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Should a fasting traveler break his fast upon arriving in Mecca to gain strength for 'Umrah?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, entered Mecca on the twentieth of Ramadan, not fasting. He prayed two rak'ahs and said to the people of Mecca: "Complete [your prayers], for we are travelers." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not fast for ten days in Mecca during the Conquest of Mecca, and he continued not fasting until the end of the month.

The 'Umrah performer is a traveler whose journey does not end upon reaching Mecca. It is better for him to break his fast if that makes him stronger in performing the 'Umrah, especially if fasting causes him fatigue that delays the performance of the 'Umrah.

It is preferable to break the fast to perform 'Umrah immediately upon arrival with vigor, just as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did when he hastened to the mosque immediately upon reaching Mecca to perform the rituals. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, broke his fast during his journey for the Conquest of Mecca after Asr when fasting became difficult for the people, which indicates that breaking the fast during travel when there is hardship is better, and that fasting during travel with hardship is not an act of righteousness.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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