Cupping

15 PRACTICAL GUIDELINES EXTRACTED FROM THE AHAADITH AND SUNNAH

(1) Performing cupping (Hijamah) on just any day is fraught with grave danger to the body as mentioned in the Ahadith.  Hijamah should not be done on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

·        Hijamah should also not be practiced while the hilaal (crescent moon) is waxing. It should be done once the moon starts waning, i.e. from 15th of the lunar month. It is also preferable that it should not be a cloudy day.

·        The recommended days are Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. The best day is a Tuesday which coincides with the 17th of the lunar month.

·        While it is discouraged to perform it on the other days, it is not haraam. Nevertheless, the Hadith warns of dire consequences – diseases – if done on the other days. Disease developing is possible if done on other days. It is therefore inadvisable to act in conflict with the advice of the Hadith.

(2)  Hijamah is not discouraged for general health reasons. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) would practice it for general health.

(3)  There is no recommended frequency for practicing hijamah.

(4)  While it will not be sinful to perform it on the days the Hadith discourages, it is fraught with grave health consequences, hence, it should be done only on the recommended days regardless of time constraints.

(5)  Whether hijamah is performed alone or in conjunction with other forms of treatment, it is permissible to charge a fixed fee and the money is lawful for one’s personal needs.

(6) It is not advisable to have hijamah treatment by one who lacks experience in this field. A mere seminar or online course does not qualify one to practice.

(7) A male may treat a female patient only if there is a real need and a female practitioner is not available.   A male mahram has to be present if the patient is a female. There is no specific distance-range. Circumstances and the conditions of the patients will have to be considered.

(8) If there are trained/experienced females present who are capable of performing hijamah, then it will not be permissible for a female to be treated by a male irrespective of the female physician not being ‘medically-trained.  The fact that the female is trained qualifies her even if she is not ‘medically-trained’ in terms of the western medical establishment rules.

(9)  Yes, it will be permissible. But a male mahram must be in attendance.

(10)  While hijamah during fasting is discouraged, it is permissible. The Hadith in which prohibition during fasting is mentioned is Mansookh (abrogated) by the later practice and permissibility.

(11)  The ahaadith has literal application. However, certain factors could necessitate abstention. Should in specific instances it be understood that hijamah would be harmful, then it will be necessary to abstain. For example, the Qur’aan Majeed explicitly states that there is cure in honey.  However, honey can harm people with certain types of sickness. Hence, it will be valid and necessary to abstain for this reason.

(12) Hijamah refers to only wet-cupping. If there are benefits in the other forms, these too will be permissible.

(13) Hijamah was done on several parts of the body: The center of the head, the nape, both sides of the neck, the foot, and on the upper part of the back. After Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had consumed the poisoned food, Hadhrat Jibraeel (alayhis salaam) told him to have hijamah done to the head. Similarly, it was also done under his left shoulder as a treatment for the poisoning.

Hijamah was done to both thighs as a cure for back pains, and on the knee for knee pains. Hijamah was done to Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) on the top of his foot because of a sore on the foot.

This is an area which should be studied under the guidance of an expert in the field.

(14) Hijamah was done to Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) for the food-poisoning, a sore on the foot, back pains and knee pains. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) also used to have hijamah done for general health reasons without him having had any specific sickness.

(15) Hijamah is strongly recommended. There is much emphasis on it. In one Hadith it is mentioned that on the Night of Mi’raaj, the Angels in the heaven said to Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) to order his Ummah to practice hijamah.

Only those who are qualified in this field are permitted to practice it. It is not permissible for non-experienced people to practice in any field of medicine.

Furthermore, according to the instruction of Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam), the extracted blood should be buried, not thrown down the drain. It should be buried in such a place where dogs will not dig it up. The blood of two persons should also not be mixed.

Guidelines written by the Mujlisul Ulama of S.A.