Jurist
Imam Ahmed Ibn Hanbal and Imam Awzaee went to say that hijama invalidates the fast. Ishaq
bin Rahawiah, Ibn Khuzaimah, Ibn Al-Mundhir
also had same opinion.Their evidence for this is found in the hadith collection
of Abi Dawood and Ibn Majah:
Narrated
Thawban(r.a):
The Prophet (saw) said, “A man who cupped and a man who has himself cupped
broke their fast.” (Sunan Abi Dawud. Graded Sahih [Al-Albani])
But the majority of jurists and
scholars including the great jurist Imam Abu Hanifah and Imam Malik and
al-Shaafa'i (May Allah have mercy on them) believe that it did not break the fast. Their main evidence is hadith of Sahih
al-Bukhari: Narrated Ibn `Abbas:
The Prophet (saw) was cupped while he was in the state of lhram, and also while
he was observing a fast. (Sahih Bukhari 1938).
Evidences that support the view of the majority
of jurists:
·
Narrated
Ibn `Abbas (r.a):
The Prophet
(peace be upon him) was cupped while he was in the state of lhraam, and also
while he was observing fast. [Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1938]
·
Narrated Ibn `Abbas (r.a):
The Messenger
of Allah (peace be upon him) was cupped while he was fasting and in Ihraam.” [Reference:
Jami’ at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 775 (Sahih Hadith)]
·
Anas (r.a) narrated:
‘The first time
cupping was disliked for the one who is fasting was when Ja’far bin Abi Talib
had himself cupped while fasting and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
came across him and said, “Those two have broken their fast (meaning Ja’far and
the man who was cupping him).” But later on, the Prophet allowed cupping for
the one who is fasting. Anas used to have himself cupped while he was fasting.
Related by Ad-Daraqutni, who regarded it as a strong hadith. [Reference: Bulugh
al-Maram, Hadith 688 (Sahih Hadith)]
·
Narrated Thabit Al-Bunani (r.a):
Anas bin Malik
was asked whether they disliked the cupping for a fasting person. He replied in
the negative and said, “Only if it causes weakness.” [Reference: Sahih
al-Bukhari, Hadith 1940]
From the above ahadith, we find that as a rule, cupping does not
break the fast. And the last-mentioned hadith also tell us the reason of prohibition
was fear of weakness to the fasting person which can led to break fast, If no
such fear exists, then it is permissible.
Conclusion:
The
procedure of Hijaamah (Wet-Cupping) itself does not break the fast.
As
Ibn Abbas and Akramah (r.a) said: Fasting is broken by what entered, not by
what went out. However, the only consideration is that, it
might entail weakness to the fasting person due to blood being drained out
(which can lead him/her to break his/her fast). If no such fear exists,
then it is permissible.