What is Hijama?

Hijama is an Arabic word meaning “to restore to basic size” or “retreat from attack”.  In a medical sense, hijama is used to refer to a medical technique utilizing vacuum on the skin (cupping) to draw surface blood for therapeutic and health maintenance purposes.  Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has said, “Hijama (cupping) is the best of remedies”, having used it on himself as well as recommended it to others for both health maintenance and for various diseases. 

What Are The Benefits of Hijama?

Detoxification of the blood/ Stimulation of New Blood.  As we age, we suffer from increased accumulation of toxins, stemming from poor diet and lifestyle, pharmaceutical drugs, pesticides, insecticides and other chemicals in our fruits, vegetables and meat, environmental pollutants and chemicals.  Hijama helps to remove these impurities and stimulate the bone marrow to produce new, healthier blood.Increased blood circulation/ Pain Reduction.  Areas of chronic pain often have localized areas of blood stagnation.  Both the action of drawing a vacumm on the skin as well as the drawing of blood help to improve circulation.Treatment of Numerous Diseases.  Shaykh Mohammad Ameen Sheikho, a renowed Syrian Islamic scholar and expert in the field of cupping who passed away, successfully used hijama for numerous diseases including blood disorders, hemophilia, tumors, headache, paralysis, cardio-vascular, hepatic, renal, genital, rheumatic, and ophthalmic diseases (see www.thingsnotsaid.org).

How Is Cupping Performed?

Cupping is performed in several steps.  The most common site for cupping is on the upper back between the shoulder blades, though it can also be performed in other areas.  The procedure basically involves sanitizing the area, making small incisions in the skin, and placing glass jars over the skin in which a flame is used to draw a vacuum, which helps to extract old, toxic blood.  After repeating a few times, the affected area of the skin is sanitized and bandaged. Slight pain is felt only while making the tiny incisions but not during the procedure itself.

Are The Benefits of Hijama The Same As Donating Blood?

NO.  Hijama involves the extraction of blood from surface capillaries, while donating blood uses blood from veins.  The reader should refer to www.thingsnotsaid.org for hematological studies that show the differences between venous and cupped blood. Cupped blood has approximately one-tenth the white blood cell content (which is good because of the importance of white blood cells in preventing infection), has a higher percentage of abnormal and old red blood cells, and a lower percentage of iron than venous blood.