Introduction

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

All praise belongs to Allah, and may blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his Companions, and all who follow him.

To proceed: Today I present to esteemed readers a collection of engaging studies and, God willing, beneficial discussions that offer a fresh model of scholarly investigation combining hadith and fiqh. They address an important question that many people feel the need to examine in order to know the correct ruling—namely, whether a person who is fasting in Ramadan may break the fast after dawn but before setting out on a journey.

What is truly surprising is that some people nowadays have begun to deny the hadith on this topic, even though its chain of transmission is sound, its narrators are upright, it accords with the outward sense of the Quran, is corroborated by reports from the Salaf, and is in harmony with one of the fundamental principles of the noble Shariah: “Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you.”