QUESTION:

What do the scholars of the Din and muftis of the Sacred Law state regarding the following issue: How is it to have dialysis performed while fasting, because isn’t all the blood from the body taken out for this?

Questioner: Afzal from UK

ANSWER:

بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب

It is permissible to have dialysis while in the state of fasting, as this does not invalidate one’s fast because this medical procedure entails extracting all the blood from the body and then separating this from any urine, and the removal of blood does not invalidate one’s fast.

This is because it was, and still is, a common medical cure of removing bad blood [and any blood disorders relating to it] in the ancient time period of the sacred Arab lands, which is known as cupping, in which blood is removed from various parts of the body.

The Noble Prophet ﷺ had cupping performed i.e. had some of his blessed blood removed, even in the state of fasting, just as it has been stated in many Hadīths of Bukhārī Sharīf that the Noble Messenger of Allāh ﷺ had cupping done, and one of these is Hadīths is the following narration reported on the authority of Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh Ibn ‘Abbās, may Allāh Almighty be pleased them both,

“وَاحْتَجَمَ وَهُوَ صَائِمٌ”

“He [the Noble Messenger of Allāh] ﷺ was cupped while [he ﷺ was in the state of lhrām, and also while] he ﷺ was observing a fast.”

[Sahīh al-Bukhārī, Hadīth no 1938]

The Noble Messenger of Allāh ﷺ also stated the ruling pertaining to having cupping done while one is in the state of fasting, just as it has been mentioned in the Hadīth in which the Noble Prophet ﷺ stated,

“ثَلَاثٌ لَا يُفْطِرْنَ الصَّائِمَ: الحِجَامَةُ، وَالقَيْءُ، وَالِاحْتِلَامُ”

“Three things do not break the fast of the fasting person: Cupping, vomiting, and a wet dream.”

[Jāmi’ al-Tirmidhī, vol 2, pg 172, Hadīth no 719]

Moreover, the credible books of Hanafī Fiqh all agree that cupping or any other method to remove blood does not invalidate a fast.

Just as it is stated in Tanwīr al-Absār & Durr Mukhtār,

أَدْهَنَ أَوْ اكْتَحَلَ أَوْ احْتَجَمَ) وَإِنْ وَجَدَ طَعْمَهُ فِي حَلْقِهِ)

“Putting oil on, wearing surmah [kohl], and cupping do not invalidate one’s fast, even if the taste of oil or kohl can be felt in the throat.”

[Durr Mukhtār, vol 2, pg 395]

[PLEASE NOTE: This ruling applies to both types of dialysis; haemodialysis or peritoneal.
Nevertheless, one must bear in mind, just as with the CT scan, that dialysis itself does not invalidate a fast, though, any external matters may cause a fast to become invalid. In other words, while the filtration of blood (i.e. the process of dialysis) may not invalidate a fast, the taking of medicine via swallowing a tablet, etc will cause the fast to become invalid.]

واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم
کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری

Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qadiri
Translated by Haider Ali

Read the original Urdu answer here: [Q-ID0704] Does having Dialysis break the Fast?

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