Fatwa

Masturbation in Ramadan

Question

I am 15 yrs old studying boy under supervision of my parents. In Ramadan 2024, I masturbated during daylight time during fasting. I don’t remember if in Ramadan I knew that whether masturbation is haraam or not. But I am sure that in Ramadan I didn’t knew that masturbation breaks fast. I don’t remember exact number of days I masturbated during Ramadan. My parents don’t know this issue. I don’t want to tell them issue. Also, I am not financially capable to pay fidya (feed one person per day). What should I do?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Masturbation is a major sin. It is necessary to make sincere tawbah. Masturbation (with ejaculation) breaks the fast and necessitates qadha. There is no kaffarah.[1]

Accordingly, you will have to overestimate the number of days your fast broke due to masturbation and make qadha of those fasts. You can fast on Mondays and Thursdays, the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th of the lunar month, and other sunnah fasts, so that no one will realise that you are making qadha.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mufti Bilal Pandor

Concurred by
Mufti Muhammad Patel

Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia

www.daruliftaazambia.com

[1] https://daruliftaazambia.com/fatwa/?id=465