Like any practice, there are certain protocols that make Hijama much more effective, when done in accordance with. Listed below are some precautionary measures that will ensure you achieve the best possible results out of your Hijama session.
The Sunnah Days
The 17th, 19th and 21st of the Hijri month are generally regarded as the Sunnah days of Hijama. Anas RA narrated,“The Prophet (S.A.W) would get cupped in his jugular veins and his upper back. And he would get cupped on the seventeenth (of the month), (or) the nineteenth, and (or) the twenty first."
Although the hadith of specific dates regarding Hijama are da’if (weak), they are still given importance over other dates due to scientific backing and preference over self-judgement. The middle of the month is a time when the moon is in its full phase. The full moon phase affects the heart's performance, blood flow, and the human hormonal system. This condition occurs because the effect of the magnetic field and the intensity of moonlight during the full moon directly affects the levels of the hormone melatonin in the blood. (Syahruramdhani, Risdiana and Setyawan 2020)
A similar effect can be noticed in the change in oceanic tides due to the full moon’s gravitational pull.
The Sunnah Points
The Sunnah points are those Hijama sites that were recommended by the Prophet SAW. They include two points on the head, two points on either side of the neck, one point at the base of the neck, two points near the groin area and one point between the first two toes (on each foot). These points are all covered in the various sessions of our Sectional Cleanse plan.
Empty Stomachs on Early Mornings
Hijama is recommended to be done on an empty stomach; the most optimal time being in the early morning before breakfast. This is the most important condition, i.e. the patient should have an empty stomach.
The reason for this is because during the night, the toxins and impurities in the blood accumulate in the certain regions where Hijamah is done and remain there until a person eats. When a meal is taken blood is redirected to the digestive organs to enable the process of digestion and absorption. The toxins and impurities are therefore recirculated throughout the body instead of being concentrated in the Hijamah areas and also there is less blood in the superficial or outer parts of the body. If Hijamah Cupping is done in this condition it can lead to illness. When Hijamah Cupping is done on a person who has just eaten it often results in vertigo or syncope (fainting).
Healthy Diet and Plenty of Hydration
After your Hijama session, a healthy meal void of red meats, milk products or oily foods should be consumed. The body had just started to work on internal cleansing, rejuvenation and healing, and this is done by sending rush of blood to the cupped sites. But if one takes heavy food then the body diverts the supplies to digest the food and hence the reduced benefit. Good care should be taken to drink plentiful water. Hijama also acts as a sedative for your nervous system and slows down your heart rate, so capitalize on that relaxed state and take a short nap too.
Caution: Some people may catch cold with feverish feeling if Milk or milk based products are consumed post hijama. We strictly suggest clients to stay away from milk on day of Hijama post session.
Summer Heat
Blood is one of the foremost receptors of external heat and acts as a transport through which internal body heat is regulated through blood flow. Hijama is the perfect outlet for body heat, as it helps regulate body temperature by releasing toxic heat through the incisions (along with the cupped blood). Such a change can be noted through the vapor that fogs up the Hijama cup and turns it
from translucent to a milky white color. Thus, the period before the intense summer heat sets in is the perfect season for Hijama.(Sheikho 2012)
With that being said, there is no stringently allocated time suitable for Hijama, and it can be undergone at any time of the year. The Prophet SAW performed Hijama for many reasons (outside of the Sunnah days), such as for wounds and poisoning.
The best state to do Hijama in is when one is healthy and illness has not set in, for it acts mainly as a blood cleanser and a preventative medicine. It's like the saying goes: better be safe than sorry.
Writer
Imran Khan
Lead Practitioner at i-Revive
References
Sheikho, Mohammad Amin. 2012. “Cupping: A Prophetic Medicine Appears In Its New Scientific Perspective.” In Cupping: A Prophetic Medicine Appears In Its New Scientific Perspective, by Mohammad Amin Sheikho, 20-22.
Syahruramdhani, Syahruramdhani, Nurvita Risdiana, and Aris Setyawan. 2020. “Efficacy of Islamic Wet Cupping Therapy on Vital Sign in Lunar Phase: A Comparative Study Between Sunnah and non-Sunnah Dates.” Atlantis Press 538-542.
