Sold to [email protected] Islamic Cupping & Hijamah: A Complete Guide By Dr Feroz Osman-Latib 2 Copyright © 2013 EDI Publishers All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. PDF Version ISBN-10: 0991145518 ISBN-13: 978-0-9911455-1-5 EDI Publishers 11 Mandrill Street Lenasia 1827, South Africa www.edipublishers.co.za email: [email protected] Ordering Information: Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by bookstore, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address above. 3 Contents Foreword! 8 Preface! 9 Introduction! 14 Cupping, Hijamah or Bloodletting! 17 History of Hijamah! 19 Ahadeeth on Hijamah! 27 Virtues of Hijamah! 27 Reasons for having Hijamah! 30 Injury! 30 Headaches! 30 Sihr (black magic)! 30 Poison! 31 Paying the Hajjaam! 32 The issue of Ijazah! 33 Types of Hijamah / Bloodletting! 34 Hijamah in the condition of strength! 34 4 Days for performing Hijamah in strength!40 Hijamah in illness! 42 Phlebotomy vs Hijamah! 44 The effects of Hijamah on the body! 46 Common effects of Hijamah! 46 Effects of Hijamah as per Unani-Tibb! 49 Hijamah’s effects within the traditional Chinese medicine paradigm:! 52 Modern Medical Understanding of Hijamah ! 55 Composition of the blood removed in Hijamah! 57 Circulatory system effects! 64 Effects on blood markers! 66 ESR! 66 RBC count and Hb! 66 Thrombocytes! 67 Cholesterol and Triglycerides! 67 Glucose! 68 Uric acid! 69 5 Liver enzymes! 69 Effect of Hijamah on the organs and systems! 71 Spleen! 71 Liver! 72 Kidneys! 73 Nervous system! 73 Effect of Hijamah on particular diseases!74 General research! 74 Diabetes! 75 Pain! 76 Other diseases! 79 Taiba theory! 81 Guidelines for performing Hijamah! 85 Who should practice Hijamah! 85 General contraindications and precautions ! 89 Excessive perspiration! 90 Hemophilia! 91 Anticoagulant drugs! 91 6 Anemia! 93 Pregnancy! 95 Wound healing disorders! 96 Who should have Hijamah done! 99 8 patterns of illness! 106 Circulation issues! 109 The condition of the person having Hijamah! 111 When should Hijamah be performed?! 114 Hijamah in strength! 114 Hijamah in illness! 117 Body areas for Hijamah! 117 Areas/points that should not be bled! 119 How much blood should be removed?! 122 What to do after Hijamah?! 124 Conclusion! 126 A note on copyright in Islam! 127 7 Foreword This is one of the first books explaining cupping in such detail, it will benefit the patient and the practitioner to understand all the details of Hijamah. Thus this book is a basic hand book on the practice of Hijamah for the layman and the medical practitioner. Certain sections, only the one with good medical knowledge will benefit whilst the layman can draw information from other parts. Many answers to commonly asked questions are well documented. Questions such as:- 1) Who should practice Hijamah? 2) The Shaari status of Hijamah? 3) Who should have Hijamah done? 4) When should Hijamah be done? 5) What to do after Hijamah? 6) and How it is basically done? One can safely conclude that this is a highly skilled procedure to be done by an expert. Also it is recommended, not jurisprudically Sunnat. May Allaah reward Dr Feroz Latib for explaining this matter adequately and May Allaah continue using him for Deen. A.H. Elias (Mufti) May Allaah be with him 1434 - 2013 8 Preface "Indeed the best of remedies you have is hijama" - Saheeh al-Bukhari (5371) All Praise is due to Allaah who gave us the Deen of Islaam and perfected it for us until the day of Qiyaamah. All praise is due to Allaah whom we cannot praise in the manner that He should be praised, He is as He has praised Himself. All praise is due to Allaah who sent our Noble Nabi Muhammad (SAW) as a mercy and guidance for all mankind. Allaah Subhanahu wa Ta’aala has chosen mercy for His creation, and because of this, His commands and the life shown to us by His Ambiyaa (AS) encompass all that is beneficial for the spiritual, physical and social aspects of a human being, and society in general. Islaam itself places great emphasis on good health and physical fitness as this allows for the performance of Ibaadat and other acts that are meritorious in the eyes of Allaah. For this reason there are numerous Ahadeeth related to good health, the treatment of illness, the use of herbal substances etc. Entire books have been devoted to these topics, and amongst these writings perhaps the most famous are the Ahadeeth regarding honey, hijamah and habbatul barakah (black seed); as a result these three find common use amongst faithful Muslims the world over who adopt it for general health and the treatment of many, if not all medical conditions. 9 When one examines the Ahadeeth closely however, one realizes that there is a deeper layer that alludes to the treatment, whether it be hijamah, black seed, honey or any other treatment, being prescribed on the basis of “differentiation” which in turn requires sound medical knowledge. From other Ahadeeth the Fuqahaa also deduce that one should visit a doctor who is an “expert” in their field. This brings to mind a wise saying that is quoted often in the books of our great scholars: “Half a doctor is a danger to your life, and half a scholar is a danger to your faith” The truth is that Hijamah is a medical procedure that should be performed by someone who has sound medical knowledge and is able to understand not only how to perform the procedure but when to do so, who to do it for, and when not to perform it. The scholars of Islaam also advise that administering medicine requires medical expertise and should not be done by the layperson. Therefore, with regard to any medical treatment recommended by Rasulullaah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam), due to health  and medical intricacies as well as most country laws that define the scope of practice of medicine and medical procedures, one must exercise caution and consult with a physician who is a qualified expert in that field. Similarly, with regard to Hijamah, although it is strongly recommended by  Rasulullaah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) in numerous Ahaadeeth, it will be necessary to consult with a 10