What is the predominant ruling regarding the earnings of a cupper?

Cupping (Hijamah) refers to incising or wounding an organ and drawing blood from it for treatment. It is recommended. Scholars have differed regarding the ruling on the cupper's earnings, oscillating between permissibility and detestability. The Malikis and Hanafis permitted the cupper's earnings, while the Shafi'is and Hanbalis deemed it detestable for a free man but not for a slave, due to conflicting hadiths. Some hadiths prohibit the cupper's earnings and describe them as "foul," while other hadiths show that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was cupped and paid the cupper his fee.

The majority of scholars reconciled these hadiths by interpreting the prohibition as one of detestability (karahah). They reasoned that cupping is a permissible benefit and that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would not have given something that is unlawful. Moreover, calling the earnings "foul" does not necessarily imply prohibition. It was deemed detestable for a free man, as a form of discouragement, due to the perceived lowliness of the profession.

In summary, whoever needs this work, there is no blame upon him for taking a wage. And whoever performs it to assist Muslims will be rewarded.