Does Cupping Break the Fast?

Shaykh Mustafa Mabram

The author (Imam As-Sa’di), may Allah have mercy upon him, mentioned: “Or Hijamah (cupping).” Meaning, that the Shaykh holds that Hijamah breaks the fast. This is from the positions in which Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy upon him, is alone (in contrast to the other three great Imams) and it is that which our Shaykh—here within Manhaj As-Salikin—deems to be the stronger viewpoint. The (other) three Imams: Abu Hanifah, Malik, and Ash-Shafi’i, hold that Hijamah does not break the fast. Imam Ahmad, as well as the author, uses as evidence the Hadith of Thawban, the freed slave of the prophet ﷺ, that the said: “On one occasion the messenger of Allah ﷺ was walking in Al-Baqi’ in Ramadan and he saw a man being cupped, so he said: 

أفطر الحاجم والمحجوم 

‘Both, the cupper and the one being cupped have broken their fast.’”

Similar has come on the authority of Al-Hasan and others, as is with Imam Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi and others. The scholars, may Allah have mercy upon them differ regarding whether the Hadith is authentic or weak. Some deem it to be weak, which is the statement of a group of the verifiers. That which is strongest, at any rate, from the statement of the scholars in this issue is that Hijamah does not break the fast. Likewise, that which is similar to it, from drawing blood to make a donation. This is due to what has come with Al-Bukhari on the authority of Thabit Al-Bunani, who said: “Anas was asked: ‘Did you used to dislike Hijamah for the fasting person?’ He said: ‘No; except due to weakness.’”

There has come with Abu Dawud, from the Hadith of Anas that he said: “We did not used to leave Hijamah for the fasting person except hating that it would be strenuous for him.”

Likewise, it has come with Abu Dawud from a man amongst the companions that he said: “The prophet ﷺ prohibited Hijamah and continuous fasting (i.e., without breaking it), but he did not make them Haram, for the sake of preserving his companions.”

Likewise, there has come with An-Nasa’i within Al-Kubra on the authority of Abu Sa’id, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: “The prophet ﷺ made a concession for the fasting person to receive Hijamah.” Its chain is Sahih, although some have deemed it to be Mawquf.

There has come within Al-Bukhari that the messenger of Allah ﷺ was cupped whilst he was fasting. 

These proofs are from the proofs of the majority of the scholars that Hijamah does not nullify the fast, and it is the stronger viewpoint, and Allah knows best. It is the chosen view of Shaykh Al-Albani and our Shaykh Muqbil as well as a group of the people of knowledge, may Allah have mercy upon them.

Source: https://bit.ly/3lV8Yy4

Translated by Raha Batts

Translator’s Note:

Over the years, many different instruments were used for cupping; from hollowed out animal horns, bamboo, clay, glass, and plastic cups.

Hollowed Horns Used for Cupping

The cupper would, sometimes, use his mouth to extract the blood into the horn and at times, the blood would seep into his mouth. These days, we use plastic cups and a mechanical pump to achieve the same objective without fear of the cupper getting blood into his mouth. Allah knows best.