and forgetfulness, and He, glorified and exalted is He, has permitted eating, drinking and intercourse until the white thread becomes distinct from the black thread. There is scholarly agreement that someone who is unsure whether dawn has broken may eat, drink and have intercourse, and need not make up the fast if that uncertainty remains unresolved.

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

A man intended to have intercourse with his wife during the daytime in Ramadan, so he first broke his fast by eating and then had intercourse. Must he offer expiation or not? And what is required of someone who breaks his fast without an excuse?

He replied:

Praise be to Allah.

The scholars have two well-known opinions on this matter:

The first is that expiation is obligatory. This is the view of the majority, including Mālik, Ahmad, Abū Hanīfah and others.

The second is that it is not obligatory. This is the position of al-Shāfiʿī. These two opinions rest on differing views of what incurs expiation: breaking a fast, or breaking a valid fast, through intercourse, or through intercourse or other acts, depending on the school. For Abū Hanīfah