Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … This hadith is mutawatir (mass-transmitted); eighteen Companions (Sahabah) narrated it. The majority of scholars are of the view that one of the following two meanings can be taken from this hadith:

(1) It is abrogated (mansukh). One evidence for this claim is that in the first hadith of this chapter, it is clarified that the incident pertains to the occasion of the conquest of Makkah, which occurred in 8 AH, while the hadith of Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu in the next chapter pertains to the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajjat al-Wada‘), which occurred in 10 AH. Another evidence is: It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas radi Allahu anhu that the incident regarding the dislike of cupping (hijamah) occurred in such a way that Sayyiduna Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib radi Allahu anhu was having cupping done while fasting, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passed by. Upon seeing him, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “These two persons have broken their fast.” But then, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam permitted the fasting person to have cupping done. For this reason, Sayyiduna Anas used to have cupping done while fasting. (Sunan al-Daraqutni)

(2) This hadith is muhkam (unabrogated and decisive), but its apparent meaning is not intended. Rather, its meaning is that such two persons have become prone to breaking their fast, and that is because the one having cupping done may have blood enter his stomach, and the one performing the cupping may become so weak that later he might have to break his fast. The first hadith of the next chapter shows that the second meaning is more correct, and if one reflects on the things that invalidate the fast (mufsidat al-sawm), then this meaning also seems more appropriate, because the blood of one person is being extracted, and the extractor sucks it out through the mouth and spits it out, and neither of these two things has any connection with the fast being broken.