Fasting During Travel

Abdur Rahman bin 'Abdul Qari said,

"I went out in the company of 'Umar bin Al-Khattab one night in Ramadan to the mosque and found the people praying in different groups. A man praying alone or a man praying with a little group behind him. So, 'Umar said, 'In my opinion I would better collect these (people) under the leadership of one Qari (Reciter) (i.e. let them pray in congregation!)'. So, he made up his mind to congregate them behind Ubai bin Ka'b. Then on another night I went again in his company and the people were praying behind their reciter. On that, 'Umar remarked, 'What an excellent Bid'a (i.e. innovation in religion) this is; but the prayer which they do not perform, but sleep at its time is better than the one they are offering.' He meant the prayer in the last part of the night. (In those days) people used to pray in the early part of the night."

(the wife of the Prophet) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to pray (at night) in Ramadan.

That he was informed by `Aisha, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went out in the middle of the night and prayed in the mosque and some men prayed behind him. In the morning, the people spoke about it and then a large number of them gathered and prayed behind him (on the second night). In the next morning the people again talked about it and on the third night the mosque was full with a large number of people. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came out and the people prayed behind him. On the fourth night the Mosque was overwhelmed with people and could not accommodate them, but the Prophet (ﷺ) came out (only) for the morning prayer. When the morning prayer was finished he recited Tashah-hud and (addressing the people) said, "Amma ba'du, your presence was not hidden from me but I was afraid lest the night prayer (Qiyam) should be enjoined on you and you might not be able to carry it on." So, Allah's Apostle died and the situation remained like that (i.e. people prayed individually). "

that he asked `Aisha "How was the prayer of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in Ramadan?" She replied, "He did not pray more than eleven rak`at in Ramadan or in any other month. He used to pray four rak`at ---- let alone their beauty and length----and then he would pray four ----let alone their beauty and length ---- and then he would pray three rak`at (witr)." She added, "I asked, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Do you sleep before praying the witr?' He replied, 'O `Aisha! My eyes sleep but my heart does not sleep."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever fasted the month of Ramadan out of sincere Faith (i.e. belief) and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his past sins will be forgiven, and whoever stood for the prayers in the night of Qadr out of sincere Faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, then all his previous sins will be forgiven ."

Some men amongst the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) were shown in their dreams that the night of Qadr was in the last seven nights of Ramadan. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "It seems that all your dreams agree that (the Night of Qadr) is in the last seven nights, and whoever wants to search for it (i.e. the Night of Qadr) should search in the last seven (nights of Ramadan).

The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) used to place his camel (towards the Ka'ba) and said prayer in its direction.

The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) used to say prayer towards his camel. Ibn Numair said: The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) said prayer towards the camel.

I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in Mecca and he was (at that time) at al- Abtah in a red leather tent. And Bilal stepped out with ablution water for him. (And what was left out of that water) some of them got it (whereas others could not get it) and (those who got it) rubbed themselves with it. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stepped out with a red mantle on him and I was catching a glimpse of the whiteness of his shanks. The narrator said: He (the Holy Prophet) performed the ablution. and Bilal pronounced Adhan and I followed his mouth (as he turned) this side and that as he said on the right and the left:" Come to prayer, come to success." ' A spear was then fixed for him (on the ground). He stepped forward and said two rak'ahs of Zuhr, while there passed in front of him a donkey and a dog, and these were not checked. He then said two rak'ahs of the 'Asr prayer, and he then continued saying two rak'ahs till he came back to Medina.

The donkey passed in front of the row and then he got down from it And joined the row along with the people.

The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ) was leading prayer at 'Arafa.

"We entered upon 'Abdullah along with 'Alqamah, Al-Aswad and a group (of others). He told us a Hadith which he only narrated to the people because of me, as I was the youngest of them. The Messenger of Allah said: 'O young men, whoever among you can afford to get married let him do so, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and guarding one's chastity."' (One of the narrators) 'Ali said: "Al-Amash was asked about the narrated of Ibrahim, so he (the questioner) said: 'Form Ibrahim, from 'Alqamah, from 'Abdullah; similarly?. Which he (Al-'Amash) replied: 'Yes.

"Whoever fasts one day in the cause of Allah, the Mighty and sublime, Allah will remove his face away from the fire in return for the day (the distance of) seventy autumns.

"The Messenger of Allah: 'There is no worshipper who fasts a day in the cause of Allah, but Allah, the most high, will separate (a distance of) seventy autumns between his face and the fire in return for that day."'

"Whoever fasts a day in the cause of Allah, Allah will separate his face from the heat of Hell (a distance of) seventy autumns."

If a man falls ill during Ramadan and he dies, while he could not keep the fast, food will be provided (for the poor men) on his behalf ; there is no atonement (for his fasts) due from him. If there is some vow which he could not fulfill, his heir must atone on his behalf.

I came to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri while he was giving his legal opinion to the people who bent down on him. So I waited to see hi when he was alone. When he became alone, I asked him about keeping fast while travelling. He said: we went out along with the Prophet (ﷺ) in Ramadan in the year of conquest of Mecca. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) fasted and we fasted until he reached a certain stage. He said: You have come near your enemy; the breaking of fast will bring you more strength. Then morning came when some of us fasted and other broke their fast. He (Abu Sa'id al-Khudri) said: We then proceeded and alighted at a stage. He said: You are going to attack your enemy tomorrow morning ; breaking the fast will bring you more strength ; so break your fast (i.e. do not keep fast). This resolution (of breaking the fast) took place (due to the announcement) from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

Abu Sa'id said: Then I found myself keeping fast along with the Prophet (ﷺ) before and after that.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: If anyone has a riding beast which carries him to where he can get sufficient food, he should keep the fast of Ramadan wherever he is when it comes.

Ja'far ibn Jubayr said: I accompanied Abu Busrah al-Ghifari, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), in a boat proceeding from al-Fustat (Cairo) during Ramadan. He was lifted (to the boat), then his meal was brought to him. The narrator Ja'far said in his version: He did not go beyond the houses (of the city) but he called for the dining sheet. He said (to me): Come near. I said: Do you not see the houses? Abu Busrah said: Do you detest the sunnah (practice) of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? The narrator Ja'far said in his version: He then ate (it).

"The Messenger of Allah went to Makkah in the Year of the Conquest, so he fasted until he reached Kura Al-Ghamim and the people were fasting with him. Then it was said to him: 'The fast has become difficult for the people, and they are watching you to see what you will do.' So after Asr, he called for a cup of water and drank it while the people were looking at him. Some of them broke the fast while some of them continued their fasting. It was conveyed to him that people were still fasting, so he said: "Those are the disobedient.'"

Hamzah bin Amr Al-Aslami asked the Messenger of Allah about fasting while traveling, and he fasted regularly. So the Messenger of Allah said: 'If you wish then fast, and if you wish then break (the fast).'"

"Do not fast on Saturdays apart from days when you are obliged to fast. If anyone of you cannot find anything other than grape stalks or the bark of a tree, let him suck on it."

"There are no days during which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these days," meaning the (first) ten days of Dhul- Hijjah. They said: "O Messenger of Allah! Not even Jihad in the cause of Allah?" He said: "Not even Jihad in the cause of Allah, unless a man goes out with himself and his wealth and does not bring anything back."

"There are no days in this world during which worship is more beloved to Allah, Glorious is He, than the (first) ten days (of Dhul- Hijjah). Fasting one of these days is equivalent to fasting for one year, and one night of them is equal to Lailatul-Qadr."

The Quraish were much worried about the case of a Makhzumiyah woman who had committed theft and wondered who should intercede for her with Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) (so that she would not get punished for her crime). Some said Usamah bin Zaid (May Allah be pleased with him) was his beloved and so he may dare do so. So Usamah(May Allah be pleased with him) spoke to him about that matter and the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "Do you intercede when one of the legal punishments ordained by Allah has been voilated?" Then he got up and addressed the people saying, "The people before you were ruined because when a noble person amongst them committed theft, they would leave him, but if a weak person amongst them committed theft, they would execute the legal punishment on him. By Allah, were Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, to commit the theft, I would have cut off her hand."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Prophet (ﷺ) noticed spittle in the mosque in the direction of the Qiblah. The signs of disgust were perceived on his face. Then, he stood up and scraped it away with his own hand and said, "When you stand in Salat, you hold communion with your Rubb and He is between you and the Qiblah. Let no one therefore cast out his spittle in that direction, but only to his left or under his foot." Then he caught hold a corner of his sheet, spat into it and folded it up and said, "Or he should do like this."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

I heard Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "All of you are guardians and are responsible for your wards. The ruler is a guardian and responsible for his subjects; the man is a guardian and responsible for his family; the woman is a guardian and is responsible for her husbands house and his offspring; and so all of you are guardians and are responsible for your wards."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Any slave whom Allah makes him in charge of subjects and he dies while he is not sincere to them, Allah will make Jannah unlawful for him."

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Another narration is: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "He who does not look after his subjects with goodwill and sincerity, will be deprived of the fragrance of Jannah."

A narration in Muslim is: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A ruler who, having control over the affairs of the Muslims, does not strive diligently for their betterment and does not serve them sincerely, will not enter Jannah with them."

I heard the the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) supplicating in my house: "O Allah! Treat harshly those who rule over my Ummah with harshness, and treat gently those who rule over my Ummah with gentleness."

[Muslim].