Hijama in Islam: The Sunnah of Wet Cupping

Hijama (wet cupping) occupies a special place in Islamic medicine. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "The best of your remedies is cupping (hijama)" (Sahih Bukhari) and "Cupping is a remedy, and it is recommended on the 17th, 19th, and 21st of the Islamic month" (Abu Dawud).

The Prophet's Endorsement

The Hadith literature contains multiple references to the Prophet (PBUH) having Hijama performed and recommending it to his companions. Ibn Abbas reported: "The Prophet was cupped on his head and between his shoulders." (Sahih Bukhari)

Recommended Sunnah Days

Islamic tradition recommends performing Hijama on the 17th, 19th, and 21st days of the Islamic (Hijri) lunar calendar. These days coincide with the highest lunar gravitational pull on bodily fluids, according to some traditional scholars.

Islamic Physicians Who Practised Hijama

Ibn Sina (Avicenna), the great Islamic physician whose Canon of Medicine was used in European medical schools for centuries, wrote extensively about Hijama's therapeutic applications. Al-Dhahabi compiled a comprehensive text on Prophetic Medicine (Al-Tibb Al-Nabawi) that includes detailed guidance on cupping.

Hijama as Worship

For practising Muslims, receiving Hijama in accordance with the Sunnah carries spiritual reward alongside its physical benefits. Our practitioners understand and respect this dimension of Hijama and create an appropriate environment for the treatment.