Travelling and fasting

[ummtaalib]

Travelling and fasting

 

Q. If Zaid’s flight/trip is scheduled at 8AM, can he forgo the fast?

 

(Question published as received)

 

A. A Musaafir (traveller) is excused from fasting if he initiates his Safr (travel) before the Subah Saadiq time (true dawn) commences. (Ahsanul Fataawa 4/447)  Hence, if a Musaafir (traveller) intends to initiate his Safr (travel) after the Subah Saadiq time (true dawn) commences i.e. 8AM, he will not be excused from fasting.

 

However, if he initiates his Safr (travel) before the Subah Saadiq time (true dawn) commences for e.g. 8PM, he will be excused from fasting as a Musaafir (traveller).

 

Note: If a person did not fast due to being a Musaafir (traveller), he will have to make up (Qadha) the fast at a late stage i.e. after Ramadhaan etc. Also, it is more rewarding for a Musaafir (traveller) to fast on Safr (travel) if fasting does not cause undue hardship to him. 

 

 

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

 

Mufti Ismaeel Bassa

 

Confirmation: 

Mufti Ebrahim Desai

 

(Islamic rulings on this Q&A newsletter are answered in accordance to the Hanafi Fiqh) 

 

Fatwa Department

Jamiatul Ulama (KZN) 

Council of Muslim Theologians