prevents the obligation when present throughout the entire month, so it prevents it when present throughout the entire day, like childhood and disbelief. As for if he regains consciousness during part of the day, we deny its obligation, and even if we concede it, he has attained part of the time of worship, so it becomes binding upon him, like a child who reaches puberty, or a disbeliever who accepts Islam during part of the day, and just as if he attained part of the time for prayer. Our argument against al-Shafi'i is that it is a loss of intellect in part of the day, so it does not prevent the validity of the fast, like unconsciousness and sleep. It differs from menstruation; for menstruation does not prevent the obligation; rather, it allows the delay of the fast, forbids its performance, necessitates ritual bathing (ghusl), and forbids prayer, recitation of the Quran, remaining in the mosque, and sexual intercourse, so it is not valid to compare insanity to it.
488 - Issue; he said: (And when he travels a distance in which prayer is shortened, he shall not break his fast until he leaves the houses behind his back.)
The summary of it is that a traveler may break his fast in Ramadan and otherwise, by the indication of the Book (Quran), the Sunnah, and consensus. As for the Book, it is the saying of Allah the Exalted: "So whoever among you is sick or on a journey, then an equal number of days elsewhere." As for the Sunnah, it is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Indeed, Allah has lifted the fast from the traveler." Narrated by al-Nasa'i and al-Tirmidhi, who said: A Hasan (good) hadith. It is also found in many other narrations. The Muslims have reached consensus on the permissibility of breaking the fast for the traveler in general. Breaking the fast is only permitted during a long journey, which permits shortening prayers, and we have already mentioned its measure in prayer. Then, the traveler cannot be in one of three states: The first is that the month of Ramadan enters while he is on a journey; we know of no disagreement among scholars regarding the permissibility of breaking his fast. The second is that he travels during the month at night; he is permitted to break his fast on the morning of the night in which he leaves, and what
(2) In B and M: "so it becomes binding upon him". (1) In M: "The summary of that". (2) Surah al-Baqarah: 185. (3) Its classification was previously mentioned in 3/119. (4) Previously mentioned in 3/105-110.