A man came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "I am ruined." The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, "What do you mean?" He said, "I had a sexual intercourse with my wife during Ramadan (while fasting)." The Prophet (ﷺ) asked him, "Can you manumit a slave?" He replied in the negative. He then asked him, "Can you fast for two successive months continuously" He replied in the negative. The Prophet (ﷺ) then asked him, "Can you feed sixty poor persons?" He replied in the negative. In the meantime an Ansari came with a basket full of dates. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to the man, "Take it and give it in charity (as an expiation of your sin)." The man said "Should I give it to some people who are poorer than we O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)? By Him Who has sent you with the Truth, there is no family between Medina's two mountains poorer than we." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) told him to take it and provide his family with it."
Context and Background
This hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari 2600 addresses the serious matter of breaking the Ramadan fast through intentional sexual intercourse, which requires expiation (kaffārah). The man's distress demonstrates proper consciousness of sin's gravity.
The Expiation Hierarchy
The Prophet presented three options in descending order: freeing a believing slave, fasting two consecutive months, or feeding sixty poor people. This hierarchy considers the believer's capability while maintaining the expiation's gravity.
Divine Mercy and Practical Wisdom
When the man couldn't afford any expiation, Allah's Messenger accepted his truthful declaration of poverty and permitted him to use the dates for his family. This demonstrates Islam's balance between upholding divine law and showing mercy to genuine hardship.
Legal and Spiritual Lessons
This incident establishes that intentional sexual intercourse during Ramadan fasting days requires kaffārah. It also teaches that sincerity in repentance and truthfulness in stating one's condition can lead to divine relief through the Prophet's wisdom.