You can have sex during Ramadan, but not while you are fasting during the day; it is only allowed at night, between sunset (Maghrib) and dawn (Fajr), and only within a valid marriage.

The Basic Rule

  • Sexual intercourse during the daytime while fasting (from true dawn/Fajr until sunset/Maghrib) is forbidden and breaks the fast.
  • Intimacy, including full intercourse, is permitted at night , after the fast is broken at Maghrib and until Fajr begins, for married couples.
  • The Qur’an itself mentions that marital relations at night in Ramadan are lawful.

A simple way to remember it: during the fasting hours, you stay away from food, drink, and sexual activity; outside those hours, normal marital life resumes.

What If Someone Has Sex While Fasting?

Islamic scholars are very strict about intercourse during the day in Ramadan for someone who is required to fast.

Most classical rulings say:

  • The fast of that day becomes invalid.
  • The person must:
    • Repent sincerely.
* Continue to abstain from food, drink, and sex for the rest of that day out of respect for Ramadan.

* Make up that day later.

* Offer a serious **expiation** (kafaarah), commonly described as:
  1. Freeing a slave (historical context), and if not possible then
  2. Fasting for about two consecutive months, and if not possible then
  3. Feeding around sixty poor people.

This heavy expiation shows how seriously sex during fasting hours is treated in Islamic law.

Other Intimacy: Kissing, Touching, Masturbation

Some people worry if any physical affection is banned.

  • Kissing and light touching between spouses while fasting can be allowed if both can control themselves and it does not lead to intercourse or ejaculation.
  • Scholars warn that if someone knows such actions usually push them beyond self‑control, they should avoid it during the fasting hours.
  • Masturbation is generally considered forbidden (haram) in Islamic law and is not “allowed just because it’s Ramadan”; if done while fasting, many scholars say it can invalidate the fast if it leads to ejaculation.

The spirit of Ramadan is self‑discipline, so anything that strongly stirs desire and risks breaking the fast is discouraged.

Special Cases: Itikaf and Spiritual Focus

Even though sex is allowed at night in Ramadan, there are situations where it is still not permitted:

  • During itikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), marital intercourse is not allowed, even at night.
  • Many scholars also encourage couples to balance intimacy with worship in this month, so that nights do not become purely about physical enjoyment but also prayer, Qur’an, and reflection.

Think of it as protecting the spiritual “tone” of the month while still recognizing halal marital needs.

Mini FAQ

1. Can you have sex during Ramadan nights?
Yes, if you are married, sex is allowed after breaking the fast at Maghrib and remains allowed until Fajr begins.

2. Can you have sex just before Fajr?
Yes, as long as Fajr has not started yet; once Fajr enters and the fasting time begins, sex must stop.

3. What if Fajr comes in while you’re still in janabah (after sex)?
Being in a state of major impurity at Fajr does not stop your fast from being valid; you just perform ghusl (ritual bath) after. This is a standard fiqh ruling supported across schools, though not detailed in the specific pages above. 4. Is intimacy “discouraged” overall in Ramadan?
No; Islam does not say married couples must stop intimacy for a whole month, only that they respect fasting hours and keep the month’s spiritual purpose in mind.

5. Is this only about intercourse, or any sexual contact?
Anything that is “sexual activity” in a direct sense (intercourse, deliberate stimulation to ejaculation) during fasting hours is considered a serious violation; at night, it is allowed for spouses.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.