Yes. A kiss between spouses does not break the Ramadan fast, as long as it does not lead to ejaculation or intercourse. ‘A’ishah reported that the Prophet ﷺ would kiss and embrace while fasting, adding that he had the most control over his desire of all of you. If you know a kiss will arouse you beyond your control, avoid it until sunset.
Does kissing your spouse break the Ramadan fast?
No. The basis is the hadith of ‘A’ishah (al-Bukhari and Muslim): the Prophet ﷺ kissed and embraced his wives while fasting, and he was the one who best controlled his desire. The four Sunni schools agree that a kiss alone, without ejaculation, leaves the fast valid, with nothing to make up and no expiation. For more detail, see Islam Question & Answer’s explanation of whether kissing breaks the fast.
When is it better to avoid kissing while fasting?
The remark in that same hadith, that the Prophet ﷺ controlled his desire better than anyone, is why scholars distinguish between people. A kiss is disliked for someone who fears it will arouse him; the Shafi‘is go further and forbid it for one whose desire it stirs, and the Malikis for one who knows it will lead to ejaculation, because it puts the fast at risk. The aim of fasting points the same way: “O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint,-” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:183).
What happens if kissing leads to ejaculation or intercourse?
Ejaculation after a kiss breaks the fast, and the day must be made up after Ramadan. For the Hanafis, Shafi‘is and Hanbalis there is no expiation; the Malikis add the expiation when the ejaculation was deliberately sought. Pre-seminal fluid (madhy) is also discussed: the Hanbalis and Malikis require a make-up day, the Hanafis and Shafi‘is do not.
Intercourse during the day in Ramadan breaks the fast and requires both a make-up day and the major expiation (kaffarah). In the hadith of the man who came saying he was ruined (al-Bukhari and Muslim), the Prophet ﷺ set its order: freeing a slave; if that is not possible, fasting two consecutive months; if that is not possible, feeding sixty poor people. The majority follow this order; the Malikis allow a choice between the three and prefer feeding. Whoever breaks the two months without a valid excuse starts them again.
What should you do if you are unsure whether your fast was broken?
Start from certainty: your fast was valid, and a kiss or a passing desire does not change that. Only a definite ejaculation or intercourse does. If it happened, make up the day after Ramadan and, for intercourse, perform the kaffarah in the order above. To estimate what you owe, use the fidyah and kaffarah tool.
In short: a kiss does not break your fast; avoid it if it arouses you; ejaculation means a make-up day; intercourse means a make-up day and the kaffarah of two consecutive months, or feeding sixty poor people if you cannot fast.
Sources quoted
Every quotation was checked word for word against the Quran and hadith texts in our database.
- Surah Al-Baqara, verse 183
- Hadith narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim — authentic (Arabic text)
- Hadith narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim — authentic (Arabic text)
The Al Muslim Plus editorial team · tested on November 12, 2026