Q: All praise is due to Allah, I am a young Muslim man. I got married a week before Ramadan but I had sex with my wife during the daytime in Ramadan without complete penetration and we were both fasting. We have deeply regretted doing this and I ask Allah (Exalted be He) for forgiveness. I know that the Kaffarah (expiation) of this is to free a Muslim slave or to fast two consecutive months. If I am unable to do that, I have to feed sixty poor persons. The first two are difficult for me because the first is now not available and, for the second, I cannot fast two consecutive months because I am an employee and I have to go to distant places during work and I do not have two months leave available to me. My question: Is feeding sixty needy persons sufficient, and what is the manner of doing so?

A: It is forbidden to have sexual intercourse in the daytime in Ramadan. It invalidates fasting and entails the major expiation mentioned in the question. It is to be observed in the following order: emancipating a believing slave. If this is impossible, it is to fast two successive months. If this is also infeasible, one should feed sixty (Part No. 9; Page No. 229) poor persons half a Sa` (1 Sa`=3 kg. Approx.) for each from the local staple food of the country such as rice or wheat. According to what you mentioned about your case and that you are unable either to free a Muslim slave or to fast, you have to offer food to sixty poor persons and repent to Allah (Exalted be He) for that. In addition, you are obliged to make up for the day which you invalidated by having sexual intercourse. If another Ramadan elapsed before you make up for that day, you are required to feed one more needy person along with making up for that day as a kind of atonement for delaying. Allah knows best.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.