Hijama Cupping Theory & History Flashcards

A hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas states that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received hijama and paid the cupper his wages. This hadith is significant in Islamic jurisprudence because it:

Answer: Establishes the permissibility (halal) of earning an income as a hijama practitioner

By paying the cupper, the Prophet ﷺ demonstrated that accepting payment for hijama is permissible, establishing an important legal precedent for practitioners.

According to Prophetic traditions, hijama performed on the head is associated with treatment of which condition?

Answer: Headaches, eye problems, and nasal congestion

Several hadiths mention the Prophet ﷺ using cupping on the head (Al-Yafookh/vertex) for headaches, eye ailments, and conditions of the head and sinuses.

In Unani medicine, a system influenced by Greek humoral theory and practiced historically in South Asia, cupping is called:

Answer: Hijama

Unani medicine, which spread through Islamic civilization into South Asia, uses the Arabic term hijama for wet cupping as part of its therapeutic repertoire.

Historical records indicate that cupping was practiced in ancient Mesopotamia. Which ancient Mesopotamian civilization is credited with early documented use of animal horn cupping?

Answer: The Sumerians and Babylonians

Sumerian and Babylonian clay tablets reference the use of horn vessels for suction therapy, among the earliest documented instances of cupping in written history.

The Prophetic hadith recommending hijama 'for you is the cupping' (عليكم بالحجامة) is classified in Islamic scholarship as:

Answer: Sahih (authentic) and narrated in multiple collections

Hadiths praising hijama appear in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, giving them the highest level of authenticity in Sunni hadith classification.

Which body location is referred to as 'Al-Kahil' in classical hijama texts and is considered one of the most recommended sites in Prophetic medicine?

Answer: The upper back between the shoulder blades

Al-Kahil refers to the interscapular region (upper back between the shoulders), frequently cited in hadiths as a primary site recommended by the Prophet ﷺ.

The spread of hijama practice throughout the medieval Islamic world was significantly aided by which institution that served as a center for medical education and treatment?

Answer: The Bimaristan (Islamic hospital)

The Bimaristan, the Islamic hospital system developed from the 9th century onward, standardized and taught hijama alongside other medical treatments across the Islamic world.