Recommended Dates and Days

Question 1:

When should Hijamah be performed?

Answer:

It is recommended that Hijamah be practised on the the specifically prescribed days Monday and Thursday.
The recommeded dates to perform Hijama Therapy are the 17th, 19th and 21st days of the Lunar Calendar providing these days coincide with Monday, Tuesday or Thursday.
Our Nabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) advised against practicing Hijama on
- - - Friday, Saturday and Sunday and
    - Very strongly advised against practicing Hijama on Wednesdays.
Ibn Umar (رضي الله عنه) reported that Nabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم ) said,
- - “Hijama on an empty stomach is best. In it is a cure and a Blessing. It improves the intellect and the memory.
  - So use Hijama with the Blessing of Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) on Thursday.
  - Keep away from Hijamah on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday to be safe.
  - Perform Hijamah on Monday and Tuesday for it is the day that Allah (سبحانه و تعالى) saved Ayub (عليه السلام) from the trial.
  - He was inflicted with the trial on Wednesday.
  - You will not find leprosy except (by having Hijamah) on Wednesday or Wednesday night.”

[Sahih Sunan ibn Maajah (3487)

Advise from Dr Latib
In this matter there are a few opinions. The ahadeeth of Ibn Majah report from two different chains of Ibn Umar hearing from Nabi صل الله عليه وسلم that Hijama should not be done on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and also that leprosy is associated with doing it on Wednesday or its night (Tuesday night) and that whoever wishes to do it should do so on Thursday, otherwise on Monday or Tuesday.

There are however other ahadeeth (in Abu Dawud) that show Nabi صل الله عليه وسلم forbade from doing Hijama on Tuesdays saying that it is the day of blood and there is a time on that day when the blood does not flow correctly.

Mulla Ali Qari rahmatullah alaih has commented on this apparent contradiction and reconciled in this way that forbidding of Tuesday is specific for when it falls on the 17th of the Islamic month as is reported in the ahadeeth of Bayhaqi and Tabrani.

It is also possible that it can be interpreted this way that Tuesday falling on the 17th is *excluded* from the prohibition rather than being *restricted to*

The safest then would be to avoid Tuesdays also altogether whether or not it falls on the 17th, 19th or 21st.

Imam Malik however was of the opinion that there is no prohibition of any day and he himself would have it done on any day.

I (Dr Latib) previously inclined towards the opinion of Imam Malik who was an accomplished muhaddith and I stated this in my book as well (www.hijamahbook.com) but after many years now of seeing the proliferation of half day course Hijama therapists who have zero medical or sharia training and the iatrogenic cases that present to me as a result I now advise precaution.

The safest position would be to stick to Mondays and Thursdays when it falls on the 17th, 19th or 21st.

This is in the case of general Hijama done for general health benefits, to remove the effect of extreme heat, and to address sihr and chronic illnesses characterised by conditions of excess, but in the case of Hijama done to treat acute conditions or pain due to injury or poisoning and other such conditions these prohibitions would not apply. And Allah knows best.

Summary is that Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday come under the prohibition of the hadeeth in Ibn Majah, and Tuesday is also mentioned in the hadeeth of Abu Dawud, with additional indication of Tuesday the 17th being either “excluded” or “restricted to” in Bayhaqi and Tabrani.

This leaves only Monday and Thursday as days that have no record of prohibition in these ahadeeth.

The reference in Ibn Majah is Hadeeth 3488

Further study in this area of the prohibited days is needed.

www.drlatib.com

Question 2:

What is the ruling for performing Hijama on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and their nights?

Answer: