Is taking blood, which is phlebotomy, like cupping?

Eid Abbasi : Among the questions here is one regarding phlebotomy, taking a portion of blood, as is... and we read it as being like cupping... always... for blood donation...

The Shaykh : No, because this is not valid, because this taking... by transferring it to some of those who have lost some of their blood; this is approximately a general taking, whereas cupping is only for need. Among the matters mentioned by scholars who study this issue is that cupping is only needed by the people of hot countries, whereas the people of cold countries may need it in the days of summer if they have severe heat. Therefore, drawing blood as is done today; first, it has no relation to cupping, and second, this is taken from the vein; that is, it is not taken from the collection of veins and the... I do not know what these doctors call these fine veins?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner : Vessels.

The Shaykh : Vessels, yes. So this is the cupper; this is the closest thing to what they do today with phlebotomy. And phlebotomy—also—has a relation to the medicine they call Arab medicine, but I do not remember if anything of that came in medicine. So phlebotomy, which is cutting the vein and drawing blood from it, is practiced in some specific diseases. So the blood that is taken today in the way of nourishing others with it; this is the closest phlebotomy is to cupping. Therefore, it has absolutely no relation to cupping for all the reasons we mentioned.
Yes.