It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ka'b bin Asim (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Fasting during travel is not an act of righteousness." Imam Hasan did not attribute this narration to Sayyiduna Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him), nor did Janab Makhzumi call him "Ash'ari." I have mentioned these words in Kitab al-Kabir.

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw a man around whom people had gathered and shade was being provided for him. (The Prophet peace be upon him asked, "What has happened to him?") They replied that this man is fasting. So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "It is not righteousness that you fast while traveling (with such hardship)." Imam Abu Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) says that this hadith is evidence that the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) said this when the fasting traveler did not accept the ease and concession granted by Allah Almighty, to the extent that fasting became extremely difficult for him and he became in need of shade.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man fainted, so water was sprinkled on him. (The Imam says:) The statement of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that "Fasting during travel is not righteousness" means that fasting during travel with such hardship that the fasting person faints, and shade has to be provided for him and water has to be sprinkled on him, this is not righteousness, because Allah Almighty has given the traveler the concession to leave the fast during travel and make it up after Ramadan. And Allah Almighty has said in His Book, the "Noble Qur'an," that He wants ease for His servants, He does not want to impose hardship and difficulty upon them. Therefore, for the person who does not accept Allah's ease, it is correct to say that your choosing hardship, in a situation where hardship becomes extremely difficult for you, is not righteousness. Similarly, it is also correct to interpret this narration to mean that your fasting during travel is not righteousness, i.e., it is not complete righteousness, rather sometimes your fasting during travel will be righteousness and sometimes accepting Allah's concession and not fasting during travel will be righteousness. I will soon present the evidence for this interpretation, inshaAllah.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) set out towards Makkah in the year of the conquest of Makkah, and he was fasting. When he reached a place called Kura‘ al-Ghamim, he was still fasting, and the people were also fasting. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked for a bowl of water, raised it up so that the people could see it, and then he drank it. Later, he was informed that some people were still fasting. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "They are the disobedient ones. They are the disobedient ones."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) traveled during the blessed month of Ramadan, and fasting became extremely difficult for one of his companions, so his mount kept going under the shade of trees again and again. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was informed about this, he ordered him to break his fast. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called for a vessel of water, placed it on his hand, and then drank from it while the people were watching.

Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) granted a concession in a certain matter, some people showed reluctance towards it. So the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "What is the matter with some people that when I command them regarding something, they show reluctance towards it? By Allah, I am the one who knows Allah the most among them and I am the one who fears Him the most among them."

Imam Abu Bakr, may Allah have mercy on him, says that the hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id, may Allah be pleased with him, in which the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, came to a rainwater canal, also belongs to this category. In this narration, it is mentioned that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "I am not like you. I am riding on a mount and you are walking on foot; I am in more ease and comfort than you." This hadith indicates that in the beginning, the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, himself was fasting and ordered the companions to break their fast. Because he was on a mount and there was no hardship for him in fasting, and due to being mounted, he was free from the hardship of walking on foot, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered the companions to break their fast because they were walking on foot, which made fasting very difficult for them. Therefore, when they did not break their fast despite the order of the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, he declared them disobedient. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, gave them this order after being informed that fasting had become difficult for them because, due to the lack of mounts, they were compelled to walk on foot.