Does Marital Intimacy Break the Fast? Religious Scholars Answer Questions About Sexual Relations During Ramadan

According to Saed News, citing Ruyato, during the blessed month of Ramadan—a month of devotion and worship—Muslims are obligated to observe certain duties as much as they are able. Spouses may also benefit from each other within the specific conditions of this holy month, at times when it is permitted and does not harm their religious obligations. But does sexual intercourse invalidate the fast? Under what conditions is marital intimacy permissible during Ramadan?

Engaging in marital relations during the day and night of Ramadan is not inherently forbidden, but a fasting person is not allowed to have sexual intercourse while fasting, as it is considered prohibited during fasting hours and is one of the things that invalidate the fast.

In this article, we present questions and answers based on legal opinions (fatwas) from several prominent religious authorities, hoping to address common concerns during this blessed month.

Question: If a married couple has sexual intercourse during the daytime in Ramadan without knowing the ruling, what is the judgment?

Answer: Ayatollah Rohani states: If they were unaware that intercourse during the daytime in Ramadan is problematic, their fast is not invalidated. However, if they had doubt and proceeded without certainty, their fast becomes invalid.

Question: If a fasting person has sexual intercourse due to forgetfulness, does it affect their fast?

Answer: Ayatollah Khamenei states: If a person forgets that they are fasting and engages in intercourse, their fast remains valid. However, as soon as they remember, they must immediately stop; otherwise, their fast becomes invalid.

Question: If a husband has intercourse with his wife during Ramadan and the wife consents, what is the ruling?

Answer: Ayatollah Sistani states: Penetration, even without ejaculation, invalidates the fast during Ramadan.

Question: If a man does not fast for any reason such as illness, and forces his fasting wife into intercourse, is her fast invalid? Who must pay the expiation (kaffarah)?

Answer: Ayatollah Bahjat and Ayatollah Mazaheri state: Her fast becomes invalid, and the husband must pay the expiation for both his own fast and his wife’s fast. Ayatollah Bahjat further explains: If the wife willingly participates during intercourse, then—according to obligatory precaution—the man must pay two expiations and the woman one. In all cases, the woman must make up (qada) that day’s fast.

Expiation (Kaffarah) for Intercourse During Fasting

Question: If a married couple engages in intercourse during the daytime in Ramadan, what is the ruling and what must they do? Do they need to make up the fast?

Answer: Ayatollah Khamenei states: Each of them is considered to have deliberately broken the fast. In addition to making up the fast, expiation becomes obligatory for both. The expiation consists of either fasting sixty days, feeding sixty poor people, or giving sixty measures of food (each measure equivalent to about 750 grams of wheat, barley, or rice) to sixty needy individuals.

Foreplay or Intimacy Without Intercourse

Question: If a man engages in playful intimacy with his wife during the daytime in Ramadan, does it affect the fast?

Answer: Ayatollah Khamenei and Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi state: If no penetration occurs and it does not lead to ejaculation, the fast remains valid and is not invalidated.

Ayatollah Bahjat also states that such actions do not invalidate the fast. However, he adds that if it leads to ejaculation—especially if there was intent or a known habit of resulting in ejaculation—the fast becomes invalid. If no ejaculation occurs and there was no intention, there is no issue.

Ayatollah Rohani also states that involuntary nocturnal emission does not invalidate the fast.

Ayatollah Tabrizi explains that if a person intends ejaculation or knows/assumes it will occur, the fast becomes invalid even if it happens after beginning intimacy.

Ayatollah Mazaheri also notes that any fluid released during foreplay is pure and does not invalidate the fast.