Cupping

[Cherry Khanoom]

Salam and peace to all.

I have been hearing a lot on cupping as a form of skin treatment which in the Muslim culture mostly comes from hadith.  Am I right?  I don’t know of any Quran Verse on cupping.   Is the word “hijamah” in hadith same as cupping?

Can you please give me a detailed account of what this is and is it really advisable for treatment or not?

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Walaikum as Salam.   

Often seen as a Chinese and Egyptian treatment applying suction to decompress muscles for treating pain and other health conditions. It supposedly dates back to a thousand years or more.  In the Muslim culture at present, it has obviously come from the hadith.

The Noble Quran does NOT say anything on cupping nor does it indirectly refer to it.  Absolutely nothing.  Cupping is simply a sphere in alternative medicine and it’s up to every individual whether or not they opt for it.

Well yes, the word “hijamah” in the Arabic language has the same definition as cupping.  It comes from root “hajm” which means sucking.  Al-Hajam is the person who performs the procedure of cupping.  It is strongly advised that the procedure of cupping, if at all done, should be carried out by those who have learned it professionally, not by lay persons. 

The procedure involves placing plastic, glass or ceramic cups on the skin. Low pressure is created in the cups usually by heating the cups to reduce or remove the presence of oxygen prior to placing them on the skin.  After that, a suction device is attached to the cups.  This is called dry cupping.  In “wet cupping,” an incision is made on the skin to allow blood to flow into the cup.   In earlier times wet cupping was probably the only method.  Nowadays dry cupping is more in use.  Cupping can be done on any part of the body, that is, neck, chest, back, arms or legs. 


Possible benefits:
It supposedly goes beyond skin treatment.  According cupping fans its medical benefits include improved blood circulation, moderating blood pressure, treating infections of heart muscles, treating throat infections, headaches and eye pain, treating rheumatic and joint pains.  But these assumptions are hugely controversial with no confirmations nor any steady evidences.


Negatives:
Negative side effects of cupping may include skin discoloration, scars, burns and infections such as Hepatitis B and C if the instruments used aren’t properly sterilized.  Cupping may also aggravate eczema or psoriasis.   Rarer side effects that have been reported are internal bleeding and anemia due to frequent wet cupping.  Cupping can also leave blemishes and marks on the skin. Whenever you visit your family doctor for a routine checkup or any specific issue, make sure to mention it otherwise your healthcare provider may mistakenly think the cause to be physical abuse.  Temporary but frequent nausea and fatigue are also common side effects in regular cupping patients as the body tries to regain energy on the areas where cupping was performed.


Hadiths on cupping:
Not important, but just to mention for those who may want to read. The ahadith on cupping are as follows:

Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih (5269) from Sa’id ibn Jubayr from Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Healing is in three things: drinking honey, the incision of a cupper, and cauterizing with fire, but I forbid my ummah to use cauterizing.”

Al-Bukhari (5263) and Muslim (2952) narrated that Anas ibn Malik was asked about the earnings of the cupper, and he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was treated with cupping by Abu Taybah. He ordered that he should be given two sa’ of food, and he spoke with his masters so that they reduced what they used to take from his earnings. And he said: “The best medicine with which you treat yourselves is cupping, or it is one of the best of your medicines.”

Jabir ibn ‘Abd-Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “If there is anything good in the medicines with which you treat yourselves, it is in the incision of the cupper, or a drink of honey or cauterization with fire, but I do not like to be cauterized.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6583; Muslim, 2205).

Some Hadiths recommend performing cupping on specific days of the lunar cycle, which is of course total nonsense. 

[Cherry Khanoom]

JazelAllah for the straight and uncomplicated reply.   Probably a medical question but just asking by the way, can cupping heal psoriasis?

[Heba E. Husseyn]

No guarantees I'm afraid, as far as I know.   Psoriasis is a chronic dermatological disease often associated with the immune system, as I hear.  Cupping is commonly thought to be a treatment for psoriasis. However, the effectiveness and safety of cupping are controversial, not confirmed at all.  In fact in some cases, cupping has shown to worsen eczema.

[Cherry Khanoom]

Oh!   

[Sami Ghani]

What is cauterizing which hadith does not allow?

[Heba E. Husseyn]

To destroy tissues using electric current through a hot or cold instrument, or a chemical that burns or dissolves the tissue is called cauterization. Often used for eradicating some types of small tumors or to seal off blood vessels to stop bleeding.  In earlier times this method was also applied for curing tonsillitis.

I don’t know why Hadith prohibits cauterization.  Probably because in those times there was no electricity and therefore no electrical current for heating a steal instrument.  Even various chemicals for treatment weren’t available. The only method was to carefully burn the skin with a thin flame of fire which could cause any number of serious accidents on the skin as well as the surroundings.  But nowadays there is no such problem in regard to cauterization, and no reason to prohibit it.

[Cherry Khanoom]

Is it necessary for a Muslim to be in a state of wudu before going for cupping treatment?

[Heba E. Husseyn]

As I said, the Noble Quran says nothing about cupping.  Cupping is conventional medicine and a personal choice.  It is not a spiritual or religious practice.  Therefore cupping has nothing to do with being in a state of wudu.   However, to a Muslim it is always feels nice and satisfactory to be in a state of wudu, even if you’re going shopping or to eat in a restaurant.  This is a personal opinion.  The Noble Quran instructs us to perform wudu only before offering salah.

[Cherry Khanoom]

Thanks again my sister for your time and help.