Narrated ʿUmar ibn Abī Salamah:
He asked the Messenger of Allah – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – “May the fasting person kiss (his spouse)?” The Messenger of Allah said to him, “Ask this one,” meaning Umm Salamah. She informed him that the Messenger of Allah – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – would do so.
So ʿUmar said, “O Messenger of Allah, Allah has forgiven you your past and future sins.”
The Messenger of Allah – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – replied, “By Allah, I am indeed the most God-fearing of you and the most mindful of Him.”
Narrated by Muslim (no. 1108), from the narration of ʿUmar ibn Abī Salamah – may Allah be pleased with him.
Brief Explanation of the Hadith
The Prophet — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — used the best manners in teaching his Companions and responding to their questions. Among such examples is what was narrated by ʿUmar ibn Abī Salamah — may Allah be pleased with him — who was the Prophet’s stepson. He asked: “Does a fasting person kiss (his spouse)?” The Prophet — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — replied, “Ask this one,” meaning his mother, Umm Salamah — may Allah be pleased with her — who then informed him that the Messenger of Allah — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — used to do so.
In this is a clear example of the Prophet’s excellent manner of teaching — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — as it shows his consideration of the questioner’s state and his gentle guidance toward the one who could confirm the answer through direct experience. This approach made the response more impactful and convincing to the listener.
Umm Salamah understood the wisdom behind the Prophet’s response, so she affirmed the occurrence of the act without issuing a direct legal ruling, implying that following the Prophet’s example — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — was sufficient clarification of the ruling.
The kiss of a fasting person is not an act of worship but a natural human behavior. The Prophet’s practice of it while fasting serves as evidence of its permissibility, not recommendation. The majority of scholars have allowed it in both obligatory and voluntary fasts, whether for the young or the old, and it does not invalidate the fast unless it leads to ejaculation. However, for one who fears falling into temptation or prohibited acts, abstaining from it is preferable and more prudent.
When ʿUmar said, “O Messenger of Allah, Allah has forgiven you your past and future sins,” the Prophet — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — clarified the reality of his state, saying: “By Allah, I am indeed the most God-fearing of you and the most mindful of Him.” Meaning: that divine forgiveness does not remove him from the state of servitude, nor exempt him from religious obligations; rather, he — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — was the most complete of people in fear of Allah and in piety.
This ḥadīth also indicates that the Prophet’s — may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him — act of kissing his wives while fasting was not among his exclusive characteristics, but rather a ruling legislated for the entire Ummah. It further affirms that the prophets — peace be upon them — are infallible from major sins and from anything that would impair their message or diminish their rank.