			that there is the fear of harm,
		
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			then one must break the fast.
		
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			You see, when it comes to
		
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			a pregnant mother,
		
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			a breastfeeding mother, a sick individual,
		
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			if the hardship of fasting reaches such a
		
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			level that there is now fear of harm
		
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			towards the mother, fear of harm towards the
		
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			child, the infant, fear of harm towards the
		
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			patient, the sick individual,
		
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			then such individuals must break their fast. And
		
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			this is the same case when it comes
		
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			to a traveler. And this is why the
		
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			prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam is reported to
		
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			have said and the narration is recorded in
		
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			the book of Imam al Bukhari and Imam
		
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			Muslim Rahima humallallahu.
		
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			He
		
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			said concerning a traveler
		
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			who fasted even though it was difficult upon
		
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			him. He said that it is not righteousness
		
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			to fast when traveling.
		
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			Unfortunately, today, we have got this
		
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			notion
		
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			where people think that, oh, you know, when
		
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			I'm traveling despite the difficulty, I should burden
		
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			myself, I should burden the people around me
		
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			and complicate things for myself and the people
		
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			around me, that those who are traveling with
		
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			me by fasting because that is a sign
		
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			of my righteousness. Look at the words of
		
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			the messenger, salallahu alaihi wa sallam, where he's
		
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			clearly saying, it is not righteousness
		
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			to fast when traveling. In another narration, another
		
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			incident, he said
		
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			this when some of the sahaba
		
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			fasted on a journey although it was very
		
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			difficult. What did he say? He looked at
		
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			them and he said those are the disobedient
		
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			ones. Those are the disobedient ones. And this
		
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			hadith is recorded in the book of Imam
		
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			Muslim Rahimahullah.
		
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			So my dear brothers and sisters, when might
		
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			you consider this option?
		
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			It boils down to the journey's length. It
		
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			boils down to your own health. It also
		
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			boils down to the difficulty of fasting whilst
		
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			on the move. Let's say it's a short,
		
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			easy journey. You're traveling by yourself. You're not
		
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			necessarily going to overburden yourself. You're not going
		
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			to burden others. Okay, you're not going to
		
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			compromise your well-being, you're not going to compromise
		
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			your safety and the safety of others, then
		
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			perhaps you could consider fasting. But if fasting
		
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			would
		
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			compromise your well-being, if it would compromise your
		
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			safety, then it is wise to consider the
		
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			concession provided.
		
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			It is important at the end of the
		
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			day to listen to your body, to make
		
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			a judgment based on sincere
		
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			intentions.
		
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			Remember, it's not about looking for loopholes
		
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			to break the fast, but to it is
		
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			all about understanding the flexibility
		
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			Islam offers with a genuine heart.
		
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			And at this juncture, I must say that
		
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			planning is crucial. If you decide to fast,
		
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			if it's a short journey,
		
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			if it's not going to burden yourself and
		
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			others,
		
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			then ensure that you're well prepared with enough
		
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			hydration,
		
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			that you've had a a decent before
		
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			your journey. And on the flip side, if
		
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			you choose to break your fast, then again
		
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			plan how you're going to make up for
		
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			that fast later because that is the ruling.
		
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			If you choose to break your fast, you
		
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			must know that it is upon your shoulders.
		
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			Yes. You're allowed to break your fast. Okay?
		
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			Whilst on the journey, you can break your
		
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			fast. But later on, after Ramadan,
		
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			you must make up for that fast at
		
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			a time when it is convenient upon you.
		
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			So consider the nature of your trip. If
		
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			it's a leisurely trip,
		
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			then that trip might offer you flexibility
		
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			to maintain your fast. Whilst on the other
		
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			hand, a demanding business trip
		
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			might necessitate
		
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			breaking it. Again, like I said earlier on,
		
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			perhaps you're traveling for a for a project.
		
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			You're traveling on a business trip. You're going,
		
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			you know, for a number of meetings. You're
		
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			traveling with your colleagues. You're traveling with your
		
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			work colleagues. You're traveling with, you know, your
		
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			partners,
		
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			and you're going for something extremely important.
		
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			Now if you burden yourself with fasting,
		
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			you're obviously going to feel zapped, you're going
		
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			to feel tired, You're not going to be
		
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			able to fulfill what you set out for
		
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			in that journey on that journey. You're going
		
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			to end up
		
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			complicating in the sense you're going to burden
		
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			yourself by
		
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			slowing yourself and slowing the others down as
		
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			well. So this is not something
		
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			that our
		
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			deen,
		
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			the beauty of our deen,
		
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			this is not something that our deen expects
		
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			from us.
		
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			On the flip side, our deen is so
		
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			flexible that our deen allows us to break
		
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			our fast
		
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			and go ahead and fulfill the objectives
		
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			of that permissible travel.
		
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			So you have to understand, balancing spirituality with
		
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			practicality is key. Reflect on the purpose of
		
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			fasting and the intention behind your travel. Are
		
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			you seeking
		
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			ease to enhance your worship, or is it
		
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			to escape the fast? The the answer lies
		
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			in honest self
		
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			assessment, self reflection.
		
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			Traveling during the month of Ramadan isn't just
		
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			about the physical journey. It is a
		
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			spiritual voyage as well. Embrace the journey,
		
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			understand your options, and make choices that enhance
		
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			your fell your faith
		
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			and your health and well-being. Wherever your travels
		
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			may take you, remember that Allah's rahmah, Allah's
		
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			mercy is vast and his concessions are there
		
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			for your benefit.
		
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			Travel with taqwa,
		
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			travel with piety, travel with gratitude,
		
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			and travel with the heart that is
		
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			attuned
		
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			to seeking the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa
		
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			ta'ala. Thank you for joining me on this
		
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			enlightening journey. If this video
		
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			sparked your curiosity
		
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			or offered you valuable insights,
		
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			don't forget to hit the like button.
		
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			that it may benefit others, you know, your
		
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			family members, your friends on your social media
		
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			platforms,
		
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			and also subscribe to my channel for more
		
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			thoughtful content inshallah.
		
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			I wish you safe travels and blessed fast
		
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			wherever you may be.