Surah 1-2 - YasSarNal QuR'aN

Al-Baqarah (The Cow) | SOCIAL JUSTICE AND FASTINGExemption from Fasting when TravellingA number of reported incidents illustrate the Prophet’s attitude towards theexemption from fasting in Ramadan while travelling. These give us a glimpse of howthe early Muslims received and implemented such rules, long before scholarsintroduced legal technicalities. These reports reflect a realistic and dynamic approachto Islam which gives it, and life under it, a vigorous and agreeable meaning.1. Jābir reports that it was in the month of Ramadan that the Prophet leftMadinah for Makkah, the year it fell to Islam. He observed the fast until hereached Kurā` al-Ghamīm, and so did those who marched with him. Then hecalled for a glass of water, raised it for everyone to see, and drank from it.Later he was told that some people continued to fast. He said, “They aredisobedient! They are disobedient!” [Related by Muslim and al-Tirmidhī]2. Anas reports: “A group of us were once travelling with the Prophet inRamadan. Some of us were fasting and some were not. On a hot day, westopped to rest, with little or no shade available. The one who had maximumshade was a person who had a shirt to cover himself. Some used their handsas a cover from the sun. Those who were fasting collapsed of exhaustion whilethose who were not pitched the tents and gave water to the animals.Commenting, the Prophet said: “Those who are not fasting have run awaywith the whole reward today.” [Related by al-Bukhārī, Muslim and al-Nasā’ī]3. Jābir reports: “Once on a journey, the Prophet saw a group of people gatheredto shade a fellow traveller. When he enquired what was wrong with him, hewas told that the man was fasting. The Prophet said, “It is not righteous to fastwhile on a journey.” [Related by Mālik, al-Bukhārī, Muslim, Abū Dāwūd andal-Nasā’ī]4. `Amr ibn Umayyah al-Đamarī reports: “On arriving from a journey, I reportedto the Prophet who invited me to stay for lunch. I apologised because I wasfasting. The Prophet said, ‘Then let me tell you about the traveller: God hasexempted him from fasting and half his prayers.’“ [Related by al-Nasā’ī]5. A man from the clan of `Abdullāh ibn Ka`b ibn Mālik, called Anas ibn Mālik,quotes the Prophet as saying, “God has reduced the prayer for the traveller byhalf and exempted him from fasting. He has also exempted from fasting thenursing mother and the pregnant woman if they fear for their babies” [Relatedby Abū Dāwūd, al- Tirmidhī, al-Nasā’ī and Ibn Mājah]6. `Ā’ishah reports that Ĥamzah ibn `Amr al-Aslamī, who was frequentlyfasting, once asked the Prophet about fasting while travelling, to which theProphet replied: “You may fast if you wish, or you may not.” [Related by202