A man asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about fasting while traveling. He answered: If you wish then fast, and if you wish then do not fast

Chapter: To observe Saum (fast) or not during journeys

Authentic hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 1943

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ حَمْزَةَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو الأَسْلَمِيَّ قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم

أَأَصُومُ فِي السَّفَرِ وَكَانَ كَثِيرَ الصِّيَامِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ إِنْ شِئْتَ فَصُمْ، وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَأَفْطِرْ ‏"

‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: Hamzah ibn ‘Amr al-Aslami asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Should I fast while traveling?" - and he used to fast often - He answered: "If you wish then fast, and if you wish then do not fast."

Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 1943), Muslim (No. 1121a), At-Tirmidhi (No. 711), An-Nasa’i (No. 2306, 2307, 2308), Ibn Majah (No. 1662), Ahmad (No. 23065, 24429, 24485, 24548) and Ad-Darimi (No. 1645).

Explanation

‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that Hamzah ibn ‘Amr al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) if he should fast while traveling, so the Prophet gave him the choice to either fast or not, saying: "If you wish then fast, and if you wish then do not fast."

What is intended here is the obligatory fasting, based on the Prophet's statement in another Hadīth: "It is a concession granted by Allah." It is implied here that Hamzah was asking about the obligatory fasting, and the proof for this is the narration in Abu Dawūd in which Hamzah said: "O Messenger of Allah, I own some riding animals and I use them. I myself travel on them and I rent them out. It is possible that this month (meaning Ramadan) comes (while I am traveling) and I find myself strong enough (to fast)."

There is also a possibility that Hamzah was asking about fasting in general, the obligatory and the voluntary, as ‘Ā’ishah said: "And he used to fast often."

Hence, it becomes clear that not fasting while traveling is a concession from Allah, so whoever takes advantage of the concession is correct and whoever chooses to fast, then this is also permissible, and his fasting fulfills the obligatory fast.

Explanation in Arabic

أخبرت عائشة رضي الله عنها أن حَمْزَةَ بن عَمْرٍو الأَسْلَمِيَّ رضي الله عنه سأل النبي -صلى لله عليه وسلم- عن الصوم في السفر؟

فخيره النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بين الصيام والفطر، فقال: "إن شئت فصم، وإن شئت فأفطر".

ومراده بالصوم هنا: صوم الفريضة؛ لقوله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "هي رُخْصَةٌ من الله".

وهذا يشعر ؛ بأنه سأل عن صيام الفريضة، ويدل لذلك ما أخرجه أبو داود ، قال رضي الله عنه : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي صَاحِبُ ظَهْرٍ أُعَالِجُهُ أُسَافِرُ عَلَيْهِ وَأَكْرِيهِ وَإِنَّهُ رُبَّمَا صَادَفَنِي هَذَا الشَّهْرُ يَعْنِي رَمَضَانَ وَأَنَا أَجِدُ الْقُوَّةَ.." الحديث.

ويحتمل أنه سؤال عن الصوم مطلقًا الواجب والنفل؛ لقولها: (وكان كثير الصيام).

ومن هذا يتبين، أن الفطر في السفر رخصة من الله ، فمن أخذ بالرخصة أصاب ومن صام جاز له ذلك، واعتبر صيامه مؤدياً للواجب عليه.

التخيير بين الصيام والفطر، لمن عنده قوة على الصيام.
صحة صوم رمضان في السفر.
يسر الشريعة الإسلامية.
إثبات المشيئة للعبد.
الرخصة في الفطر في السفر؛ لأنه مظنة المشقة.
حرص الصحابة رضي الله عنهم على أخذ العلم ليعملوا به.

Classical commentary

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani — Fath al-Bari

قَوْله : ( أَأَصُومُ فِي السَّفَر إِلَخْ ) قَالَ اِبْن دَقِيق الْعِيد : لَيْسَ فِيهِ تَصْرِيح بِأَنَّهُ صَوْم رَمَضَان فَلَا يَكُون فِيهِ حُجَّة عَلَى مَنْ مَنَعَ صِيَام رَمَضَان فِي السَّفَر. قُلْت : وَهُوَ كَمَا قَالَ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَى سِيَاق حَدِيث الْبَاب , لَكِنْ فِي رِوَايَة أَبِي مَرَاوِح الَّتِي ذَكَرْتهَا عِنْد مُسْلِم أَنَّهُ قَالَ " يَا رَسُول اللَّه أَجِد بِي قُوَّةً عَلَى الصِّيَام فِي السَّفَر فَهَلْ عَلِيّ جُنَاحٌ ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُول اللَّه صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : هِيَ رُخْصَة مِنْ اللَّه , فَمَنْ أَخَذَ بِهَا فَحَسَنٌ , وَمَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَصُوم فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ " وَهَذَا يُشْعِر بِأَنَّهُ سَأَلَ عَنْ صِيَام , الْفَرِيضَة , وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ الرُّخْصَةَ إِنَّمَا…

Scholar	Grade	Applies to	Work
Al-Bukharid. 256 AH	Authenticصحيح	The hadith	صحيح البخاري No. 1943

Grades of other versions (1)

Al-Daraqutni تَفَرَّدَ بهِ سُلَيمان بن بلال عن يحيى بن سعيد الأنصار عنه متصلا. ورواه محمد بن عجلان عن هِشام، وتَفَرَّدَ بهِ عنه محمد بن سلمة. — أطراف الغرائب (2/473)

Other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 1121a

Fast if you like and break it if you like.

إِنْ شِئْتَ فَصُمْ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَأَفْطِرْ ‏"

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Jami' at-Tirmidhi 711

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).'"

"‏ إِنْ شِئْتَ فَصُمْ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَأَفْطِرْ ‏"

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 2306

"Hamzah said to the Messenger of Allah: 'O Messenger of Allah, should I fast while traveling?' He used to fast a great deal. The Messenger of Allah said to him: "If you wish then fast and if you wish then do not fast."'

"‏ إِنْ شِئْتَ فَصُمْ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَأَفْطِرْ ‏"

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Differing grades Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 2307

"Hamzah asked the Messenger of Allah: 'O Messenger of Allah, should I fast while then fast and if you wish then do not fast."'

"‏ إِنْ شِئْتَ فَصُمْ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَأَفْطِرْ ‏"

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Differing grades Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 2308

"If you wish then fast and if you wish then do not fast."

"‏ إِنْ شِئْتَ فَصُمْ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَأَفْطِرْ ‏"

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Ibn Majah 1662

“Hamzah Al-Aslami asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): ‘I am fasting, should I fast while traveling?’ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘If you wish, then fast, and if you wish, then break your fast.’”

"‏ إِنْ شِئْتَ فَصُمْ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَأَفْطِرْ ‏"

Narrated by Ā’ishah

See all 12 versions

Not graded Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Musnad Ahmad 23065