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Is cupping a Prophetic Sunnah, or was it merely a treatment during the era of Prophethood?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The jurists differed on the ruling concerning cupping, holding two views: The first is that it is desirable and recommended, based on the apparent meanings of the prophetic traditions. The second is that it is merely one of the permissible therapeutic treatments, and not among the religious recommendations that carry specific reward and merit. They argue that it is an ancient medical practice for which no specific reward has been mentioned, nor any punishment for neglecting it, and that its default ruling is permissibility. The more preponderant view is that cupping is a medical practice sought by those who need it for treatment, and not performed as an act of worship. However, it may be a Sunnah for those who need it, thus combining treatment with emulation of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who underwent cupping when he needed it.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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