CHAPTER ON RENT · 39 – THE LEECH COLLECTOR’S EARNINGS
Rafi ibn Hadic (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said: “The payment for bloodletting is impure. The price taken for the sale of a dog is impure. And the fee that a prostitute receives for fornication is impure (forbidden).” [231]
**Explanation:**
A *haccam* is one who takes blood. Bloodletting is performed to reduce high blood pressure and alleviate certain pains. Because the blood itself is considered impure, it has been stated that the earnings of those who take blood are not pure gains. Some scholars have declared the earnings of bloodletters as forbidden based on this hadith. However, most scholars rely upon the hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas which follows shortly after this one, and accept that the earnings of a bloodletter are permissible. If it were impermissible, no one would pay those who take blood with needles today, and many people would be ruined. It is also stated that the profit from a dog is not a pure gain. However, dogs can be hunting dogs or shepherd dogs. If they have been trained for these purposes, then selling them and taking their price is permissible. Even if they are not trained, their price may still be taken, but it might not be considered a very pure gain. This prohibition was later abrogated.
The *mehr* of a prostitute refers to the money given to her in exchange for committing fornication. It is called *mehr* because it resembles the *mehr* given to a seemingly respectable woman upon marriage. Since adultery is forbidden, giving money in return for it is also forbidden. In this case, the prostitute’s earnings are definitively forbidden. Imam Shafi'i, based on this honorable hadith, stated: “The price of a dog is definitely forbidden,” and did not differentiate between a trained dog and an untrained dog. (Bezl-ül-Mechüd, vol. 5, p. 90)
Ibn-i Muhayyisa, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated from his father: He asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, for permission to take payment for bloodletting. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade Muhayyisa from taking money in return for bloodletting. Muhayyisa continued to inquire about the permissibility of this matter and requested permission to consume it (the money). The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then commanded, “Buy fodder for your camel with it or give it to a slave.”
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, ordered bloodletting and paid the cupper his due. If that money had been impure, he would not have given him payment.
Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) had blood drawn from Abu Tayba. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) ordered that a sa' of dates be given as compensation for his service, and he commanded that Abu Tayba’s tax be eased for his family. [234]
COMMENTARY:
Abu Tayba was a slave belonging to several men from the Banu Bayza tribe. He possessed knowledge of bloodletting. He used to pay his masters three sa' of dates daily. He had drawn blood from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) paid him for drawing the blood, and instructed his masters to reduce the amount he was obligated to pay from three sa' to two sa'.