Virtues of Hijamah and can one force it upon anyone

CategoriesMiscellaneous [736]

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:

Bismillah

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 ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). It is an act which the Holy Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) himself had performed in his lifetime. There are many Ahaadeeth to support this.

Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Masood raḍyAllāhu 'anhu (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrates that the Holy Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) 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 raḥimahullāh (may Allāh have mercy upon him) narrates that the Holy Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) would have himself cupped in the two veins at the side of the neck and between the shoulders. He did that on the 17th, 19th or 21st of a month. (Sunan Tirmidhi p 25 v 2)

Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Abbas raḥimahullāh (may Allāh have mercy upon him) narrates that the Holy Prophet Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam liked that Hijamah/cupping be done on the 17th, 19th or the 21st 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 ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) disliked for one to have cupping done on a Tuesday.

Sayyidna Abu Bakra raḍyAllāhu 'anhu (may Allāh be pleased with him) used to forbid his family from having cupping on a Tuesday, and gave the Holy Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) 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 raḥimahullāh (may Allāh have mercy upon him) work, the medicine of the Prophet.)

As I have mentioned above the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) 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 raḍyAllāhu 'anhu (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrates that the Holy Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) 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.

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