Fiqh of Fasting: Permissible to break fast for one who begins a journey while fasting

6. Permissible for one who begins a journey while fasting
As mentioned above this is a matter of disagreement among the Sahaaba and a matter of controversy and difference in the early generations. It is again better for a person to investigate the matter on his own rather than blindly follow this book or any other book or person. There is a narration of a person from the salaf (earliest generations of muslims) which is as follows – It is narrated Musnad of Imaam Ahmad (26690) and Sunan Aboo Dawood (2412) narrated that ‘Ubayd ibn Jabr said: I traveled with Abu Basrah al-Ghifaari, the companion of the Messenger of Allaah (sall Allâhu’ alayhi wa sallam), in a ship from al-Fustaat (presently Cairo in Egypt) in Ramadaan. He set off then lunch was brought (according to a report narrated by Ahmad: when we sent off from Marsana he ordered that his food be brought). Then he said: ‘Come and eat.’ I said, ‘Can’t we still see the houses?’ Abu Basrah said: ‘Don’t you want to follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (sall Allâhu’ alayhi wa sallam)?!’
And also it is narrated form Ibn Qudaamah in al-Mughni (4/347), after stating that one who travels during the day may break the fast: “Once this is established, it is not permissible for him to break the fast until he has left the houses behind, i.e., he has gone past them and has left the buildings behind. “ Al-Hasan said: “He may break the fast in his house, if he wishes, on the day that he intends to leave.” Something similar was narrated from ‘Ata’. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: “The view of al-Hasan is odd; no one is allowed to break the fast when not traveling, and there is no evidence for that, either rationally or in the reports.”
There are two opinions regarding this and one may follow whatever he feels the most sure about. According to Imaam Ahmad, Ibn Qudamah in al Mughni(4/345), Ibn Taymiyya in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa(25/212) , Ibn Al Qayyim in Tahdheeb al-Sunan, and Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen in al-Sharh al-Mumti’(6/218) the opinion is that it is permissible to break your fast in Ramadaan and then make it up when one starts traveling in the day. The clearest and simplest rule regarding traveling is once you have packed your provision and left the houses of your town, then you are considered a traveler. And some opinions have stated that, to be on the safe side one should break his fast when the structures of his town are not visible. And Allah Knows Best.

(Chapter 4 & 5 – Insha’Allah comming soon around Eid al Fitr)

IBN AL HYDERABADEE