As Hijama(Cupping) Practitioners, we always advise our clients to perform Hijama Cupping Therapy with an empty stomach. Everyone gets very curious to know the reason behind having an empty stomach for Hijama Cupping Therapy. So, in this article, I will try to explain why it is preferable to perform Hijama with an empty stomach?
According to the Islamic point of view, Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) preferred Hijama with an empty stomach. Ibn Umar reports Our Prophet(P.B.U.H) saying, “Hijama(cupping) is the best on an empty stomach. In it Is the cure and a blessing”. “It improves the intellect and the memory”. [Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah (3488)]. Abdullah Ibn Abbas said, “Rasool Allah(P.B.U.H) was cupped while he was fasting”. Saheeh al Bukhari(5694). Hijama Cupping Therapy is an ancient alternative medical treatment for several aches and pains, inflammation, toxic blood, skin problems, migraines, Blood pressure, relaxation, well-being and etc. If you want to perform Hijama Cupping therapy that means you have some kind of health issue so to get rid of the health problem and to get maximum benefits of Hijama Cupping Therapy it is essential to have Hijama done with an empty stomach. “Alaa ar-reeq” is an Arabic word that means “ to fast until be treated with cupping”. The Hijama Cupping Therapy must be performed with an empty stomach before breakfast. Our Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) said, “Hijama before breakfast is optimal and it has cure and benediction”.
During the sleeping period at night when we are taking rest, the system inside our body is on a mission of the natural healing and cleaning of our body. The unwanted, sluggish and retired blood gathers in the blood vessels and capillaries in the region of our skin during the sleeping time. This is the reason that morning time is considered the best time to perform Hijama Cupping Therapy.
Eating before Hijama Cupping Therapy is prohibited because food activates the digestive system and the blood circulation to recompense the digestion. During the digestion process, the blood circulation speeds up which leads to an increase in heartbeat, blood flow and high blood pressure. Half of the body's blood gets busy with the digestion process so the other important organs of the body especially the heart, lungs or brain do not get enough blood. The blood flow has a very important job to perform during the process of digestion and that is to distribute the digested nutrients to the tissues and organs of the body. Our body gets very busy during the process of digestion so such a situation is not fit to perform Hijama Cupping Therapy. If Hijama Cupping Therapy is performed with a full stomach, the effects of the suction could disrupt the blood circulation of the body and it could cause some side effects to our health. If Hijama Cupping Therapy is performed after eating food or in such a similar situation, the blood that will come out after incisions will not be filtered blood. This means that withdrawn blood is fresh, clean, working blood, not toxic blood full of dead blood cells and impurities. The food we eat makes fresh blood and when we do Hijama Cupping Therapy with the digestive process that means the fresh blood is coming out of your body. This also means we are unable to get the benefits of Hijama Cupping Therapy.
Having Hijama while the stomach is full could cause some permanent health
conditions such as stroke, infarction and etc. The cupped person could also suffer from some slight vertigo or syncope as a result of the insufficient quality of blood which irritates the brain. Fast on Hijama day if it is possible for you but if you can’t keep fast then refrain from having a heavy meal such as rice or meat, probably five or six hours prior to Hijama. Fruits, tea or coffee could be consumed three hours before Hijama. A heavy meal is not easy to digest, it could take a long time and energy to digest heavy food and it could slow down the new blood cell production. Liquids are permitted before Hijama cupping Therapy because liquids do not need a complicated digestive operation that stirs the blood, activates the blood circulation and affect the heartbeat and blood pressure. This little quantity of liquid contains a simple nerve stimulant that does not affect the person undergoing cupping therapy. To conclude the article I must say that if you want to get the maximum benefits from Hijama Cupping Therapy then prefer to get Hijama done on an empty stomach especially early in the morning with overnight fasting.