One of the matters that may be necessary for all of us to know is the way and "rulings on traveling during Ramadan" so that it does not harm the fasting.
Who is a legitimate traveler?
A person who travels is considered a legitimate traveler from the perspective of Islamic law if their journey meets the following conditions, and accordingly, they should shorten their four-unit prayers (performing them as two units instead of four):
The travel distance must not be less than eight farsakhs (a traditional Persian distance unit), meaning there should be at least four farsakhs between the starting point and the destination. Eight farsakhs is approximately 43 kilometers.
At the start of the journey, the traveler must intend to cover the distance of eight farsakhs.
Before reaching the minimum legal travel distance (four farsakhs), the traveler must not change their intention about completing the full legal distance.
The journey should not be interrupted by returning home or by stopping at a place where the traveler intends to stay for ten days.
The travel must be lawful and not for prohibited purposes, such as traveling for sinful activities.
The traveler should not be someone without a fixed residence, such as nomads.
Traveling should not be their profession, like professional drivers, or their job should not involve travel, such as someone whose home and workplace are in two different cities.
The traveler must reach a point called had al-tarkhos — meaning a place far enough from their home or the place of intended stay for ten days that they neither hear the city's call to prayer nor see its walls.
Imam Khomeini (and the Supreme Leader aligned with his view), Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, and Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani:
Traveling during Ramadan is permissible. However, traveling to avoid fasting is disliked (makruh).
Ayatollah Mirza Jawad Tabrizi:
If a fasting person travels in the afternoon, they should complete their fast.
If they travel in the morning and reach had al-tarkhos (the permissible travel distance) and had the intention to travel from the night before, their fast becomes invalid. Otherwise, as a precaution, they should complete the fast and do not have to make it up later.
If the fast is broken before reaching had al-tarkhos, expiation (kafara) is obligatory.
Ayatollah Sistani and Ayatollah Wahid Khorasani:
Traveling during Ramadan is permissible but disliked, even if not to avoid fasting, except when traveling for Hajj, Umrah, or a necessity.
Ayatollah Shobeiri Zanjani:
Traveling during Ramadan is permissible. Traveling to avoid fasting is disliked. Also, any travel before the end of the 23rd night of Ramadan is disliked unless for Hajj, Umrah, welcoming a believing brother, fear of loss of property or life of a believing brother, or other necessities.
Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani:
If a fasting person travels in the afternoon, they must complete their fast.
If traveling in the morning and reaching had al-tarkhos (meaning they are out of the city’s auditory and visual limits), they should not have intended to fast; if they did not intend to travel the night before, it is recommended as a precaution to complete the fast and make up later.
If travel is not a profession or a prerequisite for a profession — even if frequent — the person must follow the traveler's rulings for prayer and fasting.
The term frequent traveler has no legal ruling in itself and is not a subject of Islamic law.
Those who travel as a profession (e.g., drivers, pilots) or travel for their job (e.g., employees or workers who travel at least the legal travel distance for work) should perform their prayers fully and their fasting remains valid at home, destination, and en route.
