Author: Abdulrazzaq al-Maghribi
Date published: 2026-02-19
Updated: 2026-02-19
Does cupping break the fast?
Cupping (Hijamah) is very beneficial and a Sunnah, but does it break the fast? And what about the one who is the cupper, does he or she break the fast as well?
The scholars have differed on this issue. Majority of scholars viewed that the one who performs cupping and the one who receives cupping do not break the fast.
- Imam Abu Hanifa: the fast remains valid
- Imam Malik: the fast remains valid
- Imam al-Shafi'i: the fast remains valid
- Imam Ahmad: the fast is broken
- Ishaq ibn Rahawayh: the fast is broken
(٢٠١٩) الْفَصْلُ الثَّانِي، أَنَّ الْحِجَامَةَ يُفْطِرُ بِهَا الْحَاجِمُ وَالْمَحْجُومُ. وَبِهِ قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ، وَابْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ خُزَيْمَةَ. وَهُوَ قَوْلُ عَطَاءٍ، وَعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مَهْدِيٍّ. وَكَانَ الْحَسَنُ، وَمَسْرُوقٌ، وَابْنُ سِيرِينَ، لَا يَرَوْنَ لِلصَّائِمِ أَنْ يَحْتَجِمَ.
[المغني — الجزء ٣ — الصفحة ١٢٠]
Ibn Qudamah said:
“Chapter: Cupping breaks the fast for both the one performing the cupping and the one being cupped.
This was the view of Ishaq ibn Rahwayh, Ibn al-Mundhir, and Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Khuzaymah. It is also the opinion of Ata ibn Abi Rabah and Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi. And Al-Hasan al-Basri, Masruq ibn al-Ajda, and Ibn Sirin did not consider it permissible for a fasting person to undergo cupping.”
[Al-Mughni - Volume 3 - Page 120]
٦٨٠ - حَدثنَا قَالَ سَأَلت ابي عَن الْحجامَة للصَّائِم
قَالَ اذا احْتجم فِي رَمَضَان فقد افطر يقْضِي يَوْمًا مَكَانَهُ وَلَا كَفَّارَة عَلَيْهِ
قلت لابي فَإِن صَامَ تَطَوّعا
قَالَ قد افطر إِن قضي لم يضرّهُ وارجوا أَن لَا يلْزمه
[مسائل عبد الله - صفحة ١٨١-١٨٢]
Abdullah ibn Ahmad mentioned: I asked my father about cupping for a fasting person.
He said: If he undergoes cupping in Ramadan, then he has broken his fast; he must make up one day in its place, and there is no expiation (kaffārah) upon him.
I said to my father: And if he was fasting voluntarily?
He said: He has broken his fast. If he makes it up, it will not harm him, and I hope that it is not required upon him.
[Masail Abdullah - Page 181-182]
وَقَالَ مَالِكٌ، وَالثَّوْرِيُّ، وَأَبُو حَنِيفَةَ، وَالشَّافِعِيُّ: يَجُوزُ لِلصَّائِمِ أَنْ يَحْتَجِمَ، وَلَا يُفْطِرُ؛ لِمَا رَوَى الْبُخَارِيُّ، عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - «احْتَجَمَ وَهُوَ صَائِمٌ» . وَلِأَنَّهُ دَمٌ خَارِجٌ مِنْ الْبَدَنِ، أَشْبَهَ الْفَصْدَ.
[المغني — الجزء ٣ — الصفحة ١٢٠]
Ibn Qudamah said:
“And Malik ibn Anas, Sufyan al-Thawri, Abu Hanifa, and Al-Shafi‘i said: It is permissible for a fasting person to undergo cupping, and it does not break the fast.
This is based on what Al-Bukhari narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet ﷺ “underwent cupping while he was fasting.”
And because it is blood that exits from the body, it is analogous to bloodletting (phlebotomy).”
[Al-Mughni - Volume 3 - Page 120]
قلت أرأيت رجلا احتجم وهو صائم قال إن فعل ذلك لم يضره شيء قلت أفتكره له أن يحتجم قال إن خاف أن يضعفه فأحب إلي أن لا يفعل
[الأصل – محمد بن الحسن – الجزء ٢ – صفحة ١٩٣-١٩٤]
Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani said: "There is nothing upon the person who undergoes cupping, and if it would weaken him, I would like it if he avoids it."
[Al-Asl - Muhammad ibn al-Hasan - Volume 2 - Page 193-194]
محمد عن أبي حنيفة عن أبي السوار عن أبي حاضر عن عبد الله ابن عباس أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم احتجم وهو صائم محرم بالقاحة
[الأصل – محمد بن الحسن – الجزء ٢ – صفحة ١٩٤]
Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani mentioned:
From Abu Hanifa, from Abu Al-Suwar, from Abu Hadir, from Abdullah ibn Abbas, that the Prophet ﷺ underwent cupping while he was fasting, and it is prohibited to overdo cupping.
[Al-Asl - Muhammad ibn al-Hasan - Volume 2 - Page 194]
محمد عن أبي يوسف عن أبي حنيفة عن أبي العطوف عن الزهري أن سعد بن مالك وزيد بن ثابت كانا يحتجمان وهما صائمان
[الأصل – محمد بن الحسن – الجزء ٢ – صفحة ١٩٤-١٩٥]
Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani mentioned:
From Abu Yusuf, from Abu Hanifa, from Abu al-‘Atuf, from Al-Zuhri, that Sa‘d ibn Malik and Zayd ibn Thabit used to undergo cupping while they were fasting.
[Al-Asl - Muhammad ibn al-Hasan - Volume 2 - Page 194-195]
محمد عن أبي يوسف عن أبان بن أبي عياش عن أنس بن مالك قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أفطر الحاجم والمحجوم قال فشكا إليه الناس الدم فرخص للصائم أن يحتجم
[الأصل – محمد بن الحسن – الجزء ٢ – صفحة ١٩٤]
Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani mentioned:
From Abu Yusuf, from Aban ibn Abi ‘Ayyash, from Anas ibn Malik, that he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The one who performs cupping and the one who is cupped breaks their fast.”
Then people complained to him about the blood, so he permitted the fasting person to undergo cupping.
[Al-Asl - Muhammad ibn al-Hasan - Volume 2 - Page 194]
قَالَ وَقَالَ مَالِكٌ: إنَّمَا كَرِهَ الْحِجَامَةَ لِلصَّائِمِ لِمَوْضِعِ التَّعْزِيرِ، وَلَوْ احْتَجَمَ رَجُلٌ فَسَلِمَ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ.
[المدونة – سحنون – الجزء ١ – صفحة ٢٧٠]
Sahnoun mentioned: Al-Qasim said that Malik disliked hijamah for the person who's fasting because it may lead to fatigue/weakness. The person who undergoes hijamah is not required to do anything (does not break the fast).
[Al-Mudawannah - Sahnoun - Volume 1 - Page 270]
ابْنُ وَهْبٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، وَسُفْيَانُ الثَّوْرِيِّ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَالَ: «ثَلَاثٌ لَا يُفْطِرُ مِنْهُنَّ الصَّائِمُ الْقَيْءُ وَالْحِجَامَةُ وَالْحُلُمُ» . ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، وَذَكَرَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: «أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - احْتَجَمَ وَهُوَ صَائِمٌ» .
[المدونة – سحنون – الجزء ١ – صفحة ٢٧٠]
Sahnoun mentioned:
Ibn Wahb narrated from Hisham ibn Sa‘d, and Sufyan al-Thawri narrated from Zayd ibn Aslam, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Three things do not break the fast for the fasting person: vomiting, cupping, and wet dreams dreams.”
Ibn Wahb, and Ibn Abbas also mentioned: “That the Messenger of Allah ﷺ underwent cupping while he was fasting.”
[Al-Mudawannah - Sahnoun - Volume 1 - Page 270]
وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «أَفْطَرَ الْحَاجِمُ وَالْمَحْجُومُ» وَرُوِيَ عَنْهُ «أَنَّهُ احْتَجَمَ صَائِمًا».
(قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ): وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَاحِدًا مِنْهُمَا ثَابِتًا وَلَوْ ثَبَتَ وَاحِدٌ مِنْهُمَا عَنْ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قُلْت بِهِ فَكَانَتْ الْحُجَّةُ فِي قَوْلِهِ، وَلَوْ تَرَكَ رَجُلٌ الْحِجَامَةَ صَائِمًا لِلتَّوَقِّي كَانَ أَحَبَّ إلَيَّ، وَلَوْ احْتَجَمَ لَمْ أَرَهُ يُفْطِرُهُ
[الأم – الجزء ٢ – صفحة ١٠٦]
Imam al-Shafi'i said:
It has been narrated from the Prophet ﷺ that he said: “The one who performs cupping and the one who is cupped breaks their fast.”
It has also been narrated from him that he underwent cupping while fasting.
And I do not know whether one of the two narrations are authentic, but if it turns out that one of them is authentic, then I would follow it, and the proof would lie in that statement.
If a man refrains from cupping while fasting out of caution, that is more beloved to me; and if he undergoes cupping, I would not consider that it breaks his fast.”
[Al-Umm - Volume 2 - Page 106]
Here Imam al-Shafi'i is unsure about the conflicting narrations regarding cupping. And he looked at the actions of the Sahaba and found that some used to do it and later stopped doing it while fasting, so he didn't find conclusive evidence in that either.
He chose to follow the fatwa of Imam Malik about the issue, that it does not break the fast.
