"The Messenger of Allah said: 'It is not righteousness to fast when traveling."' (Sahih)Abu 'Abdur-Rahman (An-Nasai) said: This is a mistake, and what is correct is the one that is before it. We do not know of anyone who followed up Ibn Kathir.
Hadith Text & Context
"The Messenger of Allah said: 'It is not righteousness to fast when traveling.'" (Sunan an-Nasa'i 2256)
Abu 'Abdur-Rahman (An-Nasai) commented: "This is a mistake, and what is correct is the one that is before it. We do not know of anyone who followed up Ibn Kathir."
Scholarly Commentary
The apparent meaning of this narration suggests fasting while traveling is discouraged. However, Imam An-Nasai, being among the great Hadith masters, immediately identifies this as an erroneous transmission. The correct position, affirmed by the majority of scholars, is that travelers have the option to fast or break their fast, based on numerous authentic narrations.
The principle here is that when a weak narration contradicts established, mutawatir (widely transmitted) evidence, the stronger evidence takes precedence. The Quranic verse (2:184) explicitly permits breaking fast while traveling, making this the foundational ruling.
Legal Ruling (Al-Hukm al-Fiqhi)
The consensus of the four Sunni schools is that fasting while traveling is permissible but not obligatory. The traveler may choose to fast or break the fast and make up the days later.
The Hanafi school considers it makruh (disliked) to fast while traveling if it causes hardship. The Maliki school holds it is better to break the fast. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools state it is equally permissible to fast or break, though breaking is superior if hardship exists.
Methodological Insight
This demonstrates the rigorous methodology of Hadith scholars like An-Nasai in verifying narrations. They wouldn't merely compile texts but critically assessed chains of transmission and compared them with stronger evidence.
The rejection of this particular chain (through Ibn Kathir) shows the importance of following up narrators to verify their reliability - a practice called "al-ittibā'". When a narrator isn't followed by other reliable transmitters, it raises doubts about the authenticity of their unique reports.