Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

if a wife had sex during fasting wat to be done as kuffarah?

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Atonement sex fast Ramadan

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person,  no grave, no prophet,  no imam,  no dai,  nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 187:

187    Permitted to you on the night of the fasts is the approach to your wives.  They are your garments.  And ye are their garments.  Allah knoweth what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them and seek what Allah hath ordained for you and eat and drink until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while ye are in retreat in the mosques.  Those are limits (set by) Allah; come not even near (those set limits of Allah).  Thus doth Allah make clear His signs to men that they may learn self-restraint.

 

Allah Subhanah has prohibited the believers from having sexual intercourse with their wives while in the state of fasting; but it is absolutely legal and permissible to cohabit with them during the nights after the fast has been completed. 

 

Abu Hurairah reported that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) and said: "I am destroyed, O Messenger of Allah (saws)!" The Prophet (saws) asked: "What has destroyed you?"  He said, "I had intercourse with my wife during a day of Ramadan."  The Prophet (saws) asked: "Are you able to free a slave?"  He said, "No". The Prophet (saws) asked: "Is it possible for you to fast for two consecutive months?" He said, "No." The Prophet (saws) asked: "Is it possible for you to feed sixty poor people?" He said, "No."  The Prophet (saws) said: "Then sit."  A basket of dates was brought to the Prophet (saws) and he said to the man: ‘Give this in charity.’ The man said: "To someone poorer than us? There is no one in this city who is poorer than us!"  The Prophet (saws) laughed until his molar teeth could be seen and said: "Go and feed your family with it."

Related by Muslim and Bukhari.

 

If one is unable to control one’s desires for any reason and were to perform the actual act of sexual intercourse with ones wife while in the state of fasting, it would indeed be a grave sin in the Sight of Allah.  The atonement for this sin as prescribed by the Messenger of Allah (saws) is that the person should either free a slave, or (if he is unable to do that) fast for two consecutive months, or (if he is unable to do even that) feed sixty poor people!  Such is the enormity of the sin and the atonement of having sexual intercourse with one’s wife while one is in the state of fasting.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan