Chapter: Acts that incur no blame on a pilgrim in ihram

There is no objection to the pilgrim’s killing any animal that habitually attacks people, such as the lion, wolf, tiger, or leopard. Likewise, he may kill snakes, scorpions, rats, crows, and kites. Mālik, however, said: one should not kill a crow or a kite unless they harm him, whereas he may kill a rat, scorpion, or snake even when they pose no harm.

There is no harm in a pilgrim undergoing cupping provided he does not shave the spots where the cupping cups are applied. He may lance a boil, reopen a wound, squeeze a pustule, or cut a vein if need be.

It has also been said that a pilgrim should not be cupped except out of necessity.

There is no objection to trimming the moustache or cutting the nails of someone not in ihram; but shaving the hair of either a person in ihram or a person outside ihram is discouraged for fear of killing small creatures that may be in the hair.

If a pilgrim is certain that no living creature was killed while the head of a non-pilgrim was being shaved, he incurs no liability. Nor is there any blame in brushing off land insects from one’s body, such as fleas or similar ticks.