Is there a sound Hadith specifying the Sunnah days for Hijama (blood cupping)?
Quran
Hadith
Islamic Text
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind
Short Answer
Yes, there is a sound Hadith specifying the Sunnah days for Hijama (blood cupping) in Tirmidhi. The Hadith specifies the 17th, 19th, and 21st as the days the blessed Prophet ﷺ used to have Hijama done.
Explanation
عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَحْتَجِمُ فِي الأَخْدَعَيْنِ وَالكَاهِلِ، وَكَانَ يَحْتَجِمُ لِسَبْعَ عَشْرَةَ وَتِسْعَ عَشْرَةَ وَإِحْدَى وَعِشْرِينَ. وَفِي البَابِ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، وَمَعْقِلِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ
(Sayidina) Anas ibn Malik said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to have cupping performed at the two veins and the top of the back. And he ﷺ used to undergo cupping on the seventeenth, nineteenth, and twenty-first days of the (lunar) month. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2051, Hasan)
The Hadith narration above implies that the Sunnah days for Hijama are the 17th, 19th, and 21st of the lunar month. This is because the Sahabi mentioned this as a regular practice of the blessed Prophet ﷺ. Imam al-Tirmidhi said the Hadith is Hasan, meaning it is strong. All the narrators are found in Sahih al-Bukhari narrating from one another.
Difference of Opinion
Some scholars felt that the mention of the above dates is incidental, and it does not represent the Sunnah days for Hijama. Rather they felt that the Sunnah is to carry out Hijama whenever there is a need. This view does seem contrary to the wording of the Hadith above. Since the Hadith seems to narrate Hijama on those days as a regular practice.
Other scholars did deem the 17th, 19th, and 21st to be Sunnah days for Hijama. Of course, this is not restrictive. A person may have Hijama carried out on other days too. However, if there is no limiting factor then it is best to have Hijama done on these days.
وهذا الحديث موافق لما اجتمع عليه الأطباء أن الحجامة في النصف الثاني وما يليه من الربع الثالث من أرباعه أنفع من أول الشهر وآخره. (شرح سنن أبي داود)
This Hadith supports what physicians have agreed upon. That cupping (Hijama) in the second half and the third quarter of the month is more beneficial than the beginning and end of the month. (Imam Shihab al-Deen al-Ramli 844H, Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood).
No Restriction
In the Nass above we find Imam al-Ramli recognising that the recommendation found in the Hadith aligns with the advice of experts in the field. However, this does not mean that one should be restricted to the Sunnah days for Hijama. Rather, it should be practiced whenever there is a need, or it is practical.
واحْتَجَمَ أبُو مُوسَى لَيْلاً
وَذكره البُخَارِيّ ليدل على أَن الْحجامَة لَا تتَعَيَّن بِوَقْت من النَّهَار أَو اللَّيْل بل يجوز فِي أَي سَاعَة شَاءَ من اللَّيْل أَو النَّهَار. (عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري)
Abu Musa had cupping (Hijama) done at night.
(Imam) al-Bukhari mentioned it to indicate that cupping is not restricted to a time of the day or night. Rather it is permissible at any time of the day or night. (Imam Badr al-Deen al-Ayni 855H, Umdatu al-Qari).
قَالَ حَنْبَلُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ كَانَ أَحْمَدُ يَحْتَجِمُ أَيْ وَقْتَ هَاجَ بِهِ الدَّمُ وَأَيَّ سَاعَةٍ كَانَتْ. (فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري)
Hanbal bin Ishaq said: Ahmad used to have cupping done whenever the blood troubled him, irrespective of what time it was. (Imam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani 852H, Fath al-Bari).
Conclusion
There is a sound Hadith mentioning that the Prophet ﷺ had Hijama performed on the 17th, 19th, and 21st of the lunar month. Therefore, it is correct to consider them Sunnah days for Hijama. However, this should not be understood to be a restriction. Rather one should have Hijama done whenever there is a need, or it is practical.
Some have considered the above Hadith to be weak, but Imam al-Tirmidhi clarified that it is a Hasan Hadith. Others considered the days mentioned in the Hadith to be incidental and did not believe they are establishing Sunnah days.
That is a possibility since the Prophet ﷺ was known to have Hijama done when there was a need. However, that does not negate the possibility of a Sunnah pattern in the absence of need. And the wording of the Hadith above does indicate that the specific days were a pattern for the beloved Prophet ﷺ.
And Allah Most High Knows Best.
-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (23.07.24)