Ramadan/Ramazan/ رمضان

What is it permissible for a man to do with his wife during the day in Ramadaan?
Is it permissible for a man to sleep beside his wife in Ramadaan?.

Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, that is permissible. In fact it is permissible for a man to be intimate with his wife when he is fasting, so long as no intercourse or ejaculation takes place.

Al-Bukhaari (1927) and Muslim (1106) narrated that Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to kiss and be intimate when fasting, and he was the most able of you to control his desire.

Al-Sindi said:

The word yubaashir (translated here as be intimate) means touching the wife's skin and her touching him, such as putting his cheek against hers and so on.

What is meant here is touching the skin, not intercourse.

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked:

What is it permissible for a man who is fasting to do with his wife who is fasting?

He replied:
A man who is observing an obligatory fast is not permitted to do anything with his wife that will lead to ejaculation. People vary in how quickly they reach climax; some of them are slow and can control themselves completely, as Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said concerning the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), he was the most able of you to control his desire. Some of them cannot control themselves and ejaculate quickly. Such a person should not be intimate with his wife and touch her or kiss her etc when observing an obligatory fast. If a person knows that he can control himself, then he can kiss and hug his wife even when observing an obligatory fast, but he must beware of intercourse because having intercourse (during the day) in Ramadaan for one who is obliged to fast results in five things:

1- It is a sin

2- The fast is invalidated

3- He should refrain from eating etc for the rest of the day. Everyone who breaks his fast in Ramadaan with no legitimate shari excuse has to refrain from eating etc (for the rest of the day) and also has to make up that day.

4- He has to make up that day because he forfeited an obligatory act of worship, which he has to make up.

5- He has to offer an expiation which is one of the most burdensome of expiations: freeing a slave; if he cannot do that then he must fast for two consecutive months; if he cannot do that then he must feed sixty poor persons.

If it is an obligatory fast that was being observed at a time other than Ramadaan such as making up a day missed in Ramadaan, or observing an expiatory fast etc, then breaking the fast results in two things: sin and having to make it up. But if it was a voluntary fast and he has intercourse during it, then he does not have to do anything.

Islam Question and Answer - What is it permissible for a man to do with his wife during the day in Ramadaan?
Islam Q&A

The reason why fasting is prescribed
Among the reasons behind fasting are:

1 Fasting is a means that makes us appreciate and give thanks for pleasures. For fasting means giving up eating, drinking and intercourse, which are among the greatest pleasures. By giving them up for a short time, we begin to appreciate their value. Because the blessings of Allaah are not recognized, but when you abstain from them, you begin to recognize them, so this motivates you to be grateful for them.

2 Fasting is a means of giving up haraam things, because if a person can give up halaal things in order to please Allaah and for fear of His painful torment, then he will be more likely to refrain from haraam things. So fasting is a means of avoiding the things that Allaah has forbidden.

3 Fasting enables us to control our desires, because when a person is full his desires grow, but if he is hungry then his desire becomes weak. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: O young men! Whoever among you can afford to get married, let him do so, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and protecting ones chastity. Whoever cannot do that, let him fast, for it will be a shield for him.

4 Fasting makes us feel compassion and empathy towards the poor, because when the fasting person tastes the pain of hunger for a while, he remembers those who are in this situation all the time, so he will hasten to do acts of kindness to them and show compassion towards them. So fasting is a means of feeling empathy with the poor.

5 Fasting humiliates and weakens the Shaytaan; it weakens the effects of his whispers (waswaas) on a person and reduces his sins. That is because the Shaytaan flows through the son of Adam like blood as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, but fasting narrows the passages through which the Shaytaan flows, so his influence grows less.

Shaykh al-Islam said in Majmoo al-Fataawa, 25/246

Undoubtedly blood is created from food and drink, so when a person eats and drinks, the passages through which the devils flow which is the blood become wide. But if a person fasts, the passages through which the devils flow become narrow, so hearts are motivated to do good deeds, and to give up evil deeds.

6 The fasting person is training himself to remember that Allaah is always watching, so he gives up the things that he desires even though he is able to take them, because he knows that Allaah can see him.

7 Fasting means developing an attitude of asceticism towards this world and its desires, and seeking that which is with Allaah.

8 It makes the Muslim get used to doing a great deal of acts of worship, because the fasting person usually does more acts of worship and gets used to that.

Please refer link for the full article
Islam Question and Answer - The reason why fasting is prescribed
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The virtues of Qiyaam (prayer at night) during Ramadaan
What is the virtues of Qiyaam (prayer at night) during Ramadaan ?

Praise be to Allaah.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to encourage us to pray at night in Ramadaan, without making it obligatory. Then he said, Whoever prays at night in Ramadaan out of faith and the hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven. When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died, this is how things were (i.e., Taraaweeh was not prayed in congregation), and this is how they remained during the khilaafah of Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him), until the beginning of the khilaafah of Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him).

Amr ibn Murrah al-Juhani said: A man from Qudaaah came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, O Messenger of Allaah! What do you think if I testify that there is no god except Allaah, and that you, Muhammad, are His Messenger, and I pray the five daily prayers, and fast in the month (of Ramadaan), and pray at night in Ramadaan, and pay zakaah? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Whoever dies on that will be among the siddeeqeen (those who tell the truth) and the martyrs.

Laylat al-Qadr and its timing

2 The best of its nights is Laylat al-Qadr, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Whoever prays at night during Laylat al-Qadr {and manages to catch it} out of faith and the hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven.

3 According to the most correct opinion, it is the twenty-seventh night of Ramadaan. Most of the ahaadeeth state this, such as the hadeeth of Zurr ibn Hubaysh, who said: I heard Ubayy ibn Kab saying and it was said to him that Abd-Allaah ibn Masood said: Whoever follows the Sunnah will catch Laylat al-Qadr! Ubayy (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: May Allaah have mercy on him, he did not want people to take it for granted and only stay up to pray on one night. By the One besides Whom there is no other god, it is in Ramadaan he was swearing without a doubt and by Allaah, I do know which night it is. It is the night in which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded us to pray (qiyaam). It is the night the morning of which is the twenty seventh, and the sign of it is that the sun rises on that morning white and without rays.

In another report, this was attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). (Reported by Muslim and others).

Praying qiyaam in congregation

It is allowed to pray qiyaam in congregation, indeed it is better than praying individually, because this is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did himself and explained its virtues. Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: We fasted Ramadaan with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he did not lead us in qiyaam at all until there were only seven days left, when he led us in prayer until a third of the night had passed. When there were six days left, he did not lead us in qiyaam. When there were five days left, he led us in prayer until half the night had passed. I said, O Messenger of Allaah, I wish that you had continued until the end of the night. He said, If a man prays with the imaam until he finishes, it will be counted as if he prayed the whole night. When there were four nights left, he did not lead us in qiyaam. When there were three nights left, he brought together his family, his wives and the people, and led us in qiyaam until we were afraid that we would miss al-falaah. I asked, What is al-falaah? He said, Suhoor. Then he did not lead us in qiyaam for the rest of the month. (Saheeh hadeeth reported by the authors of Sunan).

The reason why the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not continually lead the people in praying qiyaam in congregation

5 - The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not lead them in qiyaam for the rest of the month because he feared that it would then become obligatory, and they would not be able to do it, as is stated in the hadeeth of Aaishah reported in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere. Following the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that fear was no longer a factor, because Allaah had completed the religion. The reason for not praying qiyaam in congregation during Ramadaan no longer applied, and the previous ruling, that congregational prayer is something prescribed in Islam, remained in effect. So Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) revived the practice, as is recorded in Saheeh al-Bukhaari and elsewhere.

Women can pray qiyaam in congregation

Women can attend the prayers too, as is stated in the hadeeth of Abu Dharr referred to above. Indeed, it is permissible to appoint an imaam just for them, apart from the imaam of the men. It was proven that when Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) gathered the people to pray qiyaam, he appointed Ubayy ibn Kab to lead the men and Sulaymaan ibn Abi Hathmah to lead the women. Arfajah al-Thaqafi said: Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) used to command the people to pray during the night in Ramadaan, and he would appoint an imaam for the men and an imaam for the women. I was the imaam for the women.

I say: this is fine in my view so long as the mosque is big enough so that they will not disturb one another.

Number of rakahs of qiyaam

7 The number of rakahs is eleven, and it is preferable in our opinion not to exceed this number, following the practice of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because he never did more than that in his life. Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) was asked about how he prayed in Ramadaan. She said, The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) never prayed more than eleven rakahs (of qiyaam), whether during Ramadaan or any other time. He would pray four, and don't ask me how beautiful or how long they were. Then he would pray four, and don't ask me how beautiful or how long they were. Then he would pray three. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, Muslim and others).

8- A person may do less than that, even if it is only one rakah of witr, because of the evidence that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did this and spoke about it.

Refer the link for the rest of the article.
Islam Question and Answer - The virtues of Qiyaam (prayer at night) during Ramadaan

Staying up on Laylat al-Qadr and the ruling on celebrating it
How should we spend the night of Laylat al-Qadr? Is it by praying, reading Quraan and the Seerah (Prophets biography), listening to sermons and lessons and celebrating that in the mosque?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to strive hard in worship during the last ten nights of Ramadaan as he did not do at other times, praying and reading Quraan. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated from Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that when the last ten days of Ramadaan began, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would stay up at night, wake his family and tie his lower garment tight. According to Ahmad and Muslim: he would strive hard in worship during the last ten nights of Ramadaan as he did not do at other times.

Secondly:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged us to spend the night of Laylat al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Whoever spends the night of Laylat al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, will be forgiven his previous sins.

This was narrated by the group apart from Ibn Maajah. This hadeeth indicates that it is prescribed to stay up and spend this night in prayer.

Thirdly:
One of the best duaas that can be recited on Laylat al-Qadr is that which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught Aaishah (may Allaah be pleased with her). It was narrated by al-Tirmidhi, who classed it as saheeh, that Aaishah said: I said: O Messenger of Allaah, If I know which night is Laylat al-Qadr, what should I say? He said: Say: Allaahumma innaka afuwwun tuhibb al-afwa fafu anni (O Allaah, You are All-Forgiving and You love forgiveness so forgive me).

Fourthly:
With regard to singling out one night of Ramadaan and regarding that as Laylat al-Qadr, this requires evidence. But the odd-numbered nights during the last ten nights are more likely than others, and the night of the twenty-seventh is more likely to be Laylat al-Qadr, because of the ahaadeeth which indicate that.

Fifthly:
With regard to bidah (innovation), it is not permissible either in Ramadaan or at other times. It was proven that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours [Islam] that is not part of it will have it rejected. And he said: Whoever does any action that is not part of this matter of ours will have it rejected.

With regard to the celebrations that are held on some nights of Ramadaan, we know of no basis for that. The best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad and the worst of matters are those which are innovated.


Islam Question and Answer - Staying up on Laylat al-Qadr and the ruling on celebrating it