February 19, 2026 | 06:11 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - For a normal married couple, sex is an unavoidable biological need. Imam Junaid, a renowned Sufi figure, likened sexual intercourse to the need for food. What are the rules regarding sexual intercourse during Ramadan?
Sexual intercourse between husband and wife is not prohibited during Ramadan, but when should it be practiced? It is important for people to know the appropriate time to avoid disrupting worship during the holy month.
During Ramadan, married couples are not permitted to have sexual intercourse during the day, as it can invalidate the fast. Furthermore, they are also required to pay expiation, or a fine, for such acts.
Therefore, fulfilling sexual desires during the holy month of Ramadan can only be done at night during the fasting month. So, when is the appropriate time to have sexual intercourse?
Mahbub stated that we have not found a specific explanation regarding the timing of sexual intercourse during the night of Ramadan. "However, what is clear is that sexual intercourse should occur when the mind is calm and fresh," Mahbub said.
This is in line with the consensus of scholars, which states that sexual intercourse between husband and wife when the mind is not fresh can have negative consequences. Therefore, according to Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, sexual intercourse should be performed at the end of the night. His reasoning is that at the beginning of the night, people's minds are usually still confused and preoccupied with various problems.
"Ibn Hajar said: Delaying sexual intercourse until the end of the night is preferable. Because at the beginning of the night, people's minds are usually still not fresh. However, according to the consensus of scholars, having sexual intercourse while the mind is still confused can have negative consequences." (See, Abu al-Hasan al-Mubarakfuri, Mir'ah al-Mafatih Syarhu Misykah al-Mashabih, volume IV, p. 324)
If Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani's view is applied to the context of marital relations, then sexual intercourse during Ramadan should be performed before dawn, that is, after a night's rest. And of course, it is best to begin with the Tahajud prayer. And after bathing, continue with sahur.
What if you do it after breaking the fast?
There is also a history presented by Imam al-Ghazali in his book Ihya` which states that Ibn 'Umar RA's friend, who was known as an ascetic and pious figure, started breaking the fast by having sexual intercourse. And sometimes this is done before the Maghrib prayer. After that, just take a shower and pray. However, this history does not explain exactly how often Ibn 'Umar ra did this.
"And it was narrated from Ibn 'Umar ra—he was one of the ascetic and pious friends—that he broke his fast with jimak before eating. Sometimes he did his jimak before performing the Maghrib prayer, then took a shower and prayed. And this was done to focus his heart on worshiping Allah..." (See, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Ihya `Ulumiddin, juz, II, p. 33).
Mahbub said that what Ibn 'Umar ra's friend did still leaves the question open, namely, will the person who hastens breaking the fast with jimak also get the sunnah reward that he got by hastening breaking the fast with food?
As we all know, one of the sunnah things for people who fast is to hasten to break the fast when it is time. And according to the opinion that can be used as a guideline among the Syafii school of thought, rushing to break the fast with jimak does not get its sunnah reward. Thus, as stated by Kiai Nawawi Banten in the book Nihayah az-Zain as follows:
"Mu'tamad's opinion (obtained as a guideline) is that it is not sunnah to hasten breaking the fast with jimak because jimak can weaken stamina." (Kyai Nawawi Banten, Nihayah az-Zain, p. 194).
Regardless of the differing explanations regarding sexual intercourse, the important point to emphasize is that the best time to have sex at night is when you are physically fit and mentally fresh. According to the consensus of scholars, sexual intercourse when you are not mentally fresh can have negative consequences.
TEMPO | ANTARA
Read: Study Shows Frequent Sexual Activity May Boost Mental Well-Being
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