Can You Hug Your Wife while Fasting?

Question: 14315

I have recently got married and I would like to clarify something that has been on my mind recently during this blessed month of Ramadan. After closing my fast I return to bed, where sometimes my wife is lying there too. Sometimes, I embrace her, does this mean my fast is void? Can you enlighten me on what I can do and cannot?

Summary of answer

A man may kiss, hug and touch his wife without having intercourse when he is fasting. But if there is the fear that he may do something that Allah has forbidden because his desire is aroused quickly, then it is disliked for him to do that.

Answer

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

The Muslim has to protect his fast from things that may invalidate it, and he has to seek reward by giving up his desires for food, drink and intercourse, as Allah says in the Hadith Qudsi concerning the virtues of fasting: “He gives up his food, his drink and his physical desires for My sake.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, As-Sawm, 1761)

But if he can control himself and not slip into that which would cause his fast to be invalidated, by the emission of semen or by having intercourse, or would make his fast imperfect by the emission of Madhiy (prostatic fluid) , then it is permissible for him to embrace his wife in this case, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to fondle `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) but he used to control his desire.

Shaykh `Abd Al-`Aziz ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“A man may kiss , embrace and touch his wife, without having intercourse , when he is fasting. This is permissible and there is nothing wrong with it, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to kiss and touch his wives when he was fasting.

But if there is the fear that he may do something that Allah has forbidden because his desire is aroused quickly, then it is disliked for him to do that. If he ejaculates, he still should not eat or drink for the rest of the day, and he has to make up the fast, but he does not have to offer expiation according to the majority of the scholars. However, Madhiy (prostatic fluid) does not invalidate the fast, according to the more correct of the two scholarly views, because the basic principle is that the fast remains valid, and because it is too difficult to avoid. And Allah is the Source of strength.” (Fatawa Ash-Shaykh Ibn Baz, part 4, p. 202)

And Allah knows best.

Was this answer helpful?

Source:

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid