❖ Ruling on Intercourse During Fasting
Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
❖ Question:
What is the ruling on engaging in intercourse (penetration) while fasting?
❖ Answer:
It is not permissible to engage in intercourse during the state of fasting.
Such an act invalidates the fast, and expiation (kaffārah) becomes obligatory.
❀ Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated:
جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ: هَلَكْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! قَالَ: وَمَا أَهْلَكَكَ؟ قَالَ: وَقَعْتُ بِأَهْلِي فِي رَمَضَانَ، قَالَ: هَلْ تَجِدُ مَا تُعْتِقُ رَقَبَةً؟ قَالَ: لَا، قَالَ: فَهَلْ تَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ تَصُومَ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ؟ قَالَ: لَا، قَالَ: فَهَلْ تَجِدُ مَا تُطْعِمُ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا؟ قَالَ: لَا، قَالَ: اجْلِسْ، فَأُتِيَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بِعَرَقٍ فِيهِ تَمْرٌ، فَقَالَ: تَصَدَّقْ بِهَذَا، قَالَ: أَعَلَى أَفْقَرَ مِنَّا؟ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا بَيْنَ لَابَتَيْهَا أَهْلُ بَيْتٍ أَفْقَرَ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي، فَضَحِكَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ حَتَّى بَدَتْ أَنْيَابُهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَطْعِمْهُ أَهْلَكَ
A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I am ruined!”
The Prophet ﷺ asked, “What has ruined you?”
He said, “I had intercourse with my wife while fasting in Ramadan.”
The Prophet ﷺ asked, “Can you free a slave?”
He replied, “No.”
The Prophet ﷺ then asked, “Can you fast for two consecutive months?”
He said, “No.”
He then asked, “Can you feed sixty needy people?”
He said, “No.”
So the Prophet ﷺ told him to sit down.
Then a basket of dates was brought to the Prophet ﷺ, and he said, “Take this and give it in charity.”
The man said, “O Messenger of Allah, is there anyone more needy than us? By Allah, there is no household between these two black lava rocks (i.e., in Madinah) poorer than mine.”
The Prophet ﷺ smiled so broadly that his molar teeth became visible and said, “Feed it to your family.”
References:- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1936
- Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1111
Summary:
① Intercourse during a fast in Ramadan is prohibited.
② It nullifies the fast.
③ Kaffārah (expiation) becomes mandatory, which is:
➤ Freeing a slave (if possible),
➤ If not, fasting for two consecutive months,
➤ If unable, feeding sixty poor people.
