Today, a great number of trainings on hijama are being offered.
The quality and rigor of the teaching can vary tremendously from one training to another.
Some lead to a certificate of proficiency, others to a simple certificate of attendance.
Before committing to a training, it is very important to stop and consider several things: -what organization offers it?
Is this organization and its members recognized in the field of hijama?
Are they capable of choosing the right trainer?
-Who is the trainer?
Is he qualified to train people?
What are his references and what is his background?
Does he have a sound methodology (religious and medical)?
-What is the training program and how long does it last?
-What are the goals of the training?
Some train technicians (people with good technique and a steady hand, working from a set number of predetermined care procedures) while others train practitioners (technicians who also have enough knowledge of the principles of hijama to develop their own care approach suited to the condition and state of the patient).
-On what foundations does the trainer base his practice?
Is it the Qur'an and the Sunnah as understood by the Salaf as-Salih, along with established scientific and medical theories, or is it superstitions and beliefs contrary to Islam (Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chi, energy, meridians, etc.)?
If it is the first case, that is good!
If you are dealing with the second, stay away from it!
-Next, you need to know what kind of follow-up will be offered after the training.
Will there be discussion groups?
Will the trainer be reachable in the future to answer questions?
Etc.
These are all the questions that need to be answered before committing to a training.
And finally, one must also ask oneself about one's own intention.
Why does one wish to practice hijama?
Is one truly ready to take on the responsibilities that fall to the practitioner?
For hijama is a medical act and a science in its own right. The patient is a trust before Allah, and we will be questioned about every act.
What hijama is, and why the training matters
"Hijama is a medical act and a science in its own right," the professor writes, and that is not just a figure of speech. Wet hijama cuts the skin and draws blood: it exposes the patient to infection, to hemorrhage in someone on blood thinners, to vasovagal fainting, to scarring, to the transmission of viruses (hepatitis B and C, HIV) if the equipment is not single-use and if the practitioner does not protect themselves; and it exposes the practitioner as well. It has absolute contraindications (blood clotting disorders, severe anemia, pregnancy, young children, infected skin, a weakened patient) and situations that call for medical advice (diabetes, hypertension, medications). A review of hijama in the West notes that it is not regulated in any country, that training and the quality of practitioners vary widely, and calls for a framework of training and hygiene (J Law Med, 2016); another describes the rise of certified programs, insurance, and clinical waste disposal channels in the United Kingdom (Complement Ther Clin Pract, 2016). In France, there is no state-recognized diploma: all safety rests on the training the practitioner has chosen.
The professor's checklist, question by question
| The professor's question | What you actually check | Good sign | Bad sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Which organization? | Legal existence, how long it has been established, what former students say, the presence of recognized practitioners | An institute with a structured curriculum, students who have been practicing for years | An Instagram page, a "center" with no address, reviews nowhere to be found |
| Who is the trainer? | Background, years of practice, religious and medical training, publications or teaching experience | A practitioner who practices themselves, trained in religion and anatomy, who names their teachers | A "master" with no verifiable background, or trained in a single weekend |
| What program, what length? | The written content: hygiene, anatomy, contraindications, emergencies, technique, points, jurisprudence, supervised practice | Several days or weeks, with supervised practice on real patients, and an evaluation | A single day, all on video, no practice, a "certificate" handed to everyone |
| Technician or practitioner? | Do you only learn protocols, or how to reason about a patient? | You learn to question, examine, decide, and refer to the doctor | "Points for every disease" to apply without thinking |
| On what foundations? | The Qur'an, the Sunnah as understood by the Salaf, and established science (anatomy, physiology) | The hadiths on hijama with their sources, the reported days and points, and real anatomy | Meridians, chi, energies, chakras, "detoxing toxins," promises of healing: "stay away from it," says the professor |
| What follow-up? | A group of alumni, a reachable trainer, continuing education | An active group where you can bring up difficult cases | No one left after payment |
| What intention? | Their own: to treat according to the Sunnah while taking on responsibility, or just "doing sessions" | "The patient is a trust before Allah" | The price of the session before the content of the training |
| And hygiene, emergencies? | What the training teaches about single-use equipment, gloves, disinfection, waste, fainting, bleeding that won't stop | A whole module, with a written procedure | Nothing, or "we disinfect with alcohol" |
What a serious program includes
- Jurisprudence: the hadiths on hijama ("the best of your remedies," al-Bukhari 5696; the 17th, 19th, and 21st days; the points reported from the Prophet ﷺ), what is Sunnah and what is practice, the scholars' position (including that of al-'Uthaymin: a treatment, not an act of worship in the Sunnah), the question of a female practitioner for women.
- Anatomy and physiology: the skin, blood vessels, nerves to avoid, clotting, what happens in the body during and after (see what one may feel afterward).
- Hygiene: single-use blades and cups, gloves, skin disinfection, disposal of infectious waste through an approved channel, hepatitis B vaccination for the practitioner, what to do in case of an accidental needlestick.
- History-taking and contraindications: medications (blood thinners, antiplatelets, insulin), diseases (hemophilia, anemia, unbalanced diabetes, heart failure), pregnancy, age, the state of the day (fasting, fatigue); when to refuse, when to refer to the doctor.
- Technique: preparation, dry cupping followed by superficial incisions, application time, a reasonable number of points (the professor reminds us that the amount of blood does not make the session a success), dressing, aftercare advice.
- The points: those from the Sunnah and those from practice, with what is known about them and what is not (see how the mapping of the points was established).
- Emergencies: vasovagal fainting, bleeding, allergic reaction, and the reflex to call emergency services.
- Supervised practice, then an evaluation; and the legal framework: insurance, informing the patient, refusing promises of healing, respecting the law on the practice of medicine.
The framework in France, in short
Hijama has no legal status of its own. A non-physician practitioner who cuts the skin bears civil and criminal liability: illegal practice of medicine if diagnoses are made or treatments promised, unintentional injury in case of infection or accident, failure to assist in case of a poorly handled emergency. This does not forbid the practice, but it shapes it in fact: professional liability insurance that explicitly covers hijama, written information for the patient, a signed health questionnaire, single-use equipment, a contract with an infectious waste collector, and the habit of referring to the doctor anything beyond one's scope. A training that does not address this does not prepare you to practice in France.
Contraindications and precautions
Stay away from trainings that promise to "cure" a given disease through hijama, that teach "energetic" points, that hand out a certificate with no practice or evaluation, that speak of neither hygiene nor contraindications, or whose trainer does not practice themselves. Be wary of remote-only trainings: hijama is learned hands-on with a patient, under a trainer's watchful eye. And keep in mind the professor's final question: hijama is not an income, it is a trust; whoever is not ready to turn away a session when it is contraindicated is not ready to practice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose a hijama training?
With the professor's checklist: which organization, which trainer, what program and what length, technician or practitioner, what foundations (the Qur'an and Sunnah plus established science, never energies), what follow-up, and what is my intention. Add to that: what does it say about hygiene and emergencies?
Is there a state-recognized diploma for hijama in France?
No. Certificates come from training organizations, of very uneven value. Responsibility rests on the practitioner: serious training, insurance, single-use equipment, informing the patient, and referring to the doctor anything beyond one's scope.
How long does a good training last?
Long enough to cover jurisprudence, anatomy, hygiene, contraindications, technique, and emergencies, with supervised practice on real patients and an evaluation: several days at the very least, often spread out. A single day on video does not train a practitioner.
Is a training that talks about meridians and energies acceptable?
No, says the professor: hijama rests on the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and established science. Meridians, chi, and energies come from another tradition, contrary to Islam, and have no scientific basis. "Stay away from it."
Can a woman train in hijama?
Yes, and it is necessary: women practice hijama on women. The same requirements apply to her: hygiene, anatomy, contraindications, supervised practice, and refusing promises of healing.
