Intention and purpose are acts of the heart, so following the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, necessarily requires taking intention and purpose into account. An illustration of this is that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, underwent cupping and instructed others to do so, saying in an authentic hadith:

“Healing for my community lies in an incision made with a cupping blade, a draught of honey, or cauterization with fire; but I do not like to undergo cauterization.”

It was understood that the purpose of cupping was to remove excess blood that harms the body. This, then, was the intended aim. He singled out cupping because, in hot countries, blood moves towards the surface of the body and can therefore be drawn out by cupping. Thus, in the Hijāz and similar hot countries, cupping achieves the intended evacuation of blood. In cold countries, however, blood retreats deeper into the veins, so people need to have their veins opened through bloodletting.

This is something known through observation and experience. In cold weather, the internal cavities grow warm while the outer surfaces grow cold, for like is drawn to like. When the air grows cold, the parts of bodies and the earth that come into contact with it grow cold. The heat within them then retreats from the opposing cold into their interiors, warming the interior of the earth and the internal cavities of animals. Animals seek refuge in warm shelters. Because of the strength of the heat inside the human body, people eat more in winter and in cold countries than they do in summer and in hot countries, since heat cooks and processes food. Spring water is warm in winter because the earth’s interior is warm. Blood, too, is warm, so it remains deep within the veins rather than at the surface of the skin. If a person were to undergo cupping, it would therefore not benefit him and might even harm him. In summer