Table of Contents
Not all of us have the same energy. Sometimes it calls a day to us when we fast, especially during travelling. But that doesn’t mean fasting while travelling is not right. If you are doing something for your god, you should try your best to perform that duty.
We are not just saying to keep fast, but also give you the best advice on it. For instance, you should consider the time to travel, know the sehri time, iftar time, interact with fellow Muslims, etc. Let’s explore more about this topic.
Things To Know About Fasting While Travelling
No one would like to fast while travelling. But if you are bound to fast at that time, maybe you are a Muslim and you are in your Ramadan month. Allah will never make it too difficult for you to fast, whether you are in your home or on a trip. You just need to follow some tips to not make your fasting a barrier to your travelling.
Travel At The Right Time
The month of Ramadan offers two auspicious times to have food, one is Seheri and the other is iftar. If you get tired of travelling while fasting, you can follow a simple tip. Choose the flight that will fly after iftar and reach before Seheri. Hence, you can avoid the time to travel when you need to sacrifice food.
We know that the plan won’t work every time. But at least try to depart and land at the convenient hours that can save you from starving while travelling.
Know The Time To Break Fast
People who live on the equator on the earth think that they need to fast for 14 hours, even if they depart from their country. But that is a flawed concept. You must break your fast when you physically see the sunset. For example, you had your sehri and left your home country. After five hours, when you are on the flight you are physically seeing the sunset physically. It means you can break your fast at that moment.
People living at the South Pole and North Pole need to keep fast for around 20 hours. If you are going to any such country, it is going to be difficult for you to stay without food for a long time. In that case, you can follow Saudi Arabia’s time. This country’s fasting hours usually start at 5.30 and end at 7.30. You can follow this time simply.
Download Muslim-Friendly Apps In Advance
While travelling, you may not hear the sound of azan in every place. This can make you miss your salah for not understanding the prayer time.
You are fasting during the Ramadan month when you don’t want to miss any chance to worship your god. Nothing can be more heartbreaking than missing your prayer in that month. Don’t worry, we have a solution for you. Just turn your location on and download all Muslim-friendly apps. These will remind you and show you the time of prayers, iftar, Sehri, and everything. Those times will be dedicated to your location, not the country from where you departed.
Keep Some Emergency Snacks
Delayed flights or cancellations of flights are no more a surprise nowadays. What will you do then if you face such circumstances? Will you stay in starvation? We don’t want you to face that. That’s why we are recommending you keep some emergency snacks in your bag. It would be better if you keep dry foods as they won’t create a mess. For instance, you can pack some nuts, dates, biscuits, granola, or any other dry foods. Keep a bottle of juice too as you need hydration after breaking fast.
Do Necessary Research
You are a musafir, and you are tired during the month of Ramadan. Also, Allah is the most merciful, but that doesn’t mean you can stop worshipping Allah. You must do the necessary research about the destination where you are travelling to. See if the location has mosques or not. Also, figure out if your destination home can hear the sound of azan.
The month of Ramadan is the chance when you can worship wholeheartedly. We don’t want you to miss this chance and do every possible research on that place. Hence, you can figure out if you can manage time and place to worship Allah.
Manage Foods For Iftar And Sehri
Fasting during travelling can seem difficult to you. At that time, your dream will be to reach the hotel and sleep for many hours. But what if you miss your Seheri or iftar because of sleeping? No matter how tired you are, your first job should be going to your nearest local store and buying food for your Iftar or Sehri.
Try getting foods that have complex carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. For carbs, you can rely on sweet potatoes or whole-grain bread. For protein, you can choose eggs or peanut butter. Don’t forget to add fruits to your meal as they are a rich source of vitamins and minerals.
Make A Bond With Your Muslim Brothers And Sisters
You are in an unknown place when you are fasting. And according to Islam, it is good to break fast with fellow Muslims. Hopefully, you are not the only one who is fasting in that country. There are many more Muslims in that city. So try finding out where the Muslim community is. It will be helpful for you if you interact with them.
As it is the month of Ramadan, you have to perform your Tarawih prayers. It will be Sunnat for you if you pray with fellow Muslims around. You may get invitations for Sehri or Iftar after bonding.
The Last Resort
I know it is difficult sometimes to fast while travelling, especially during the summer season. Sometimes it feels like we can’t stay without food for even one second when we are exerting so much physically.
Don’t worry, Islam is not so difficult. If you think you can’t starve anymore, you can simply break your fast. Or if you know that fasting can be too exhausting for you while travelling, you can skip that day. Allah hasn’t mentioned fasting as compulsory for travellers.
But there is a thing you must know. You skip fasting for some days during the month of Ramadan. But you must make it up for those days. When the Ramadan month is over, Eid is over, you shall keep fast for the number of days that have missed in the Ramadan month.
Note: Take this tip as the last resort if it has become too difficult for you to fast in your trip.
Frequently Asked Questions On Fasting While Travelling
Is fasting while travelling permissible?
Yes, you can fast on your trip if you can. Allah hasn’t made the Islam religion too hard. If you think it is becoming too hard to fast during travelling, you can skip it and fast after the Ramadan month.
When travellers shouldn’t keep fast?
There are several reasons why travellers can escape fasting. For instance, women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or are going through their menstruation period, can skip fasting. Again, travellers who are travelling in the scorching heat can find it hard to keep fast. People of all these groups can skip fasting on those particular days and make the reasons up after Ramadan.
Final Thoughts
So this was all about fasting while travelling. Yet, we can discuss it again in short. When you go to a different destination, your first job should be knowing the salah times, iftar time, and sehri time of that place. Also, you should make a good friend with your Muslim brothers and sisters to pray in jamaat. Most importantly, you must do the necessary research on your dream spot so that you miss no chance to worship wholeheartedly.
Don’t exert yourself too much if it is becoming too hard to keep fast for you. You can make it up after Ramadan.
Meta Description
It is true that fasting while travelling can sometimes be difficult. But it can be a cakewalk for you if you follow some tips given here.