Fasting during the month of Ramadan is compulsory for all Muslim men and women who are of a sane mind and mature age. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, and refraining from fasting out of neglect or indifference is a major sin. Fasting is the only act of ibadah that Allah (SWT) says Muslims do for Him; all other ibadah we do benefit us alone.
If you are in a predicament this Ramadan in regards to having to travel during Ramadan, there are a few ways in which you can make it easy upon yourself and also make sure that you do not miss out on the benefits of this holy month. With Ramadan 2024 approaching fast, here are a few tips that tell you how to travel during Ramadan, and how to make fasting while traveling easier for you:
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If you are going to be traveling and fasting during Ramadan, it’s a good idea to have an emergency iftar kit in your purse or backpack; it will definitely come in handy in case you are stuck in a situation where you cannot get any food or drink when maghrib is nearing. A few dates, a small bottle of water or a juice box, and a packet of biscuits should be perfectly enough to help your breakfast while traveling and satiate your hunger until you get to your destination or you find a place to get proper food.
Even though you are traveling and fasting during Ramadan, all concessions granted to the traveler during normal days still apply. This includes performing jam’ qasr or shortening and combining your prayers. This way you can shorten the length of your journey, and also don’t need to burden yourself.
Mu’aadh (rali) narrated: “We went out with the Messenger of Allah (SAW) on the campaign of Tabook, and he used to pray Zuhr and ‘Asr together, and Maghrib and ‘Isha’ together.” – [Sahih-al-Muslim]
It’s important to note that it is only permissible to combine Zuhr with Asr, and Maghrib with Isha. No other combination of prayers will be accepted. And while Zuhr, Asr, and Isha prayers may be shortened to two rakats instead of four, reducing the number of rakats for Maghrib and Fajr is not allowed.
Try and time your travels so that they do not fall within the fasting day whenever possible. If you are traveling abroad, and the distance is not too great, try and pick a flight that leaves after iftar and reaches before fajr. This way, you’ll be able to fast without disruption.
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If you are planning on traveling and fasting during Ramadan, and you intend on staying in a certain place for one or more nights, do some research and find out where the mosques are near the place you are planning to stay at. This way, you can still perform Taraweeh prayers even when traveling during Ramadan. And if you are unsure of where to break your fasts in an unfamiliar place, a mosque is always a safe bet.
If you are going to be traveling, unless you’re the one driving, there are bound to be extended periods of time when you will have nothing to do but stare out the window. One of the ways to utilize such time is to spend it reciting the Qur’an. You can buy a set of mini Qur’ans that come in tiny separate books for each chapter. They are compact and portable, and all you have to do is slip a couple into your bag. Alternatively, you can also download any one of the many Qur’an mobile apps that are available for smartphones, because, chances are you will probably have one of those with you!
Just like reciting the Qur’an during your journey when traveling abroad during Ramadan, you can also use that time to do dhikr. If you need some help, you can get yourself a mini dhikr book or download some onto your smartphone.
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A Muslim-friendly app will help you keep track of prayer timings, and send you reminders when it is time for you to pray and break your fast. Almost all Salah apps also have a function of showing the Qibla, which can come in really handy when you are in an unfamiliar place looking to offer your prayers. You can download the HalalTrip app to help you find mosques, Halal restaurants, and Muslim-friendly hotels near you.
In regards to breaking fast while traveling, you must always have iftar when the sun sets in your destination country (or when maghrib arrives wherever you are). The time zones of the country you left do not count, even if you did begin your fast there.
If you are able to put your journey off until after Ramadan is over (or if you are a woman, you can time it to coincide with your monthly period when you won’t be fasting anyway), this would be the best and easiest solution for you.
Ablah296
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