The Creed of Compassion-Islamic Teachings & Answering Doctrinal Misconceptions

Issue No. 1438- The eldest son should offer the qaḍā of the fasts and prayers of his father and mother after their death as was explained in issue no. 1205.

Issue No. 1439- If the legal guardian of a dead individual does not know whether the dead person had qaḍā fasts or not, it will not be obligatory on him to perform qaḍā fast. However, if he knows that he has some qaḍā fasts due from him but does not know their amount, then he should perform the number of qaḍā fasts that he is certain about, and he is not obliged more.

Issue No. 1441- It is not haram to travel during the month of Ramadan, but it is makrūh to travel during that month to evade fasting.

Issue No. 1442- If it is obligatory on a person to observe a particular fast other than the fasts of Ramadhan, like, if he has made a vow to keep fast on the 15th of the month of Sha’ban, he should not, as an obligatory precaution, travel on that day. Even if he is already on a journey, he should make an intention to stay at a place for ten days, and should observe fast on that day.

Issue No. 1443- If a person vows to fast but does not specify which day, he cannot observe fast while travelling. Similarly, the vow is invalid even if he vows that he would fast while travelling, or he vows to fast on a particular day whether he is travelling on that day or not.

Issue No. 1444- A traveller can observe recommended fasts in Medina for three days with the intention of the fulfilment of his need or task (though he may not be intending to stay there for ten days). However, the obligatory precaution is that those three days be Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Issue No. 1445- If a person, who does not know that the fast of a traveller is invalid, observes fast while travelling, his fast is valid, but if he realizes the ruling during the day, his fast will become void.

Issue No. 1446- If a person forgets that he is a traveller or forgets that the fast of a traveller is void, and observes fast while travelling, he should as an obligatory precaution, observe the qaḍā of that fast later.

Issue No. 1447- If a person who is fasting, travels after ẓuhr he should complete his fast, but if he travels before ẓuhr his fast is void. However, he cannot break his fast before reaching the limit of tarakhuṣ, and if he terminates his fast, it will be obligatory on him to offer kaffāra. (The limit of tarakhuṣ is a point where the adhān of the city cannot be heard, or where one cannot be seen by the residents of the city).

Issue No. 1448- If a traveller reaches his hometown or a place where he intends to stay for ten days before ẓuhr, while he has not committed an act which invalidates fast, he should observe fast on that day. But if he has committed such an act, he should observe the qaḍā of that day later, and it is recommended to refrain from all invalidators for the rest of the day. However, if he arrives in the afternoon, he cannot observe fast on that day.

Issue No. 1449- It is makrūh for a traveller and for a person who is excused from fasting, to eat or drink to his fill or have sexual intercourse during the daytime in Ramadan.

Issue No. 1450- The elderly can leave fasting if it is hard for them to observe fast. However, they should give one mudd (750 grams) of wheat, barley, etc., to an indigent for every fast. It would be better to give bread instead of wheat or barley. In this case, the obligatory precaution is that the net weight of the wheat of the bread be equal to one mudd.