Is the earnings (Kasb) acquired by a cupper unlawful?
General Chapter
Al-Mughni
Book of Leasing
Primary text
The earnings of a cupper are permissible. This is demonstrated by the Prophet (peace be upon him) paying the cupper after receiving cupping, which implies the permissibility of the earnings. The statement that the earnings are 'khabith' (unwholesome/impure) is interpreted as meaning it is disliked (Makruh) for a free man to consume it out of refinement (tanzih) due to the perceived low status of the profession, not that it is strictly forbidden (Haram). Imam Ahmad's view aligns with following the Prophet's action of payment, suggesting that the prohibition or dislike pertains to the free man eating it himself, not the prohibition of the earning itself.
Supporting text
Some Companions, including Uthman and Abu Hurayrah, and later scholars like Al-Hasan and Al-Nakha'i, disliked the cupper's earnings. This opposition stems from the Hadith stating, 'The earning of the cupper is khabith,' and the Prophet's instruction to the cupper to feed his slaves and dependents with it. Al-Qadi stated that the cupper's wage is not permissible, and if given without a contract or condition, the cupper must spend it on his animals' fodder, his slaves' food, or his craft's maintenance, and it is not lawful for him to eat it himself.