Does kissing break your fast?
No. A kiss between a husband and wife doesn't break the fast on its own. The Prophet ﷺ sometimes kissed his wife while fasting. But scholars advise against it if it might lead further, because intercourse during the fasting day does break the fast and carries a serious penalty.
What the Sunnah says
Aisha, the Prophet's wife, reported: "The Prophet ﷺ used to kiss and embrace (his wives) while he was fasting, and he had more power to control his desires than any of you" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1927). A similar report is in Sahih Muslim 1106.
Notice the second half of that hadith. Aisha points out that the Prophet ﷺ was fully in control of himself. That's the key detail scholars focus on.
What scholars say
- Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools: a kiss is allowed for someone who is confident it won't go further. For someone who can't trust himself or herself, it's disliked.
- Maliki school: it's generally disliked while fasting, out of caution, even for those who feel in control.
- All agree: if kissing leads to a sexual release, the fast is broken and that day must be made up.
So the answer depends partly on you. A quick, affectionate kiss is one thing; anything that builds desire is best saved for the evening.
Intercourse is different
Intercourse during the daylight hours of Ramadan breaks the fast and is a serious matter. A man once told the Prophet ﷺ he had been intimate with his wife while fasting, and the Prophet ﷺ told him to make an expiation (kaffarah), such as fasting two consecutive months or feeding sixty poor people (Sahih al-Bukhari 1936). The Prophet ﷺ also said the fasting person "should avoid sexual relation with his wife" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1904).
The nights of Ramadan are a different story. Between sunset and dawn, married couples can be intimate as normal:
A few practical notes
- Only between spouses: this whole discussion is about married couples. See Can I still have a boyfriend or girlfriend after becoming Muslim?
- Saliva: scholars advise not swallowing your spouse's saliva while fasting. Your own saliva is no problem. See Does swallowing my spit break my fast?
- A peck on the cheek or forehead: fine, and part of normal kindness at home.
- If you slipped up: make sincere repentance and ask a trusted scholar what you need to make up.
- Kissing your spouse doesn't break the fast by itself.
- It's disliked if it might lead further.
- Intercourse in the day breaks the fast and needs expiation.
- Intimacy at night in Ramadan is allowed.
People also ask
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