The Case of Drawing Blood, Cutting Nails or Hair while in the Sate of al-’ Ihram

“I once asked abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who in the state of Ihram uses cupping (draws blood from his body). He (the Imam) said, ‘No, it is not permissible, unless there is no other choice, but the place from where blood is drawn must not be shaved.’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said, ‘One in the state of Ihram, must not use cupping (draw blood from one’s body) unless one fears for his life and that one cannot perform Salat (prayer).”’

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who is in the state of Ihram and his nails grow tall or break and it annoys him. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must not cut anything if he can; but if it upsets him, he can cut them and for every nail he must feed a handful of (one meal) food.’”

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about a man who in the state of Ihram cuts his nails. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must give one handfuls (one meal) of food as charity, two handfuls of food for cutting two nails, three handful of food for cutting three nails, four handfuls of food for cutting four nails, and one animal to be slaughtered as offering for cutting five nails. If one cuts ten or more nails he is required to offer only one animal as offering.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one in the state of Ihram cuts the nails of all of his fingers and toes in one place he must pay one animal as offering, but if he cuts them in two places, he must offer two animals to be slaughtered.’”

“I once asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), about a man who forgets to cut his nails before assuming the state of Ihram. He (the Imam) said, ‘He must leave them as they are.’ I then said, ‘A man from our people gave a Fatwa to cut his nails and assume the state of Ihram again and he did accordingly.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘He owes one animal as offering to be slaughtered.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘One in the state of Ihram must not cut any hair of al- Hallal (one who is not in the state of Ihram).”’

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘Whoever in the state of Ihram pulls out hairs of his underarms or shaves his head because of forgetfulness or ignorance, there is nothing on him; but if one does so knowingly, he must pay one animal as offering to be slaughtered.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one in the state of Ihram pulls out a hair from his beard or from other parts of his body, he must feed one destitute person in his hand (with one meal).”’

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who holds his beard, while in the state of Ihram, and plays with it and a few hairs come off in his hand, by mistake or knowingly. He (the Imam) said, ‘It is not harmful.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If one in the state of Ihram places his hand on his head or beard and hairs come off, he must pay two handful of Ka‘k or sawiq (cake or roasted floor).”’