The Quran: A Miracle Beyond Time- A Study of Its Miraculous Nature (part 63)
Cupping Therapy, Its Benefits and Applications
Cupping therapy is one of the ancient and effective treatment methods in Islamic medicine, which is rooted in the Prophetic tradition. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) emphasized its practice on many occasions and mentioned its numerous benefits for human health.
Ibn Mas‘ud (MABH) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “حدث رسول الله صلیاللهعلیهوسلم عن ليلة أسري به أنه لم يمر على ملإ من الملائكة إلا أمروه أن مر أمتك بالحجامة”[1] Translation: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) spoke about the night of Mi‘raj, saying that he did not pass by any group of angels except that they all said: O Muhammad! Command your Ummah to perform cupping therapy.
Also, Al-Bukhari narrates from Anas (MABH) that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “إن أمثل ما تداويتم به الحجامة، والقسط البحري” [2] Translation: The best things with which you treat yourselves are cupping therapy and Indian incense.
Scientific and Physiological Foundations of Cupping Therapy
Muslim scholars throughout history have spoken extensively about the benefits of cupping therapy and its uses. The first matter they mentioned as the reason and motivation for performing cupping is “tabayyugh al-dam”. Tabayyugh in language means the agitation or increase of blood, and scientifically it can be interpreted as a rise in blood pressure (what is known today as “increased arterial pressure”).
The symptoms of this condition usually include headache, a feeling of fullness in the head, dizziness, irritability, and visual disturbances. Some physicians have also called high blood pressure “the pressure of sorrow,” because psychological and emotional stress can also increase it. During the spring season, as the weather becomes warmer, the likelihood of increased blood also rises. For this reason, the Prophet (PBUH) said:
“من أراد الحجامة فليتحر سبعة عشر، أو تسعة عشر، أو أحدا وعشرين، ولا يتبيغ بأحدكم الدم فيقتله”[3] Translation: Whoever wants to perform cupping should do so on the seventeenth, nineteenth, or twenty-first day of the month, so that the blood does not surge within him and cause his death.
Cupping Therapy and the Treatment of Head Disorders
Another recommended use of cupping therapy is the treatment of headaches and pains in the head region. Headaches are usually associated with increased blood pressure or constriction of cerebral vessels. In a Hadith recorded by Abu Dawud: “ما كان أحد يشتكي إلى رسول الله صلیاللهعلیهوسلم وجعا في رأسه إلا قال: احتجم”[4] Translation: Whenever someone complained to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) about a headache, he would say: Perform cupping.
Cupping therapy has also been recommended for treating “shaqīqah,” which refers to one-sided headaches, known today as migraine. Al-Bukhari narrates in his Sahih from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that: “أن رسول الله صلىاللهعليهوسلم احتجم وهو محرم في رأسه، من شقيقة كانت به.” [5] Translation: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH), while in the state of ihram (performing Hajj or Umrah), performed cupping on his head because of a one-sided headache (migraine) that had afflicted him.
Cupping Therapy and the Health of Blood Cells
Scientists have stated that within the bones of the body are factories for producing red blood cells, known as niqī al-‘idhām (marrow spaces of the bones). These factories produce more than two and a half million new red blood cells every second. In addition to these, the liver and spleen act as backup factories, and if the primary production stops, they take responsibility for the production of blood.
One of the dangerous blood disorders is aplastic anemia, or non-productive anemia, in which red blood cell production in the bone marrow stops. Research has shown that regular reduction of blood volume can stimulate these factories, causing them to activate and renew their function. Therefore, cupping therapy—by reducing the volume of circulating blood—forces the body to increase the production of fresh blood, and this process helps maintain the health and vitality of the blood tissues.
In women, this process naturally occurs through the monthly cycle; for this reason, the rates of certain heart and blood diseases are lower in women compared to men. However, after the cessation of menstruation (menopause), this difference disappears, and the need for cupping therapy for women becomes the same as for men.
Modern Scientific Perspective
New research in Western countries also supports the positive effects of regular blood reduction. One Western author writes in a scientific article: “The regular removal of a small amount of blood each year can prevent heart attacks.”
Other studies have shown that increased concentration of iron in the heart muscle can weaken heart tissue and lead to cardiac attacks. Therefore, cupping therapy, by regulating the levels of iron and other minerals in the blood, has a preventive role in heart health.
The Status of Cupping Therapy in Islamic Medicine
Ibn al-Qayyim (MABH) writes in his book Zād al-Ma‘ād while explaining the benefits of cupping therapy: Cupping cleanses the surface of the body more effectively than phlebotomy (bloodletting), and phlebotomy is more effective for the deeper parts of the body.
“والحجامة تستخرج الدَّم من نواحي الجلد.” Translation: Cupping draws blood from the areas near the skin, whereas phlebotomy removes deeper blood. [6]
Based on the differences of time, place, temperament, and age, sometimes cupping is more beneficial and sometimes phlebotomy is more appropriate. In hot regions and seasons, cupping therapy is superior to phlebotomy, because in such conditions the blood becomes thinner and more ready to be drawn from the surface of the body. Physicians have also recommended that cupping be performed in the second half of the lunar month—especially on the 17th, 19th, and 21st days—when the waste materials of the body are at their highest levels.
In another Hadith of the Prophet (PBUH), it is mentioned: “نِعْمَ الدَّوَاءُ الْحِجَامَةُ؛ تُذْهِبُ الدَّمَ، وَتَجْلُو الْبَصَرَ، وَتُخِفُّ الصُّلْبَ” [7] Translation: How excellent a remedy is cupping therapy! It removes (corrupted) blood, clears the eyesight, and lightens the back.
In conclusion, it can be said concisely that cupping therapy is not only an emphasized Prophetic practice (PBUH) but also has clear physiological foundations from a scientific viewpoint. By regulating blood flow, reducing arterial pressure, stimulating the bone marrow to produce fresh cells, and strengthening the general health of the body, it plays an effective role in preventing and treating many diseases.
Thus, cupping therapy forms a bridge between the Prophetic medicine (PBUH) and modern science, and its correct application at the proper times can be one of the most effective means of maintaining the vital balance of the body and ensuring long-term human health. [8]
Sunan al-Tirmidhi, “Chapters on Medicine from the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him),” Chapter: What Has Been Reported Concerning Cupping, Hadith no. 2052, vol. 4, p. 391.
Sahih al-Bukhari, “Book of Medicine,” Chapter: Cupping as a Treatment, Hadith no. 5371, vol. 5, p. 2156.
Sunan Ibn Majah, “First Chapters of Medicine,” Regarding the Days on Which Cupping Should Be Performed, Hadith no. 3486, p. 741, Tahqiq: Hadi.
Sunan Abi Dawud, “Book of Medicine,” Chapter: Cupping, Hadith no. 3858, vol. 4, p. 2, edition with ‘Awn al-Ma‘būd commentary.
Sahih al-Bukhari, “Book of Medicine,” Chapter: Cupping for Migraine and Headache, Hadith no. 5374, vol. 5, p. 2156.
Zād al-Ma‘ād, Section: The Benefits of Cupping, ‘Ata’at al-‘Ilm edition, vol. 4, p. 70.
Al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, “Book of Medicine,” Hadith no. 8502, vol. 9, p. 256.
Summary of material from: Mawsu‘at al-I‘jāz al-‘Ilmi fi al-Qur’an wa al-Sunnah, vol. 1, pp. 210–214.
