What types (if any) of sexual activity are permitted during Ramadan?
During Ramadan, sexual activity is generally prohibited during the daylight hours while fasting. However, sexual relations are permitted at night after breaking the fast until the dawn. The Qur'an states: It is made lawful for you to go in unto your wives on the night of the fast.
2:187 This verse emphasizes that intimacy with one's spouse is allowed at night, making it clear that sexual relations are not permitted during the fasting hours.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ addressed specific cases where individuals had questions regarding sexual activity during fasting. For example, in a narration from Sahih al-Bukhari, it is mentioned: A man had intercourse with his wife during the fasting hours in Ramadan and asked the Prophet (ﷺ) for a ruling. The Prophet asked, 'Can you free a slave?' The man said, 'No.' He asked, 'Can you fast for two consecutive months?' He said, 'No.' Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Feed sixty poor people.' Al-Layth said that according to Amr ibn al-Harith from Abdur-Rahman ibn al-Qasim from Muhammad ibn Ja'far ibn al-Zubair from Abbad ibn Abdullah ibn al-Zubair, a man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) in the mosque and said, 'I have had intercourse with my wife in Ramadan.' The Prophet said, 'Give in charity.' The man said, 'I have nothing.' Then a man came driving a donkey carrying food and said, 'Take this.' The man declined saying, 'My family is in need of food.' Then the man told him to eat it.
Sahih al-Bukhari 86:50
Additionally, regarding sexual activity while traveling during Ramadan, the Shia source Al-Kafi states: I asked him whether a man traveling in Ramadan is permitted to have intercourse with women. He said: Yes.
Al-Kafi 2:277 This indicates that while fasting is obligatory, exceptions may apply in the case of travel.
It is important to note that any sexual activity that leads to ejaculation during the fasting hours is considered a violation of the fast and requires expiation. According to the principles derived from these sources, Muslims are encouraged to be mindful of the rules surrounding sexual conduct during Ramadan and to seek forgiveness if they inadvertently break the fast. For personal rulings and specific situations, it is advisable to consult a qualified local scholar.
Sources
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2:187 · Al-Baqara
2:187 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ ٱلصِّيَامِ ٱلرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَآئِكُمْ ۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌۭ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌۭ لَّهُنَّ ۗ عَلِمَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ ۖ فَٱلْـَٰٔنَ بَٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مَا كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۚ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ ٱلْخَيْطُ ٱلْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ ٱلْخَيْطِ ٱلْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ ٱلْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا۟ ٱلصِّيَامَ إِلَى ٱلَّيْلِ ۚ وَلَا تُبَٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَٰكِفُونَ فِى ٱلْمَسَٰجِدِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ
It is made lawful for you to go in unto your wives on the night of the fast. They are raiment for you and ye are raiment for them. Allah is Aware that ye were deceiving yourselves in this respect and He hath turned in mercy toward you and relieved you. So hold intercourse with them and seek that which Allah hath ordained for you, and eat and drink until the white thread becometh distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn. Then strictly observe the fast till nightfall and touch them not, but be at your devotions in the mosques. These are the limits imposed by Allah, so approach them not. Thus Allah expoundeth His revelation to mankind that they may ward off (evil).
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Sahih al-Bukhari 86:50
Sahih al-Bukhari · Book 86, Hadith 50 · Narrated by Abu Huraira
A man had intercourse with his wife during the fasting hours in Ramadan and asked the Prophet (ﷺ) for a ruling. The Prophet asked, "Can you free a slave?" The man said, "No." He asked, "Can you fast for two consecutive months?" He said, "No." Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Feed sixty poor people." Al-Layth said that according to Amr ibn al-Harith from Abdur-Rahman ibn al-Qasim from Muhammad ibn Ja'far ibn al-Zubair from Abbad ibn Abdullah ibn al-Zubair, a man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) in the mosque and said, "I have had intercourse with my wife in Ramadan." The Prophet said, "Give in charity." The man said, "I have nothing." Then a man came driving a donkey carrying food and said, "Take this." The man declined saying, "My family is in need of food." Then the man told him to eat it.
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Al-Kafi 2:277
Al-Kafi · Book 2, Hadith 277
When Abu Abdullah (a.s.) would depart, he would say: O Allah, by You I go out, to You I submit, in You I believe, and upon You I rely. O Allah, bless my day, grant me its success, victory, purification, guidance, and blessing, and turn away from me its evil and the evil that is in it. In the name of Allah, and Allah, and Allahu Akbar, and all praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds. O Allah, I have set out, so bless my going out and benefit me by it. And when he entered his home, he would say the same. — OR — I asked him whether a man traveling in Ramadan is permitted to have intercourse with women. He said: Yes. — OR — I asked Abu Abdullah (peace be upon him) about what a woman is permitted to give in charity from her husband's house without his permission. He said: The thing that is perishable. — OR — Regarding a pregnant woman whose husband has passed away, does she receive maintenance (nafqa)? He said: No. — OR — Regarding a man who wrote a contract (kafala) with his slave and stipulated that his inheritance belongs to him, this was brought before the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him). He invalidated that condition and said, "The condition of God takes precedence over your condition."
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