Ramadan FAQs #01 Can You Break Your Fast When Travelling

My dear brothers and sisters, I welcome you

all to a brand new series for this

month of Ramadan titled

fast and curious

your Ramadan FAQs

answered. Insha Allahu Ta'ala in the series I

want to try and address and answer as

many FAQs as possible

So for episode number 1,

have you ever wondered about the rules of

fasting

whilst you are on the move? So today,

we are navigating the fascinating journey of fasting

when traveling.

Buckle up as we unpack the truth behind

this intriguing

question.

You see travel and fasting,

2 significant

aspects of life that often intersect

especially

during the noble month of Ramadan.

Now the big question is can you

or rather should you break your fast when

you are traveling?

Let's dive into the wisdom

and flexibility

our beautiful deen Islam offers for the fasting

traveler.

So firstly, we need to understand that Islam

is a religion of ease. It is a

religion of accommodation

and flexibility,

especially when it comes to the physical demands

placed upon us. So when you are traveling,

you are granted

concessions

by Allah

with regards to fasting, with regards to prayers.

So the concession related to fasting is that

you are allowed to either break your fast

or to continue it based on your own

capacity

and the journey's demands.

So scholars of the past and of modern

times have long discussed this,

emphasizing

that this concession

is a mercy from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

It is a blessing

from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that permits travelers

to make their journey without undue

hardship.

Now whoever studies the rulings on fasting,

the fiqh of fasting,

will find that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala

has prescribed

it as something to be done

in an easy manner and that taking an

easy attitude towards it is something that is

beloved to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Now what

is the proof with regards to this? Allah

as our

maker himself says in

the verses on fasting within those verses

in Surat Al Baqarah, aya number

185,

Allah intends for you ease and he does

not want to make things difficult for you.

So if the hardship of fasting reaches such

a level

that there is the fear of harm,

then one must break the fast.

You see, when it comes to

a pregnant mother,

a breastfeeding mother, a sick individual,

if the hardship of fasting reaches such a

level that there is now fear of harm

towards the mother, fear of harm towards the

child, the infant, fear of harm towards the

patient, the sick individual,

then such individuals must break their fast. And

this is the same case when it comes

to a traveler. And this is why the

prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam is reported to

have said and the narration is recorded in

the book of Imam al Bukhari and Imam

Muslim Rahima humallallahu.

He

said concerning a traveler

who fasted even though it was difficult upon

him. He said that it is not righteousness

to fast when traveling.

Unfortunately, today, we have got this

notion

where people think that, oh, you know, when

I'm traveling despite the difficulty, I should burden

myself, I should burden the people around me

and complicate things for myself and the people

around me, that those who are traveling with

me by fasting because that is a sign

of my righteousness. Look at the words of

the messenger, salallahu alaihi wa sallam, where he's

clearly saying, it is not righteousness

to fast when traveling. In another narration, another

incident, he said

this when some of the sahaba

fasted on a journey although it was very

difficult. What did he say? He looked at

them and he said those are the disobedient

ones. Those are the disobedient ones. And this

hadith is recorded in the book of Imam

Muslim Rahimahullah.

So my dear brothers and sisters, when might

you consider this option?

It boils down to the journey's length. It

boils down to your own health. It also

boils down to the difficulty of fasting whilst

on the move. Let's say it's a short,

easy journey. You're traveling by yourself. You're not

necessarily going to overburden yourself. You're not going

to burden others. Okay, you're not going to

compromise your well-being, you're not going to compromise

your safety and the safety of others, then

perhaps you could consider fasting. But if fasting

would

compromise your well-being, if it would compromise your

safety, then it is wise to consider the

concession provided.

It is important at the end of the

day to listen to your body, to make

a judgment based on sincere

intentions.

Remember, it's not about looking for loopholes

to break the fast, but to it is

all about understanding the flexibility

Islam offers with a genuine heart.

And at this juncture, I must say that

planning is crucial. If you decide to fast,

if it's a short journey,

if it's not going to burden yourself and

others,

then ensure that you're well prepared with enough

hydration,

that you've had a a decent before

your journey. And on the flip side, if

you choose to break your fast, then again

plan how you're going to make up for

that fast later because that is the ruling.

If you choose to break your fast, you

must know that it is upon your shoulders.

Yes. You're allowed to break your fast. Okay?

Whilst on the journey, you can break your

fast. But later on, after Ramadan,

you must make up for that fast at

a time when it is convenient upon you.

So consider the nature of your trip. If

it's a leisurely trip,

then that trip might offer you flexibility

to maintain your fast. Whilst on the other

hand, a demanding business trip

might necessitate

breaking it. Again, like I said earlier on,

perhaps you're traveling for a for a project.

You're traveling on a business trip. You're going,

you know, for a number of meetings. You're

traveling with your colleagues. You're traveling with your

work colleagues. You're traveling with, you know, your

partners,

and you're going for something extremely important.

Now if you burden yourself with fasting,

you're obviously going to feel zapped, you're going

to feel tired, You're not going to be

able to fulfill what you set out for

in that journey on that journey. You're going

to end up

complicating in the sense you're going to burden

yourself by

slowing yourself and slowing the others down as

well. So this is not something

that our

deen,

the beauty of our deen,

this is not something that our deen expects

from us.

On the flip side, our deen is so

flexible that our deen allows us to break

our fast

and go ahead and fulfill the objectives

of that permissible travel.

So you have to understand, balancing spirituality with

practicality is key. Reflect on the purpose of

fasting and the intention behind your travel. Are

you seeking

ease to enhance your worship, or is it

to escape the fast? The the answer lies

in honest self

assessment, self reflection.

Traveling during the month of Ramadan isn't just

about the physical journey. It is a

spiritual voyage as well. Embrace the journey,

understand your options, and make choices that enhance

your fell your faith

and your health and well-being. Wherever your travels

may take you, remember that Allah's rahmah, Allah's

mercy is vast and his concessions are there

for your benefit.

Travel with taqwa,

travel with piety, travel with gratitude,

and travel with the heart that is

attuned

to seeking the pleasure of Allah subhanahu wa

ta'ala. Thank you for joining me on this

enlightening journey. If this video

sparked your curiosity

or offered you valuable insights,

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wherever you may be.

wherever you may be.