Hijama and Its Connection to Spiritual Illnesses: A Presentation and Critique 10.35781/1637-000-129-004

Abstract

This study aims to explore the concept of fiqh-based extrapolation (takhrīj fiqhī) and its importance in addressing contemporary legal incidents (nawāzil), using the COVID-19 pandemic as an applied model. It highlights the role of takhrīj as a scholarly method of deducing Sharia rulings by linking new occurrences to their analogues within Islamic jurisprudence, based on the principles of the four Sunni schools. The study focuses on key ritual-related issues raised by the pandemic, including the suspension of congregational prayer, physical distancing in prayer rows, early payment of zakat, exemption from fasting for COVID-19 patients, and the suspension of Hajj and ʿUmrah. These cases were extrapolated based on foundational legal maxims such as: “Public rulings are bound to public interest,” “When matters become constrained, they expand,” and “Greater harm is to be removed by lesser harm”. The findings reveal that fiqh-based extrapolation is an effective and flexible juristic method for addressing nThis is a scholarly research titled: “Cupping Therapy and Its Relation to Spiritual Illnesses – A Review and Critique.” The aim of this study is to examine and critically evaluate the claims of a primary and fundamental connection between cupping therapy and spiritual illnesses, whether in diagnosis or treatment, using a descriptive and analytical methodology. The research is composed of an introduction and six main sections: - The introduction outlines the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah (mainstream Sunni Islam) regarding illness, medicine, and seeking treatment, while highlighting the dangers of deviating from correct belief in this regard. - The six sections cover: 1. The definition of cupping therapy. 2. Its status in the Prophetic Sunnah. 3. A brief discussion on differentiating between spiritual and psychological illnesses. 4. The claimed connection between cupping and spiritual diseases. 5. The claimed connection between the color of the extracted blood and spiritual illnesses. 6. The correlation between specific cupping points and healing from spiritual illness, as well as the interpretation of certain reactions during cupping as indicators of diagnosis. The conclusion includes the most prominent findings and recommendations, such as affirming that Islam encompasses all aspects of human well-being- both religious and worldly-, emphasizing the legitimacy of seeking treatment through permissible means without exaggeration or negligence, explaining the noble status of cupping in the Sunnah and its important role in healing, the necessity of distinguishing between spiritual and psychological illnesses, and the absence of conclusive evidence proving a fundamental or primary link between cupping therapy and spiritual diseases.ovel legal challenges by connecting them to established jurisprudential foundations. The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a rich model for applying such mechanisms, reflecting the adaptability of Islamic jurisprudence to evolving circumstances while maintaining the higher objectives of Sharia. The study recommends expanding the use of fiqh-based extrapolation in future medical and social contexts.