The History of Hijamah
Evidence of hijama (cupping) can be traced back as early as 1550 BC in ancient Egypt. The Ebers Papyrus, discovered in the 19th century, describes the practice of bleeding through cupping to release "bad blood." In East Asia, the earliest records of cupping are found in the ancient silk manuscript Bo Shu, which was discovered in a tomb from the Han Dynasty. Cupping has been used alongside acupuncture in Chinese medicine since as early as the third century BC.
Hippocrates, often regarded as the father of modern medicine, recommended cupping for various ailments, including angina, excessive menstruation, and other disorders. Galen, a prominent figure in ancient medicine, was a major advocate of cupping and presented a sophisticated theory of its benefits, which remained influential in Western medicine until the 17th century.
In England, cupping was practiced by both barbers and physicians during the medieval period. Notable European physicians, such as Paracelsus (1493-1541), Ambroise Paré (1509-1590), William Marsden (1796-1867), and Dr. Martin (1827), either practiced cupping themselves or employed cuppers to assist them. Cupping was also commonly practiced by women in Islamic societies and in countries such as Greece, Holland, and Russia.
While cupping had been practiced for centuries, it did not have a solid scientific basis or evidence to support its effectiveness according to the standards of modern medicine. As evidence-based practices became the norm, cupping fell out of favor due to the lack of clear, consistent clinical trials supporting its benefits. Despite this decline, cupping has seen a resurgence in recent decades, with many people returning to alternative and traditional therapies as complementary treatments alongside modern medical practices.
The term hijama comes from the Arabic word al-hajm, which means "sucking," referring to the vacuum effect created during the practice. Hijama, or cupping, involves applying a cup to the skin and creating a vacuum, typically by suction or the use of fire.
Hadith
According to a hadeeth narrated by Anas ibn Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I did not pass by any group on the night when I was taken on the Night Journey (Isra’), but they said to me, ‘O Muhammad, tell your ummah to do cupping.’” (Reported by Ibn Maajah; it has corroborating evidence which strengthens it).
The angels advised the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his ummah to use cupping.
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I did not pass by any group of angels on the night of the Isra’ [the Prophet’s night journey when he was taken from Makkah to Jerusalem and back in the course of a single night], but all of them said to me, “You should use cupping, O Muhammad.” (Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 2263.)
Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allaah was treated with cupping by Abu Tayyibah. He commanded that he should be given two measures of food, and he spoke with his tax-collectors, who reduced his taxes. He said, “The best treatment you can use is cupping.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 10/126; Muslim, 1577)
According to a hadeeth narrated by Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If there is any good in your medical treatments, it is in the knife of the cupper, drinking honey, or cauterization with fire, as appropriate to the cause of the illness, but I would not like to be cauterized.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 10/139)
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was treated with cupping when he was in ihraam [a special state of devotion at the time of pilgrimage to Makkah], and he was treated with cupping when he was fasting. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1836.)
Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Healing is to be found in three things: drinking honey, the knife of the cupper, and cauterization of fire.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 10/136).
It was narrated from Ibn Buhaynah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was treated with cupping on the way to Makkah when he was in ihraam, in the middle of his head. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1739; Muslim, 1203.)
Some of his companions stated that he was treated with cupping for a pain in the head, i.e. a “migraine”.
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was treated with cupping in his head for pain when he was in ihraam, at an oasis called Lahi Jamal. And it was narrated from him that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was treated with cupping on his head when he was in ihraam for a migraine that he was suffering. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5374.)
Muslim (2205) narrated that ‘Aasim ibn ‘Umar ibn Qataadah said: Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah came to us and there was a man suffering from an abscess or a wound. He said, “What is wrong with you?” He said, “An abscess that is causing me pain.” He said, “O boy, bring me a cupper.” He said, “What will you do with a cupper, O Abu ‘Abd-Allaah?” He said, “I want to apply a cupping glass to him.” He said, “By Allaah, even if the flies land on me it hurts me, or if my garment touches me it hurts me.” When he saw how reluctant he was, he said, “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘If there is anything good in your medical treatments, it is in the incision of the cupper, drinking honey or in touching with fire.’ And the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘But I would not like to be cauterized.’” Then he brought the cupper and made the incision, and his problem went away.
Recommendation of cupping on certain days of the month:
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best days for cupping are the seventeenth, nineteenth and twenty first [of the months of the Islamic Hijri calendar]. I did not pass by any group of angels on the night of the Isra’ [the Prophet’s night journey when he was taken from Makkah to Jerusalem and back in the course of a single night], but all of them said to me, “You should use cupping, O Muhammad.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 3306. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1847.)