What is the expiation for sexual intercourse in the days of Ramadan?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Having intercourse during the day in Ramadan for the one who is not excused from fasting, is a major sin. It is proved in a sound Hadeeth that a man came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, after having sex with his wife in the day of Ramadan, and said, ‘I had been burnt (ruined) O Messenger of Allah!’ The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not object on his expression. [ Muslim ].

Everyone who has committed such a sin should make sincere repentance from it, feeling sorrow for what he has done, in addition to paying the expiation which is to manumit a slave; if one cannot afford that then he should fast two successive months, if one cannot do so then he should feed sixty poor persons.

The mentioned sequence is compulsory for paying expiation. A person cannot jump from one act to another unless he is not able to perform the prior order commanded. The evidence for this ruling is the Hadith reported by Imaams Al-Bukhari and Muslim that a person came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said: “I am destroyed, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, asked him what was the matter? He replied, ‘I had sexual intercourse with my wife in Ramadan’. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, asked, “Can you afford to manumit a slave?” He replied in the negative. He asked him, “Can you do fast for two successive months?” He replied in the negative. Then he asked him, “Can you afford to feed sixty poor persons?” He replied in negative. Then a basket full of dates was brought to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and he said to the man, take this and give it to needy people”. He said, ‘Should I give it to poorer people than we? There is no poorer house than ours between its (Madinah's) mountains’. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, “Then feed your family with it.” [Reported by Imaams Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

If one has sexual intercourse with his wife during Ramadan more than one day then it is obligatory upon him to perform the expiation for each day of Ramadan in which he had sex with her.

Allah Knows best.