Fatwa ID: 01815

Answered by Molana Ishaaq Hussain

Question:

Assalamu alaikum shaykh, recently i am seeing many people are doing hijamah and they are saying Islam has prescribed us to take hijamah. Would you please enlighten me what is meant by hijamah and is there any hadith or sayings of fuqaha about this issue? 

Answer:

Hijamah also known as ‘cupping’ is when blood is drawn out of the body by a vacuum from a small skin incision for therapeutic purposes.

Hijamah is a Sunnah of the Holy Prophet . It is an act which the Holy Prophet himself had performed in his lifetime. There are many Ahaadeeth to support this.

Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Masood narrates that the Holy Prophet narrated the account of the night of ascension to the heavens and disclosed, “I did not pass by any section of the angels but they instructed me to command my ummah to have themselves cupped.” (Sunan Tirmidhi p 25 v 2)

From the above Hadeeth we come to learn a great virtue of cupping, so great that even the Angels have advised us to do Hijamah.

Sayyidna Anas narrates that the Holy Prophet would have himself cupped in the two veins at the side of the neck and between the shoulders. He did that on the 17^th, 19^th or 21^st of a month. (Sunan Tirmidhi p 25 v 2)

Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Abbas narrates that the Holy Prophet Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam liked that Hijamah/cupping be done on the 17^th, 19^th or the 21^st of a month. (Mishkaatul Masaabeeh p 389).

From the above mentioned Ahaadeeth we come to know that it is preferable to do cupping on these dates. However if one wanted to do it on an another date then that will also suffice.

We also come to know from a Hadeeth that the Holy Prophet  disliked for one to have cupping done on a Tuesday.

Sayyidna Abu Bakra used to forbid his family from having cupping on a Tuesday, and gave the Holy Prophet as his authority. He added, “On that day, there is a time where the blood does not clot easily.” (Sunan Abu Dawud p 184 v 2)

Cupping/Hijaamah can be applied in places where one is in pain. Cupping beneath the chin relieves pain in the teeth and face, cupping in the legs is good for boils on the thighs and for gout and piles and irritation in the back… the benefits of cupping are even more than I stated even twice as much.(See Imam Jalal Uddin Suyuti work, the medicine of the Prophet.)

As I have mentioned above the Prophet had cupping done on his shoulders and neck, there is also a narration which mentions that the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam had cupping on his blessed head.

Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Abbas narrates that the Holy Prophet  had cupping done on his head. (Sahih Bukhari p 849 v 2)

With regards to your question, Hijaamh is no doubt a great Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam but it is not a Waajib/ Obligatory act in Shariah, therefore to force a person to do cupping is not correct.

Only Allah Knows Best

Written by Molana Ishaaq Hussain

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham.