If A Muslim Moves To Another Country During Ramadaan

EsinIslam Ramadan

The Awqaf - Living Shariah

What should a Muslim do if he moves from one country to another during Ramadaan, where the people started fasting on a different day?


Praise be to Allaah.

If a person finds himself in a country where the people have already started fasting, he must fast with them, because he must follow the ruling of the country he is in. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Fast when the people fast, break your fast when the people break their fast, and offer your sacrifice when the people offer their sacrifice.” (Reported by Abu Dawood with a jayyid isnaad; there are corroborating reports narrated by Abu Dawood and others).

Suppose that he moved from a country where he had begun fasting with the people there, and went to another country. He has to either break his fast or continue fasting according to the ruling of the people in the country to which he has travelled, even if they end their fast earlier than the country where he started fasting. But if it turns out that he has fasted less than twenty-nine days, he must make up the fasts later on, because the hijri month cannot be less than twenty-nine days.

(Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/124).

How should a cabin crew member fast?

I am a cabin crew member.How do i observe my fasts durin the Holy month of Ramadan while travelling 2 places in the west which require long hours of flying?.


Praise be to Allaah.

So long as you are working as a member of the cabin crew in an airplane, you are travelling, and the scholars are agreed that it is permissible for the traveller to break his fast during Ramadaan, whether it is difficult for him to fast or not.

It is preferable for the traveller to fast, so long as fasting does not cause him hardship, in which case it is better for him to break his fast and make up the days that he did not fast later on. See Question no. 20165.

If you want to fast then you have to refrain from eating and drinking etc from dawn in the place where you are at the time of dawn, whether you are on the ground or in the air.

Similarly the ruling concerning iftaar is that you should not break your fast until the sun sets in the place where you are. If you are on board the plane and you can see the sun, it is not permissible for you to break your fast until the sun sets, even if the sun has already set for the people of the land which you are flying over in the plane.

The fact that the day may be made longer or shorter because of travelling does not have any effect on the fast.

It is well known that if you are travelling eastwards, the day will become shorter for you, and if you are travelling westwards the day will become longer.

What matters is the place where you are at the time of dawn and the time of sunset.

See also question no. 38007.

Ramadan Team

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