Excerpt from: Urdu Sharḥ ʿUmdat al-Aḥkām — Translation by: Ḥāfiẓ Faizullah Nāṣir
While we were sitting with the Prophet ﷺ, a man came and said:
“O Messenger of Allah! I am ruined!”
The Prophet ﷺ asked, “What has ruined you?”
He replied, “I had sexual relations with my wife while I was fasting.”
In another narration: “I approached my wife during Ramadan.”
The Prophet ﷺ asked:
“Can you free a slave?” He said: “No.”
“Can you fast two consecutive months?” He said: “No.”
“Can you feed sixty needy people?” He said: “No.”
The Prophet ﷺ paused. Then a basket of dates was brought to him. He said,
“Where is the questioner?”
He replied, “I am here.”
The Prophet ﷺ said,
“Take these dates and give them in charity.”
The man responded,
“To someone poorer than us, O Messenger of Allah?
By Allah, there is no family between the two lava plains of Madinah poorer than mine.”
The Prophet ﷺ smiled until his molars became visible and said,
“Feed it to your family.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1936, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1111]
① Freeing a slave
② If not possible, then fasting two consecutive months
③ If not possible, then feeding sixty poor people
This sequence reflects the severity of the act and the compassion of the Prophet ﷺ when genuine inability is demonstrated.
◈ Ḥadīth
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (RA):While we were sitting with the Prophet ﷺ, a man came and said:
“O Messenger of Allah! I am ruined!”
The Prophet ﷺ asked, “What has ruined you?”
He replied, “I had sexual relations with my wife while I was fasting.”
In another narration: “I approached my wife during Ramadan.”
The Prophet ﷺ asked:
“Can you free a slave?” He said: “No.”
“Can you fast two consecutive months?” He said: “No.”
“Can you feed sixty needy people?” He said: “No.”
The Prophet ﷺ paused. Then a basket of dates was brought to him. He said,
“Where is the questioner?”
He replied, “I am here.”
The Prophet ﷺ said,
“Take these dates and give them in charity.”
The man responded,
“To someone poorer than us, O Messenger of Allah?
By Allah, there is no family between the two lava plains of Madinah poorer than mine.”
The Prophet ﷺ smiled until his molars became visible and said,
“Feed it to your family.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1936, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 1111]
◈ Explanation of Key Terms
- وَقَعَتْ عَلَى امْرَأَتِي: I had intercourse with my wife.
- عَرَق: A date basket made from palm leaves, typically holding about 15 ṣāʿ.
- أَفْقَرُ: Poorer (superlative of faqr – poverty).
- لَابَتَيْهَا: The two black volcanic plains surrounding Madinah.
- أنياب: The canine teeth; outer front teeth.
◈ Commentary
The ḥadīth clearly shows that if someone intentionally engages in sexual intercourse during fasting in Ramadan, a kaffārah (expiation) becomes obligatory. The steps are as follows:① Freeing a slave
② If not possible, then fasting two consecutive months
③ If not possible, then feeding sixty poor people
This sequence reflects the severity of the act and the compassion of the Prophet ﷺ when genuine inability is demonstrated.
