Answer
Wa `alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
- Premarital relationships are strictly forbidden in Islam.
- Engaging in fornication is a major sin, especially in Ramadan.
- Ramadan is a time for repentance and breaking bad habits. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) emphasized the importance of self-restraint.
- Married couples can have intimacy only after breaking the fast.
In his response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states,
The Clear Islamic Ruling on Premarital Relationships
If you mean to ask whether you are allowed to have premarital sexual relations, the answer is definitely an emphatic NO, regardless of whether one is fasting or after breaking the fast.
Why Fornication is a Grievous Sin in Ramadan
Fornication is a most grievous sin in Islam; the sin is even graver in the month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the month given to us to break free of all our sins and bad habits. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, โWhen Ramadan arrives, the doors of Heaven are wide open and the doors of Hell are shut down, and the devils are chained, and an announcer will say, โO doer of good, come forward! O doer of bad, restrain yourself!'โ
Ramadan: A Time for Repentance and Change
So, you are best advised to use this blessed month as a time to repent and change. This is a golden opportunity, and it could be the only one you have, for who knows whether Allah will give us another chance; we never know whether we will live to see another Ramadan. We see all around us people are being called back to Allah.
The Uncertainty of Life and the Importance of Seeking Forgiveness
Death knows neither age nor status. Therefore, let us heed the warning of Allahโs Messenger, โWoe to those who witnessed Ramadan and yet failed to get their sins pardoned (by failing to utilize the month properly).โ
What About Married Couples? The Islamic Perspective
If, however, you are married, then of course, you are allowed to have intimate spousal relations after breaking the fast. Allah says, โIt is lawful for you to go in unto your wives during the night preceding the [dayโs] fast: They are as a garment for you, and you are as a garment for them.โ (Al-Baqarah 2:187)
Allah Almighty knows best.