A Return to Ancient Healing: Cupping
Updated: Nov 3
Modern life has made healing feel complicated. We have more technology, more pills, more screens, and more stress, yet many people still feel disconnected from their bodies, their faith, and the simple practices that once shaped daily health.
In western society, cupping over the centuries has become a lost tradition we are trying to revive. In many cultures, societies & countries around the world, dry and wet cupping is still deeply respected and preserved as a time-honored skill that continues to be passed down through the ages. Wet cupping, known in many Muslim communities as hijama, has been and will continue to be practiced across diverse cultures for centuries to come. It appears in Islamic tradition, Chinese medicine, Middle Eastern healing, and other diverse ancient systems.
This does not mean cupping replaces modern medical care. It means many people are asking a serious question again: what did earlier generations understand about prevention, circulation, rest, and spiritual trust that we have forgotten?
Cupping belongs to a long history of holistic care.
Cupping is more than a soothing add-on to a massage—it is an ancient healing practice with deep roots in human history. The experience should always be relaxing and tailored to each client’s comfort, including the level of suction. It should never be painful or traumatic. As Muslims, we believe God commanded cupping (specifically hijama wet cupping) as a healing practice for all humanity—not just for Muslims.
What is cupping?
In simple terms, cupping uses suction on the skin that gently pulls the skin and underlying tissue upward. Practitioners use cups made from glass, plastic, silicone, and/or other materials. Similar to how a massage is healing by moving the blood around the body, the goal of cupping is also to support and increase circulation. The healing effects may ease tightness, release pain and trauma, help the body relax, numb the area like a natural analhesic and the list goes on. Hijama wet cupping is believed to heal every ailment of the human according to tradition and in veterinary medicine, it is applied to various species, including horses, sheep, rats, and dogs, for pain management, skin condition improvement, and certain physiological effects. (scinovex.com+1)
For Muslims, hijama also carries a spiritual meaning. Many Muslims value it because the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, recommended hijama cupping regularly. In well-known hadiths, the practice has a place not only in physical care, but also in religious memory and prophetic guidance.
“The best treatment you can use is cupping (hijama).” — Sahih al-Bukhari (5696) and Sahih Muslim (1577a)
This matters because Islam does not separate the body from the soul. The body is an amanah, a trust. Caring for it can be an act of gratitude. Seeking healing can sit alongside prayer, patience, charity, healthy food, and medical treatment.
All healing belongs to God. Cupping may support wellness for some people, but it should not be presented as a guaranteed cure for every illness. As practitioners, we cannot promise miracles, but we do witness miracles.
Wet and dry cupping work in different ways
Wet and dry cupping are related, but they are not the same.
Type of cupping | What happens | Common reasons people seek it |
Dry cupping | Cups create suction on the skin | Muscle tightness, relaxation, general body tension |
Wet cupping | Suction is followed by tiny superficial scratches so an amount of blood is drawn | Traditional spiritual practice, removal of stagnation, spiritual and physical renewal, a holistic treatment |
Dry cupping is often used for tension in the back, shoulders, neck, or legs. Some people describe it as a deep pulling sensation. Afterward, circular marks may appear on the skin. These marks are not bruises, but called ecchymosis, which has various shades and may last 2-10 days. Dry cupping is actually the most effective deep tissue massage available.
Wet cupping is more involved. A trained practitioner will use sterile, single-use blades and clean equipment. For our practice, hijama involves some massage, moving cupping, fixed cupping and then we take the cups off and begin with superficial scratches where the cupping marks were made. We sanitize these circles from the dry cupping before making the scratches that open the capillaries on the surface of the skin and release the toxic blood after putting the suction cups back on.
The benefits people often report include:
A profound sense of physical lightness
Immediate release of chronic & acute pain
Looser muscles and less stiffness
Better relaxation
Less emotional strife
A feeling of renewed energy
A stronger connection to God
A coming back to your pure spirit
Why ancient healing feels relevant again
Many people are tired of feeling rushed through care. They want to be heard. They want healing that includes the body, mind, and spirit. There is a slowing down for this holistic healing treatment.
Ancient holistic ceremonies offered something valuable: time, touch, rhythm, and intention. They begin with searching for root cause and encouraged prevention before crisis. They often included diet, rest, movement, prayer, herbs, massage, and seasonal routines.
Modern culture has shifted away from much of that. We often wait until pain becomes severe. We ignore fatigue until burnout arrives. We treat symptoms without asking what our habits, stress, sleep, and spiritual state are telling us.
Cupping invites a slower approach. A person has to pause. They have to make an appointment, lie still, breathe, and allow the body to receive care. We wash our bodies and make intention for the healing before we begin. We pray before, during and after. For believers, that pause, can become worship when paired with prayer, gratitude, and trust in Allah. The client is asked to dive deeper into their own healing and spiritual practices during this time whatever they may be. This may be the most transformative healing experience of their life.
We believe hijama is the most healing modality both historically and globally.
That is part of why wet and dry cupping deserves renewed attention. They remind us that healing is not always loud, instant, or high-tech. Sometimes it is careful, traditional, and grounded in humility.
A return to tradition should include wisdom and safety.
Returning to ancient healing does not mean rejecting modern medicine. In fact, the wiser path is to bring the best of both together.
A Muslim can honor hijama as a prophetic practice and still visit a doctor. A person can use cupping for general wellness and still take prescribed medication. Faith and responsible care are not enemies.
Cupping may not be suitable for everyone. People should speak with a qualified health professional before wet cupping if they:
Take blood thinners
Have a bleeding disorder
Are pregnant
Have severe anemia
Have active skin infections
Have serious chronic illness
Generally feel weak, lethargic, dizzy, or medically unstable
Hijama is safe for all ages. Children, older adults, and people with complex health needs require extra caution.
A good practitioner should explain the process before beginning. They should ask about medical history, use clean tools and technique, and give before and after-care guidance. With wet cupping, hygiene is not optional. It is part of the trust.
The spiritual meaning of hijama still matters.
For Muslims, hijama is more than a wellness trend. It connects the body to prophetic guidance and reminds believers that the search for healing can be sacred.
The act itself can become a moment of reflection. A person may make dua (prayer), renew intention, and remember that the body is not owned absolutely: it is entrusted by Allah and will one day return to Him.
That spiritual frame of mind changes the experience: the goal is not only to feel better, the goal is also to live with more awareness, discipline, and gratitude.
In a society that often treats the body as either a project or a problem, hijama offers another view. The body is a trust. Pain is a signal. Healing is a mercy. Seeking beneficial treatment is part of taking responsibility.
Returning to ancient healing with balance.
Ancient does not automatically mean safe, and modern does not automatically mean superior. Wisdom means testing claims, honoring tradition, and practicing with care.
Wet and dry cupping deserve a place in the healthcare conversation because they carry both physical and spiritual value. They remind us that healing can include touch, rest, intention, and faith. They also call us back to a humbler view of wellness, one where the body, soul, and Creator are not treated as separate concerns.
The best return to ancient healing is not blind rejection of the present: it is a thoughtful return to what was beneficial, guided by faith, knowledge, and safety.
“Indeed, in Hijama there is a cure.”
(Sahih Muslim #5706)
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