Is it permissible to earn money by performing cupping?
Fatwa No: 172495

Question

A slam Alaikum I have done cupping training, and because I can't have any other job ,and I was thinking to use this as a profession. But recently I came across a Hadith that The Messenger r said, "The worst of earnings are the wages of a prostitute, the price of a dog and the fee of a cupper. I am also aware of other ahadith The report narrated by al-Bukhaaree (2102) and Muslim (kitaab al-masaaqah 62/1577 no.4014) from Anas ibn Maalik y who said, "Abu Taybah t cupped the Messenger r and he r ordered that Abu Taybah t be given a saa’ of dates .I am very upset and confused what to do, although when I trained and still my intention is to help people through this Sun nah inshALLAH, but my personal and financial circumstances are quite unstable , please clarify it as a profession that can I show to my accountant as a self employment. Jazakallahukhair.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The scholars differ in their opinion about the earnings of a person who performs cupping for people. Some of them are of the view that it is permissible, while some others are of the opinion that it is disliked as a manner of reconciling between the Ahaadeeth (narrations) that prohibit it and those that permit it. So, performing cupping for people is not forbidden. If a person is in need and carries out this job, then it is permissible for him to take a fee for it and put a condition for doing so. However, if a person is not in need of it, and performs it as a way of helping the Muslims, then he will be rewarded, and this is better for him.

Besides, it should be mentioned regarding saying that the earning from cupping is an evil earning, meaning that it is bad and not forbidden; Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said: “The person doing the cupping should volunteer (his work), because in this manner he saves his brothers from harm and destruction. As regards taking a fee for it, then what we say about it is the following: This fee is bad but not forbidden, and [if it is asked] whether we can describe something bad to be evil (or defective) while it is lawful, the answer is yes. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {And do not aim toward the defective therefrom, spending [from that] while you would not take it [yourself] except with closed eyes.}[Quran 2:267]"

Allaah Knows best.

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