Cupping for the Fasting Person
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His Eminence the Shaykh: Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar transmitted in al-Fath from Ibn Hazm that he said: The hadith (The cupper and the one cupped break their fast) is authentic without doubt,But we found from the hadith of Anas: (The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) granted a dispensation for cupping for the fasting person) and its chain of narration is sound, so it is obligatory to act upon it; because a dispensation only comes after the default ruling, so this indicates the abrogation of the ruling that cupping breaks the fast, whether one is the cupper or the one cupped. He ended there.
And al-Hafiz -also- mentioned a hadith from a man among the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who said: (The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited cupping for the fasting person, and continuous fasting, but did not forbid them, out of consideration for his Companions) And this is also mentioned by Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him), and he said: Its chain of narration is sound, and the ignorance of the Companion’s identity does not harm it. So how do we reconcile these pieces of evidence with what you have held -may Allah preserve you- regarding the fasting person breaking his fast through cupping?
We respond to this with what Imam Ahmad responded with: It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: (The cupper and the one cupped break their fast) and the hadith of Anas ibn Malik that you referred to has weakness in it. This is the matter.
The second matter: Our statement that it breaks the fast is in the interest of the fasting person in reality; because it is well known that if blood is drawn from a person, he will suffer from weakness, hardship, and fatigue,If we say: That he breaks his fast through cupping means that you do not undergo cupping except out of dire necessity. So if you are fasting an obligatory fast and you undergo cupping out of dire necessity, then eat and drink and make up that day,And the others say: If you undergo cupping out of dire necessity, you must remain fasting even if you are at the utmost limit of weakness.
So the statement that it breaks the fast is the easier one that the interest of the fasting person requires and that the scriptural proofs indicate;Because we say: If you do not need cupping, do not undergo it except at night. And if you need it and it is necessary -such as if your blood rises against you-So we say: Undergo cupping, and we grant him a dispensation to eat and drink until he regains his strength; so it becomes clear through this that the statement that it breaks the fast is the statement that conforms to wisdom, and Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) clarified that in a small treatise of his called: The Reality of Fasting, and whoever wishes for a more expansive answer should refer to it, for it is beneficial.
And donating blood is like cupping; because it is a large amount, so it results in the same weakness that cupping results in. For this reason, it is not permissible for a person to donate blood while fasting an obligatory fast except out of dire necessity. So if there is a dire necessity, he donates his blood and breaks his fast for that day.
And al-Hafiz -also- mentioned a hadith from a man among the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who said: (The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited cupping for the fasting person, and continuous fasting, but did not forbid them, out of consideration for his Companions) And this is also mentioned by Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him), and he said: Its chain of narration is sound, and the ignorance of the Companion’s identity does not harm it. So how do we reconcile these pieces of evidence with what you have held -may Allah preserve you- regarding the fasting person breaking his fast through cupping?
We respond to this with what Imam Ahmad responded with: It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: (The cupper and the one cupped break their fast) and the hadith of Anas ibn Malik that you referred to has weakness in it. This is the matter.
The second matter: Our statement that it breaks the fast is in the interest of the fasting person in reality; because it is well known that if blood is drawn from a person, he will suffer from weakness, hardship, and fatigue,If we say: That he breaks his fast through cupping means that you do not undergo cupping except out of dire necessity. So if you are fasting an obligatory fast and you undergo cupping out of dire necessity, then eat and drink and make up that day,And the others say: If you undergo cupping out of dire necessity, you must remain fasting even if you are at the utmost limit of weakness.
So the statement that it breaks the fast is the easier one that the interest of the fasting person requires and that the scriptural proofs indicate;Because we say: If you do not need cupping, do not undergo it except at night. And if you need it and it is necessary -such as if your blood rises against you-So we say: Undergo cupping, and we grant him a dispensation to eat and drink until he regains his strength; so it becomes clear through this that the statement that it breaks the fast is the statement that conforms to wisdom, and Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) clarified that in a small treatise of his called: The Reality of Fasting, and whoever wishes for a more expansive answer should refer to it, for it is beneficial.
And donating blood is like cupping; because it is a large amount, so it results in the same weakness that cupping results in. For this reason, it is not permissible for a person to donate blood while fasting an obligatory fast except out of dire necessity. So if there is a dire necessity, he donates his blood and breaks his fast for that day.