so that it rises to the surface of the skin and is drawn out by cupping. In cold regions, blood retreats into the veins to escape the cold, for like is drawn to like, just as the body’s interior grows warm in winter and cool in summer. Thus, venesection and opening the veins serve people in cold regions as cupping serves those in hot regions. Neither revealed law nor reason distinguishes between the two.

We have already explained that cupping’s invalidation of the fast accords with the fundamental principles and analogical reasoning, and that it is akin to the invalidation of the fast through menstrual bleeding, deliberately induced vomiting, and masturbation. Accordingly, whatever means a person deliberately uses to have blood drawn invalidates his fast, just as deliberately inducing vomiting invalidates it by whatever means—whether by inserting his hand, smelling something that makes him vomit, or placing his hand beneath his abdomen to induce vomiting. Those are methods of bringing up vomit, and these are methods of drawing blood. Hence, blood discharged by either method has the same ruling in (the chapter on ritual purification).

This demonstrates the perfection, balance, and coherence of the revealed law, and shows that the scriptural texts and their meanings confirm and agree with one another:

“Had it been from anyone other than Allah, they would have found in it much contradiction.”

As for the cupper, he sucks the air out of the cupping vessel, and the air draws along the blood within it. Some blood may therefore rise with the air and enter his throat without his noticing. When the underlying rationale is hidden or variable, the ruling is made dependent