As-salaam was alaikum. I have been a regular reader of your questions and answers, and I have been somewhat impressed by them. I am somewhat in confusion over your last answer about breaking the fast. As per the beliefs which I am aware of, a person is not allowed to fast when he/she is traveling. That is if the person leaves the limit of the city, then he cannot fast. So as per you answer, Prophet Muhammad (pbah) while traveling asked his companion to prepare for the opening of fast in the evening even though a lot of time was left. If in reality the Prophet was on a journey, could he have continued his fast? If yes then we are going away for the belief that we have to atleast stay in a town for 10 days before praying the full Namaz, and fasting. Please clarify this point. Also, is it right to let Magrib Namaz get kaza, so as to eat food.
Are we allowed to fast while traveling?
In the name of Allah, We praise
Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can
misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We
bear witness that there is no one (no idol,
no person, no grave, no
prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone,
and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of
His Messengers.
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 185 (part):… Therefore
from now on, whosoever
witnesses it, it is obligatory on him to
fast the whole month. But if one be ill, or on a
journey, he should make up the same
number by fasting on other days. Allah
desires to show leniency to you, and does not desire to show any
hardship……
The best person to understand
and implement the above, and any aayah of the Quran in his life, was the Messenger of Allah (saws). The above verse, of not fasting while one is
on a journey, was understood and implemented by the Messenger of Allah (saws)
as a permission that if the journey is easy and the person wants to fast, he may do so. And if the person finds the journey
difficult, he may choose not to fast, and make up the fast later. This permission was a leniency and a mercy
from Allah to the believers.
The praying of full prayers or ‘qasr’ (shortened) prayers have nothing to do with the
legality of the fast. One may travel and pray ‘shortened’ prayers, but he is
absolutely allowed to maintain his fasts in Ramadan, if he wishes to do so. If he does not wish to fast while traveling
in Ramadan, there is no harm; but the person will have to make up for the
missed fast/s on other days of the year.
Your Question: Also, is it right to let Magrib Namaz get kaza, so as to eat food.
The Magrib
prayer is valid until the time of Isha prayers. Thus if one wants to eat his food, there
would be enough time to pray his Magrib prayers ‘ada’ (on time).
The best way to break the fast is to eat something light while breaking
the fast with a few dates or water, as was the Sunnah
of the Messenger of Allah (saws); then pray the Magrib
prayers in congregation; and then have a full meal. That would solve the problem.
Unless in extreme circumstances,
one should always strive to offer all his obligatory prayers on time, and never make them
‘kada’ or late.
Whatever written of Truth and
benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error
is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He
is the Only Source of Strength.
Your Brother in Islam,
Burhan
Wister