Allah The Almighty Says (what means):
{It has been made permissible for you the night preceding fasting to go to your wives [for sexual relations].} [Quran 2:187] {So now, have relations with them and seek that which Allah has decreed for you. And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread [of night].} [Quran 2:187]It is narrated by ‘Aa'ishah and Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with them, that “the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam, was sometimes overtaken by dawn, while he would be in a state of Janaabah (post-coital impurity) after having sexual intercourse with his wives; he would then perform Ghusl (ritual bath for purification) and observe [his] fast.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
It is further reported on the authority of Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, that “the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam, sometimes got up in the morning in the state of Janaabah, because of sexual intercourse and not due to a wet dream. Then, he would neither break his fast nor [later] make up for it.” [Muslim]
Moreover, Abu Bakr ibn ‘Abd-Ar-Rahmaan related, “I heard Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, saying: ‘Whoever is overtaken by dawn while being in the state of Janaabah, should not observe fast [on that day].’ I mentioned that to ‘Abd-Ar-Rahmaan ibn Al-Haarith [i.e., his father], who disproved it. So, ‘Abd-Ar-Rahmaan and I went to ‘Aa’ishah and Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with them; [he] asked them about that and both of them replied: ‘[Sometimes] the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam, would wake up in the morning while in the state of Janaabah [because of sexual intercourse and] not after a wet dream; yet, he would observe fast on that day.’ Then, we went to Marwaan, to whom ‘Abd-Ar-Rahmaan mentioned this, at which the former remarked: ‘I swear that you must go to Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, and tell him that what he says is wrong.’ Then, we went to Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, [and Abu Bakr witnessed this all]; when ‘Abd-Ar-Rahmaan told him all that had happened, Abu Hurayrah asked him: ‘Did both of them [i.e., ‘Aa’ishah and Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with them] say that to you?’ When he answered in the affirmative, Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, declared: ‘The two of them know better’; and attributed his previous statement to Al-Fadhl ibn Al-‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with them. He said, ‘I heard it from Al-Fadhl, but I did not hear it from the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam, himself.’ Then, Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, retracted all his statements regarding this subject. I [i.e., Abu Bakr ibn ‘Abd Ar-Rahman] asked [the sub-narrator] ‘Abd Al-Malik: ‘Did [the wives of the Prophet ] say that [this used to happen during] Ramadan?’ He replied: ‘Thus did he get up in the morning [in that month], while being in the state of Janaabah [after sexual intercourse and] not a wet dream; and then, he observed fasting.’” [Muslim]
‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated that a man went to the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam, to seek a religious ruling from him, while she was listening from behind the door. He said: “O Messenger of Allah! Sometimes, I might encounter the [Fajr] prayer while I am still in the state of Janaabah; would I be able to fast [that day]?” The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam, replied: “I too might be overtaken by that prayer while being in the state of Janaabah; and then I would fast [on that very day].”The man said: “But, you are not like us, O Messenger of Allah; for Allah has forgiven for you your previous and later sins.” At that, he, , said: “By Allah! [I do this and] I expect to be the most fearing of Allah among you and the most knowledgeable of you of what I should save myself from.” [Muslim]
Benefits and rulings [derived from these Hadeeths]
First: it is permissible for a man to approach his wife sexually, during the nights of Ramadan; abstinence from sexual intercourse deviates from the Prophetic guidance. The exception is for those who observe I‘tikaaf (seclusion in mosque for worship) in its last ten nights.
Second: Whoever has sexual intercourse or has a wet dream during the nights of Ramadan and delays Ghusl until after daybreak, should continue with his fast and he does not incur a sin, according to the consensus of the religious scholars.
Third: The great benefit conferred by the Mothers of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with them, on the Muslim Ummah (nation), is their preservation of the information specific to the life of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam, at home and with his wives; and, also, their conveying of that knowledge to the people, who are in dire need of it.
Fourth: The sayings of the Mothers of Believers, may Allah be pleased with them, concerning the private life of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam, which no one else is privy to, should overrule the sayings of anyone else.
Fifth: It is permissible to delay performing Ghusl until after dawn; this is not exclusive only to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam, but is general and common to all members of the Muslim Ummah.
Sixth: There are two implications in the statement of Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her: “The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam, sometimes got up in the morning in the state of Janaabah, because of sexual intercourse and not due to a wet dream. Then, he would neither break his fast nor [later] make up for it.”
* Firstly the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam, sometimes had sexual intercourse during the nights of Ramadan; then, he delayed Ghusl until dawn, in order to clarify that this is permissible.
* Secondly, this [i.e., his state of Janaabah] occurred due to sexual intercourse and not a wet dream, for he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam, did not experience that; wet dreams come from Satan and he was protected from him.
Seventh: Among people, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam, was the most God-conscious and knowledgeable of that from which he should safeguard himself.
Eighth: Depending on the aforementioned Hadeeths, if a woman’s menstruation or post-partum bleeding ends before dawn and she does not perform Ghusl until afterward, whether unintentionally or on purpose, and with or without a valid excuse, her fast would be regarded as sound. The same applies to those in a state of Janaabah.
Ninth: It should be learned from the narrations cited above that Muslims ought to imitate the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa salam; they must cease being so extreme so as to abstain from what is permissible and quit asking excessive questions.
Tenth: If dawn breaks and someone who was in a state of Janaabah or a woman whose menstruation or post-partum bleeding had just finished, had not performed Ghusl yet, their fasting would still be valid, whether it was done in Ramadan, in [making up an] obligatory fast, a voluntary fast or a fast of expiation.
Eleventh: A disputable matter should be referred to one who is thought to have knowledge of it. This is extrapolated from the significant statement of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him: ‘The two of them [i.e., i.e. ‘Aa'ishah and Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with them] know better’, for their knowledge in this respect was better than that of anyone else.
Twelfth: The Sunnah of the Prophet, , must be referred to, in order to make a decision when there is a disagreement.
Thirteenth: One in error must acknowledge his mistake and act fairly once he hears solid proof. This is why Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, confessed that he had not heard what he based his opinion on directly from the Prophet, , but someone else.