✿ Cupping (Ḥijāmah): Sunnah or Merely a Treatment? Complete Explanation in the Light of Hadith ✿
Taken from: Fatawa ‘Ilmiyyah, Vol. 1 – Principles, Takhreej & Tahqeeq of Narrations – p. 647
❀ The Question ❀
Cupping (Ḥijāmah) is a practice in which blood is drawn from the back of the neck (or other points) as a form of treatment. Some Arabs still do it today. A friend mentioned this to me.
Is this practice a Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, or was it merely a form of treatment adopted by the Sahabah (RA)?
(Question by: Muhammad Adil Shah, UK)
✿ The Answer ✿
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
Ḥijāmah (cupping) in Urdu is known as “Seengi lagwana” or “Pichhne lagwana.”
It is a method of treatment in which some blood is drawn out to cure certain ailments.
◈ The Shariah Status of Ḥijāmah
- It is permissible in Islam.
- In fact, it is also considered a Sunnah.
◈ Evidence from the Ahadith
The practice of Ḥijāmah is authentically proven from the Prophet ﷺ himself as well as from the Sahabah (RA).
- Sahih al-Bukhari: Hadith 1938–1940
- Sahih Muslim: Hadith 1202
- Darussalam Edition: Hadith 2885
These narrations clearly mention that:
- The Prophet ﷺ himself underwent cupping.
- The Sahabah (RA) also practiced it.
Conclusion
Ḥijāmah is both a Sunnah and a beneficial form of treatment. It is a practice established by the Prophet ﷺ and the Companions (RA), and thus permissible and rewardable if done with the Sunnah intention.
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
(This is what I hold; Allah knows best what is correct.)
