One of the matters that may be essential for all of us to know is how to carry out "the rulings on traveling during the month of Ramadan" in a way that does not harm fasting.
A person who goes on a journey is considered a traveler in Islamic law if the following conditions are met, and must shorten their four-unit (rak‘ah) prayers to two units:
The travel distance must not be less than eight farsakhs (about 43 kilometers), meaning there should be at least four farsakhs between the starting point and destination.
The traveler must intend from the start of the journey to cover the distance of eight farsakhs.
Before reaching the minimum legal distance (four farsakhs), the traveler should not abandon the intention to complete the legal travel distance.
During the journey, the traveler should not return to their home or a place where they plan to stay for ten days before completing the travel distance.
The travel must not be for any unlawful (haram) reason.
The traveler must not be among those who have no fixed residence, such as nomads.
Traveling should not be the person’s profession (e.g., drivers or people whose job involves constant travel between two cities).
The traveler must reach “had al-tarkhass” — a distance far enough from home or the place of intended stay that they cannot hear the city’s call to prayer (adhan) or see its walls.
Imam Khomeini (and Supreme Leader agrees), Ayatollah Makarem, Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani:
Traveling during Ramadan is permissible. However, if the travel is solely to avoid fasting, it is disliked (makruh).
Ayatollah Mirza Jawad Tabrizi:
If a fasting person travels in the afternoon, they must complete their fast. If they travel in the morning and reach the travel distance (had al-tarkhass), and they intended to travel from the night before, their fast is invalidated; otherwise (if no travel intention from the night), they should complete the fast out of precaution and no make-up (qadha) is necessary. If they break the fast before reaching the travel distance, they must pay kaffarah (expiation).
Ayatollah Sistani and Ayatollah Wahid Khorasani:
Traveling during Ramadan is allowed but disliked (makruh), even if not to avoid fasting, except for Hajj, Umrah, or necessity.
Ayatollah Shobeiri Zanjani:
Traveling during Ramadan is allowed. If travel is to avoid fasting, it is disliked. Also, traveling before the end of the 23rd night of Ramadan is disliked, unless for Hajj, Umrah, welcoming a believing brother, protecting property or life of a believer, or other necessity.
Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani:
If a fasting person travels in the afternoon, they must complete the fast. If traveling in the morning and upon reaching had al-tarkhass (i.e., a place where they do not see the city wall or hear the adhan), they must not intend to fast. If they did not intend travel from the night before, it is recommended to complete the fast and make it up later.
If travel is not a job or part of a job, even if frequent, one must act according to the rulings for travelers (musafir).
The title “frequent traveler” has no legal ruling by itself.
Prayer and fasting are valid fully for someone whose travel is their profession (e.g., driver, pilot) or who travels for their job (e.g., employee or worker traveling the legal distance for work). Such people pray full prayers and their fasting is valid at origin, destination, and during travel.
