Hijama: an ancestral therapeutic method with multiple benefits
The word hijama comes from Arabic and means literally «aspiration» or «suction». This technique, also known as cupping therapy, is an ancestral therapeutic method used for millennia in different cultures and forms of traditional medicine.
How is it practised in Islam? What are the benefits and dangers of this Muslim practice recommended in the prophetic Tradition? This article will deal with all these important subjects to know before embarking on a hijama near you in order to treat yourself.
Hijama in Arabic: definition and meaning of the term
The word hijama comes from the Arabic word hijm designating the act of the baby's suction during breastfeeding. Drawing its origin from the action of suckling, or sucking milk, hijama therefore consists of the extraction of blood from the human body through a cup system made of glass or plastic, which we will explain further below in this article.
In Arabic, thanks to this verb حجم we understand thus that Al-Hijâmah is the technique used to heal through bloodletting. Al-Hâjjam or Hâjim is, for his part, the professional who practises this care technique.
Al-Mihjam or Al-Mihjaman, is the device that the professional uses for this technique (we will come back to it) and finally, Al-Mahjûm is the person on whom this care called « the hijama » is practised.
Hijama in the Sunnah
According to Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them), the Prophet (ﷺ) said: « Healing is found in three things: the incision of the one who performs the hijama, a sip of honey or a cauterization by fire, and I forbid my community cauterization ».
Reported by Bukhari in his Sahih no. 5681
Hijama: How is it practised?
Hijama consists of the extraction of blood after an incision of the skin, meticulously disinfected, then in the application of cups on this incised skin at specific points of the body where the person feels pain. This practice stimulates blood and lymphatic circulation, relieves pains and strengthens the immune system. It can be practised in two distinct ways: dry hijama and traditional (or wet) hijama.
It is recommended that the patient be in a state of fasting during the hijama. This is more beneficial and would activate the memory and learning.
Dry hijama
Dry hijama is the simplest form of this therapeutic method. It consists of placing cups on the skin without making any incisions. The cups are heated and placed on the area of the body to be treated, thus creating a suction that draws up the skin and stimulates blood circulation. No blood flows.
In France, this is the only Hijama technique whose practice is strictly reserved for health professionals, such as the physiotherapist, the nurse and the doctor in their practices.
Traditional hijama
Traditional hijama, for its part, involves making light incisions on the epidermis before applying the cups. This technique makes it possible to eliminate the harmful and toxic substances present in the blood thanks to a greater blood flow. This process also encourages the production of new blood cells and promotes healing.
What are the benefits of hijama according to the hadiths?
In prophetic medicine, hijama is considered a beneficial practice for health. Several authentic hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) mention the benefits of this technique:
- The Prophet said: « The best of medicines is hijama» (reported by Bukhari)
- He also affirmed: « There is no better remedy than hijama to relieve pains » (reported by Ibn Majah)
- According to another hadith, the Prophet recommended practising hijama to treat various diseases and health disorders, such as headaches, joint problems or digestive disorders (reported by Ahmad and Tirmidhi).
These hadiths testify to the importance given to hijama in prophetic medicine and to its numerous benefits for health.
Where is hijama practised and how to learn this therapeutic method?
Today, hijama is practised in numerous countries around the world, notably in Muslim countries where it is an integral part of traditional medicine. More and more care and training centres offer hijama sessions as well as courses to learn this technique.
The merits of learning hijama are numerous: in addition to its benefits for health, this practice makes it possible to develop one's knowledge of the human body and to become familiar with the basic principles of prophetic medicine. It is also an excellent opportunity to follow a recommendation of our beloved Prophet and to perpetuate an ancestral tradition, a source of so many blessings.
Hijama as a treatment for various diseases
Thanks to its multiple benefits and to the stimulation it provides to the immune system, hijama is used to treat a great number of diseases and health disorders:
- Muscular and joint pains: hijama effectively relieves the tensions and pains linked to muscular and joint problems, while promoting sports recovery.
- Digestive disorders: by stimulating blood circulation, hijama helps to regulate the functioning of the digestive system and to prevent or relieve the associated disorders.
- Immune system: hijama strengthens the natural defences of the body and helps to fight against infections, viruses and autoimmune diseases.
- Relaxation and unwinding: by releasing toxins and improving blood circulation, hijama provides a feeling of general well-being that contributes to reducing stress and anxiety.
Hijama: precautions and people at risk
Even if hijama is a care technique recognized by scientific studies and recommended by health professionals today, it is nonetheless subject to certain exceptions.
Fragile people such as children, pregnant women and the elderly, as well as certain sick people such as diabetics (who have difficulties healing), should not use hijama except in exceptional cases, with the agreement of their doctor and under the supervision of a trusted professional.
Indeed, resorting to hijama while being aware of the risks incurred would, according to the opinion of the majority of scholars, be considered forbidden, thus entailing a sin for which they will have to answer before Allah on the Day of the Last Judgment.
"And spend in the way of Allah. And do not throw yourselves by your own hands into destruction. And do good. For Allah loves the doers of good.
وَأَنفِقُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا تُلْقُوا۟ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى ٱلتَّهْلُكَةِ ۛ وَأَحْسِنُوٓا۟ ۛ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ " (verse 195 in Surah 2 THE COW / AL-BAQARA)
In conclusion, hijama is an ancestral therapeutic method, recommended by Islam, which offers numerous benefits for health. It makes it possible to stimulate the immune system, to eliminate the harmful and toxic substances present in the body and to treat various diseases and health disorders. Recommended by the prophet of Islam, peace and blessings be upon him, it also constitutes an excellent means of treating our various ailments and those of our loved ones while bearing witness to our attachment to the prophetic teachings.