Do kidney dialysis procedures break the fast?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. This person asks: What is the ruling on undergoing kidney dialysis, or blood washing, for the disease of kidney failure during the day in Ramadan? It is known that the principle in this is
The Shaykh : performing it and not fasting.
The questioner : Dialysis.
The Shaykh : He asks: What is the ruling on performing it, or what is the ruling on fasting?
The questioner : Performing kidney dialysis, the kidney procedure.
The Shaykh : I mean, what is the ruling on him performing it? Repeat, repeat the question.
The questioner : He asks: What is the ruling on undergoing kidney dialysis, or blood washing, for the disease of kidney failure during the day in Ramadan? It is known that the principle in this is connecting an artery to a blood washing machine, where a portion of the blood exits to pass through a filtration device, in which harmful substances are filtered out of the blood in this device outside the body, and likewise, no nourishing substances are added to the blood returning to the human body.
The Shaykh : What has reached me of knowledge about this procedure is that other purifying substances are added to the blood, which enter with the blood a second time. So, we look at this questioner’s question: is what he said correct or not? This is referred back to the words of the doctors, but we clarify the ruling for both possibilities: the possibility that the blood is not mixed with other substances, and the possibility that it is mixed. If it is not mixed with other substances, then that does not break the fast, because the blood that exits the human body returns to it. It is not like cupping, where if the blood exits, it does not return to the body and he does not gain strength. Here, the blood exits and then enters. However, if substances are added to it, then there is a point of hesitation for me, because these substances may provide the body with nourishment that allows it to dispense with food and drink. If these substances provide the body with nourishment that allows it to dispense with food and drink, then they break the fast; otherwise, they do not break the fast.
The Shaykh : performing it and not fasting.
The questioner : Dialysis.
The Shaykh : He asks: What is the ruling on performing it, or what is the ruling on fasting?
The questioner : Performing kidney dialysis, the kidney procedure.
The Shaykh : I mean, what is the ruling on him performing it? Repeat, repeat the question.
The questioner : He asks: What is the ruling on undergoing kidney dialysis, or blood washing, for the disease of kidney failure during the day in Ramadan? It is known that the principle in this is connecting an artery to a blood washing machine, where a portion of the blood exits to pass through a filtration device, in which harmful substances are filtered out of the blood in this device outside the body, and likewise, no nourishing substances are added to the blood returning to the human body.
The Shaykh : What has reached me of knowledge about this procedure is that other purifying substances are added to the blood, which enter with the blood a second time. So, we look at this questioner’s question: is what he said correct or not? This is referred back to the words of the doctors, but we clarify the ruling for both possibilities: the possibility that the blood is not mixed with other substances, and the possibility that it is mixed. If it is not mixed with other substances, then that does not break the fast, because the blood that exits the human body returns to it. It is not like cupping, where if the blood exits, it does not return to the body and he does not gain strength. Here, the blood exits and then enters. However, if substances are added to it, then there is a point of hesitation for me, because these substances may provide the body with nourishment that allows it to dispense with food and drink. If these substances provide the body with nourishment that allows it to dispense with food and drink, then they break the fast; otherwise, they do not break the fast.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، لقاء[33 من 93] هل عمليات غسيل الكلى تفطر الصائم؟!! الشيخ ابن عثيمين - مشروع كبار العلماء — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.