Chapter on Ruling of the Traveller and the Sick Person Regarding Fasting

Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar, from Ibrahim ibn Hashim, from a man, from Safwan, who said: I (narrator) asked Imam al-Ridha عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about ‘a man who left Baghdad intending to catch up with a man at the head of a mile, and he continued following him until he reached al-Nahrawan, and it is four farsakhs from Baghdad. Should he break the fast when he intends to return, and should he shorten (the prayer)?’ Imam عليه السلام said: “He does not shorten (the prayer) and he does not break the fast, because he left his house while not intending to travel eight farsakhs. Rather, he left intending to catch up with his companion on part of the road, then the journey extended with him to the place that he reached. And if he had left his house intending al-Nahrawan, going and coming, then it would have been upon him to intend travel from the night, and to break the fast. But if he entered the morning and had not intended travel, then after he entered the morning travel occurred to him, he shortens and does not break his fast on that day.”