Can I Break My Fast While Traveling During Ramadan?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question

I will visit some family members in a different town (more than 50 miles away) and maybe stay over for a few days. I was informed that I do not need to fast while traveling and should pray the traveler’s prayer during this time. Was the information I received valid?

Answer

Yes, if you are legally deemed to be a traveler (musafir), then you would (a) pray the shortened (qasr) traveler’s prayer and (b) have the choice of whether or not to fast.

Ruling for the Travelers

Allah (Most High) says,

“(Fast a) prescribed number of days. But whoever of you is ill or on a journey, then (let them fast) an equal number of days (after Ramadan).” [Quran, 2:184]

But with regards to the fast, note that there is a difference between somebody who is actively traveling in (somewhat) difficult circumstances and somebody who is in relative ease. It would be superior to fast in the latter case, yet there is no blameworthiness in not doing so as it is not obligatory.

Moreover, if you begin a fasting day as a resident, namely, you are still in your home city at dawn, you must fast the remainder of that day, and you cannot do otherwise. [Tahtawi/Shurunbulali, Hashiyat ‘ala Maraqi al-Falah; Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Please also see:

• When Should I Shorten My Prayers?
• The Basic Rulings of Travel
• Should I Feel Bad for Not Fasting When I Had to Travel?

And Allah Most High alone knows best.
[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where he also served as the President of the Islamic Society. He memorized the entire Quran in his hometown of Ipswich at the tender age of sixteen and has since studied the Islamic Sciences in traditional settings in the UK, Jordan, and Turkey. He is pursuing advanced studies in Jordan, where he is based with his family.