Intercourse in Ramadan

Question

Is it permissible to have intercourse in Ramadan at night, and can one delay ghusl until after suhoor?

Bottom Line

Intercourse during the day in Ramadan is haram and requires kaffarah, but intercourse at night is halal until dawn. One may delay ghusl until after suhoor as long as it is done before Fajr prayer.

Quick Answer

It is not allowed to have intercourse during the fasting hours of Ramadan. Doing so breaks the fast and requires expiation. At night, however, Allah permitted intimacy with one’s spouse until dawn. If intercourse takes place at night, ghusl can be done before Fajr prayer, even if suhoor is eaten first.

Key Takeaways

• Daytime intercourse in Ramadan breaks the fast and requires kaffarah (expiation).
• Nighttime intimacy is permissible until dawn, based on Qur’an 2:187.
• Ghusl can be delayed until after suhoor, but must be completed before Fajr prayer.

Detailed Answer

Ramadan is a month of both discipline and mercy. While Allah restricts us from certain actions during the day, He permits them at night to remind us that His law is balanced, never harsh. The allowance of intimacy at night preserves both faith and family, showing how Islam harmonizes spirituality with human needs.

Intercourse during the day in Ramadan

Intimacy during fasting hours is strictly forbidden. If it occurs, it is a major sin and invalidates the fast, requiring expiation (kaffarah). The Prophet ﷺ explained the kaffarah in the famous hadith of Abu Hurayrah (RA): freeing a slave, fasting two consecutive months, or feeding sixty poor people, Bukhari 1834, Muslim 1111

Expiation for having intercourse during Ramadan

The man who confessed to the Prophet ﷺ that he had intercourse in Ramadan was instructed with these steps of kaffarah. When he could not afford any, the Prophet ﷺ gave him dates and told him to feed his family, showing both the seriousness of the sin and the mercy of Allah.

Intercourse during the night in Ramadan

Allah allowed intimacy at night until dawn:

“It is made lawful for you to have sexual relations with your wives on the night of As-Sawm (the fasts)… Eat and drink until the white thread of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread of night, then complete your fast till nightfall.” Al-Baqarah 2:187

This verse clearly proves that intercourse is permitted at night during Ramadan.

Ghusl before Fajr

If intimacy happens at night, one may eat suhoor before ghusl, but ghusl must be performed before praying Fajr. The fast remains valid.

What This Means for You

Intercourse during the day breaks your fast and requires expiation.  At night, it is allowed until dawn, with no sin. – Always perform ghusl before Fajr to ensure prayers are valid.

And Allah knows best.

References

Primary Sources

Qur’an

1. Al-Baqarah 2:187: Intimacy at night and eating until dawn.

Hadith

2. Sahih al-Bukhari 1834: Expiation for intercourse in Ramadan.
3. Sahih Muslim 1111: A Man who confessed to intercourse while fasting.

Secondary Sources

4. Ibn Qudamah, al-Mughni, vol. 3, p. 34.
5. Al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim, 7/206.