The Legal Status of Income from Cupping Operation

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ كَسْبِ الْحَجَّامِ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ إِذَا لَمْ يُشَارِطْ.

There is no offense in the earning by such means, if it is not with an established pre-condition.’”

دَخَلْنَا عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ مَعَنَا فَرْقَدٌ الْحَجَّامُ فَقَالَ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنِّي أَعْمَلُ عَمَلًا وَ قَدْ سَأَلْتُ عَنْهُ غَيْرَ وَاحِدٍ وَ لَا اثْنَيْنِ فَزَعَمُوا أَنَّهُ عَمَلٌ مَكْرُوهٌ وَ أَنَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ عَنْهُ فَإِنْ كَانَ مَكْرُوهاً انْتَهَيْتُ عَنْهُ وَ عَمِلْتُ غَيْرَهُ مِنَ الْأَعْمَالِ فَإِنِّي مُنْتَهٍ فِي ذَلِكَ إِلَى قَوْلِكَ قَالَ وَ مَا هُوَ قَالَ حَجَّامٌ قَال

“Once we visited abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), when Farqad al-Hajjam was also with us. He (Farqad) asked him (the Imam) saying, ’May Allah keep my soul in the service of your cause, I perform a certain kind of work and I have asked more than one person about the legal status of what I do and they think it is a detestable work

احْتَجَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص حَجَمَهُ مَوْلًى لِبَنِي بَيَاضَةَ وَ أَعْطَاهُ وَ لَوْ كَانَ حَرَاماً مَا أَعْطَاهُ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ قَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص أَيْنَ الدَّمُ قَالَ شَرِبْتُهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ مَا كَانَ يَنْبَغِي لَكَ أَنْ تَفْعَلَ وَ قَدْ جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَكَ حِجَاباً مِنَ النَّارِ فَلَا تَعُدْ[2].

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.), has said that the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, did use cupping services. A Mawla’ (slave) of banu Bayada performed cupping service for the Messenger of Allah and paid for such services. Had it been unlawful he woul

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنْ كَسْبِ الْحَجَّامِ فَقَالَ مَكْرُوهٌ لَهُ أَنْ يُشَارِطَ وَ لَا بَأْسَ عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تُشَارِطَهُ وَ تُمَاكِسَهُ وَ إِنَّمَا يُكْرَهُ لَهُ وَ لَا بَأْسَ عَلَيْكَ‌[3].

‘It is detestable for him to establish stipulations (to receive payment), but there is no offense in establishing stipulations to receive payment and bargaining for the price. It is only detestable but there is no offense for you to receive payment.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ كَسْبِ الْحَجَّامِ فَقَالَ لَا بَأْسَ بِهِ قُلْتُ أَجْرُ التُّيُوسِ قَالَ إِنْ كَانَتِ الْعَرَبُ لَتَعَايَرُ بِهِ وَ لَا بَأْسَ.

There is no offense in it.’ I then asked about income from he-goat for goat-grooming. He (the Imam) replied, ’Even though Arab people consider it scornful, there is no offense in receiving such income.’”