40. Sneezing and Yawning

40. Sneezing and Yawning

chapter 414. The Sneeze

919. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah loves sneezing and hates yawning. When one of you sneezes and praises Allah Almighty, it is a duty for every Muslim who hears him to say to him, ‘May Allah have mercy on you.’ Yawning comes from Shaytan. When one of you yawns, he should control it as much as possible. When a man says, ‘Aawh!,’ Shaytan laughs at him.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: That is, it is bad since it was leading them to a wrong belief that they began to suffer deprivation because of the new house. Otherwise, Allah alone increases and reduces wealth when He Wills.

chapter 415. What to say when you sneeze

920. Ibn ‘Abbas said, “When one of you sneezes and says, ‘Praise be to Allah,’ the angel says, ‘The Lord of the Worlds.’ When you say, ‘The Lord of the Worlds,’ the angel says, ‘May Allah have mercy on you.'”
Grade:
Commentary: Shaykh Husayn al-‘Awaayisha (hafizahullah) explained that Allah loves the sneeze, “because it makes the sneezer vigorous in worship”, and that He dislikes the yawn, “because it weakens the yawner in worship and brings about inadvertence. Thus Satan gladdens at it…” 2. This hadeeth evinces the point that it is an individual obligation upon anyone who hears the sneezer giving thanks to Allah after sneezing to say the supplication, yahdeeka Allahu wa yuslih baalak (may Allah guide you and set your affairs right). This is because, duties we owe our brothers are basically obligatory and while expressing the order to supplicate for him, he – peace and blessings be upon him – emphasized that the duty is “for every Muslim.” 4. It is obligatory for the person that sneezes to also say, Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) and to supplicate for him as mentioned above, depends on his saying Alhamdulillah. See hadeeth no. 921, 923 and 930.

921. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “When one of you sneezes, he should say, ‘Praise be to Allah,’ and his brother or companion should say to him, ‘May Allah have mercy on you.’ Then he should say, ‘May Allah guide you and put your affairs in order.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)

chapter 416. Wishing mercy on the sneezer

922. ‘Abdu’r-Rahman ibn Ziyad ibn An’am al-Ifriqi said, “My father told me that they were taking part in a sea raid in the time of Mu’awiya. He said, ‘Our ship was right up against the ship of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. When it was time for our midday meal, we invited him and he came over. He said, “You invited me, but even though I am fasting, I cannot avoid accepting your invitation because I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, ‘A Muslim owes six things to his brother. If he neglects any of them, he has neglected an obligatory duty owed to his brother. He should return his greeting when he greets him. He should accept when he gives him an invitation. He should ask for mercy on him when he sneezes. He should give him good counsel when he asks him for advice.'”‘” He said, “There was a man with us who was giving to joking and he said to the man who served our food, ‘May Allah repay you good and piety.’ The man got angry at him when he said it to him a lot. Then the first man said to Abu Ayyub, ‘What do you think about a man who becomes angry and reviles me when I say to him, “May Allah repay you good and piety”?’ Abu Ayyub remarked, ‘We used to say, ‘If someone is not put right by good, he will be put right by evil.”‘ So he turned to the man and said to him when he came, ‘May Allah repay you with evil and disgrace!’ The man laughed and was pleased and said, ‘Will you not stop joking?’ The man said, ‘May Allah repay Abu Ayyub al- Ansari with good!'”
Grade: Da’eef (Weak)

923. Ibn Mas’ud reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “There are four things that one Muslim owes another Muslim: to visit him when he is ill, to be with him when he dies, to accept when he invites him, and to ask for mercy on him when he sneezes.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)

924. Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, instructed us to do seven things and forbade us seven. He instructed us to visit the sick, to join funeral processions, to bless people who sneeze, to fulfil our oaths, to help the wronged, to return the greeting, and to accept invitations. He forbade us gold rings, silver vessels, red (silk) saddle clothes, Qassi (silk and flax) garments, thick brocade, embroidered silk, and pure silk.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)

925. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “A Muslim owes another Muslim six duties.” He was asked, “And what are they, Messenger of Allah?” He said, “To greet him when he meets him, to accept when he gives him an invitation, to give him good counsel when he asks for advice, to wish mercy on him when he sneezes and says, ‘Praise be to Allah,’ to visit him when he is ill, and to join the funeral procession when he dies.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The point of reference in these narrations is that to supplicate for the one who sneezes and says, Alhamdulillah is from the obligations he is owed by everyone who hears him say, Alhamdulillah.

chapter 417. When you hear a sneeze, you should say, “Praise be to Allah”

926. ‘Ali said, “When someone hears a sneeze and says, ‘Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, in every situation,’ he will never get a toothache or earache.”
Grade: Da’eef (Weak)

chapter 418. How to wish for mercy on a person when you hear a sneeze

927. Abu Salih reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “When one of you sneezes, he should say, ‘Praise be to Allah.’ When he says, ‘Praise be to Allah, ‘ his brother or companion should say to him, ‘May Allah have mercy on you.’ Then let the person who sneezed say, ‘May Allah guide you and put your affairs in order.'”
Commentary: As No. 921, with a different isnād.

928. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Allah loves the sneeze and dislikes yawning. When one you sneezes and praises Allah, it is a duty for every Muslim who hears him to say, ‘May Allah have mercy on you.;’ As for the yawn, it comes from Shaytan. When one of you yawns, he should repress it as much as possible. When one of you yawns, Shaytan laughs at him.”
Commentary: Similar to No. 919, with a different isnād.

929. Ibn ‘Abbas said, “When someone is wished mercy, he should say, ‘May Allah protect us and you from the Fire. May Allah have mercy on you.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)

930. Abu Hurayra said, “We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when a man sneezed and praised Allah. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, ‘May Allah have mercy on you.’ Then another man sneezed but the Prophet did not say anything to him. The man, ‘Messenger of Allah! you responded to the other man, but did not say anything to me!’ The Prophet replied, ‘He praised Allah and you were silent.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: That is, it is bad since it was leading them to a wrong belief that they began to suffer deprivation because of the new house. Otherwise, Allah alone increases and reduces wealth when He Wills

chapter 419. When someone does not praise Allah, do not wish mercy on him

931. Similar to 930, but from Anas.
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)

932. Abu Hurayra said, “Two men sat in the presence of the Prophet may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and one of them was from a noble family than the other. The nobler of the two sneezed and did not praise Allah, so the Prophet did not ask for mercy for him. Then the other man sneezed and praised Allah, so the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked for mercy on him. The noble man said, ‘I sneezed in your presence and you did not ask for mercy for me. This other than sneezed and you asked for mercy on him.’ The Prophet said, ‘This man mentioned Allah, so I mentioned him. You forgot Allah, so I forgot you.'”
Grade: Hasan (Sound)
Commentary: The narrations stress the points raised earlier that the supplication, Yarhamukallaahu (may Allah be merciful to you) should not be said for the one who sneezes and does not say, Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah).

chapter 420. What should someone who sneezes say first?

933. Nafi’ said that when ‘Abdullah ibn ÒUmar sneezed, they said to him, “May Allah have mercy on you,” and Ibn ‘Umar said, “May He have mercy on us and you. May He forgive us and you.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: In a related authentic narration from Nafi’ (الله رحمه ,(it says, “A man sneezed near Ibn ‘Umar and said, ‘Alhamdulillah, was-salaat wassalaam ‘ala Rasoolillah (Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the messenger of Allah)’. Ibn ‘Umar retorted, ‘I also praise Allah and send His peace and blessings upon the Prophet; but that was not how the messenger of Allahﷺ taught us. He taught us to say, Alhamdulillah ‘alaa kulli haal (Praise be to Allah no matter the circumstance).’” (At-Tirmidhee and others). Thus, Ibn ‘Umar insisted on what the Prophetﷺ had taught rejecting an addition. Imam Ibn ‘Aabideen and Suyootee have also rejected additions to the formula taught by the Prophetﷺ. Therefore, while commenting on the addition in the narration of Ibn Abbass (no. 929), Imam Al-Albaanee said, “Perhaps Ibn Abbass – may Allah be pleased with them both – did not stick to it. The same thing will be said regarding the addition of Ibn ‘Umar on no. 933: ‘and on you’. You should keep this in mind because what is reported from the Prophet is: ‘Yarhamukallah’ as in the next narration and others. And sticking to the Sunnah is preferred.” Saheeh Adab al-Mufrad (pg. 248).

934. ‘Abdullah said, “When one of you sneezes, he should say, ‘Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.’ Let anyone responding to him say ‘May Allah have mercy on you.’ Then the person who sneezed should say’May Allah forgive me and you.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)

935. Iyas ibn Salama related that his father said, “A man sneezed in the presence of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Prophet said, ‘May Allah have mercy on you.’ Then the man sneezed again and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘This man has a cold.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: In another authentically reported hadeeth from Abu Hurayrah , the Prophetﷺ said, “If any one amongst you sneezes, those seated around him should supplicate for him. If he exceeds the third, then he has cold, and the supplication should not be made after the third.” (Ibn Sunnee and others). Imam at-Tirmidhee also collected an authentic report with the same meaning in his Sunan. So, the supplication could still be said after the second and third sneezing. 2. “If it is asked, ‘since he was ill, he is in greater need to be supplicated for?’ The response is that, ‘It is recommended to supplicate for recovery for him and not do the supplication for the sneezer.’” Sharh Saheeh Adab al-Mufrad (3/64).

chapter 421. Someone who says, “May Allah have mercy on you if you praised Allah.”

936. Makhul al-Azdi said, “I was beside Ibn ‘Umar when a man sneezed on one side of the mosque. Ibn ‘Umar said, ‘May Allah have mercy on you if you praised Allah.'”
Grade: Da’eef (Weak)

chapter 422. Do not say, “Ab”

937. Mujahid said, “When a son of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, either Abu Bakr or ‘Umar, sneezed, he said, ‘Ab!’ Ibn ‘Umar said, ‘What is this “Ab”? Ab is the name of one of the shaytans who comes between the sneeze and the praise.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)

chapter 423. When someone sneezes several times

938. See hadith 935.
Commentary:As No. 935, with a different isnād

939. Abu Hurayra said, “Wish mercy on a person once, twice and three times. Anything more than that is a cold.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: In another authentically reported hadeeth from Abu Hurayrah , the Prophetﷺ said, “If any one amongst you sneezes, those seated around him should supplicate for him. If he exceeds the third, then he has cold, and the supplication should not be made after the third.” (Ibn Sunnee and others). Imam at-Tirmidhee also collected an authentic report with the same meaning in his Sunan. So, the supplication could still be said after the second and third sneezing. 2. “If it is asked, ‘since he was ill, he is in greater need to be supplicated for?’ The response is that, ‘It is recommended to supplicate for recovery for him and not do the supplication for the sneezer.’” Sharh Saheeh Adab al-Mufrad (3/64).

chapter 424. When a Jew sneezes

940. Abu Musa said, “The Jews used to sneeze in the presence of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, hoping that he would say to them, ‘May Allah have mercy on you.’ He used to say to them, ‘May Allah guide you and put you in order.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The Jews know that the Prophet, Muhammadﷺ is truly the Messenger of Allah even though they reject his message! So during his time they would wish that he prayed Allah’s Mercy for them and so, would pretend to sneeze in his presence. Since he – peace and blessings be upon him – was a mercy to the entire mankind, he supplicated to Allah for them for guidance to Islam and recitification of affairs which are prerequisites for the mercy they wanted him to pray for. It evinces the fact that it is not permissible to say the word, Yarhamukallahu meant for the people of Eemaan to the people of Kufr.

chapter 425. How a man wishes mercy on a woman when she sneezes

941. Abu Burda said, “I came to Abu Musa while he was in the house of Umm al-Fadl ibn al-‘Abbas and I sneezed and Abu Musa did not wish mercy on me. Umm al-Fadl sneezed and he wished mercy on her. I told my mother, so when Abu Musa came to her, she confronted him and said, ‘My son sneezed and you did not wish mercy on him. She (Umm al-Fadl) sneezed and you wished mercy on her.’ Abu Musa replied, ‘I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, “When one of you sneezes and praises Allah, you should wish mercy on him, if he does not praise Allah, do not wish mercy on him.” My son sneezed and did not praise Allah, so I did not wish mercy on him. She sneezed and praised Allah, so I wished mercy on her.’ She said, ‘You did well.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: As regards the expression, “while he was in the house of Umm al-Fadl bint Abbass”, our Shaykh, Shaykh Sameer bin Ameen azZuhayree (hafizahullah) said, “that is how it is in the two manuscripts: ‘while he was in the house of Umm al-Fadl bint al-Abbass’. But in Saheeh Muslim (it says): ‘while he was in the house of the daughter of Fadl bin Abbass’. Imam an-Nawawee said: ‘This was Umm Kulthum, the daughter of Fadl bin Abbass, the wife of Aboo Moosa al-Ash’aree. He married her after Hasan bin Alee’s separation with her and she gave birth for Aboo Moosa who died while still married to her.’” 2. It demonstrates the companion’s adherence to the Sunnah. 3. It evinces the permissibility of saying, Ahsanta, ‘you did well’, to some one who acts rightly. 4. Males are permitted to pray for Allah’s mercy on the female if she sneezes and praises Allah.

chapter 426. Yawning

942. Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “When one of you yawns, he should repress it as much as possible.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: That is, it is bad since it was leading them to a wrong belief that they began to suffer deprivation because of the new house. Otherwise, Allah alone increases and reduces wealth when He Wills.

chapter 427. Someone who says, “At your service (Labbayk)” when he answers

943. Mu’adh said, “I was riding behind the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he called out, ‘Mu’adh!’ ‘At your service!’ I replied. Then the Prophet said the same thing three times and went on, ‘Do you know what Allah’s right on His slaves is? That they should worship Him and not associate anything with Him.’ Then he rode on for an hour
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The point of reference in relation to the chapter heading is Muadh’s saying, Labbayka, wa sa‘dayka, ‘At your service’, when the Prophetﷺ called him.

chapter 428. A man standing up for his brother

944. Ka’b bin Maalik (ra) related his account when he lagged behind in the Battle of Tabook. He said: When Allah accepted my repentance and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) announced at the time of the fajr prayers that Allah had accepted my repentance, people met me in large number and congratulated me on the acceptance of my repentance. They said, “Congratulations to you. Allah has approved your repentance.” And I entered the Masjid Nabawi. People were sitting around him. Talhah bin Ubayd Allah ran towards me after standing up and shook hands with me and congratulated me. By Allah, one of the Muhajirs besides him stood up for me. I will not forget this demonstration of Thalhah’s.
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The hadeeth contains the following points of benefit amongst others: 1. It shows the seriousness of sins. 2. The love of the Prophetﷺ and the companions (RA)for one another. They were all glad that Ka’b and the two others were forgiven. 3. We should be satisfied with the apparent disposition of people and not poke around about their intentions. 4. From the ways of congratulating people is to stand up and shake them. 5. Shaykh Saleem bin ‘Eid al-Hilaalee (hafizahullah) gave a commentary of the hadeeth in a separate work titled, Ithaaf as-Saalik bi Fawaaid Hadeeth al-Mukhallifeen min Riwaayati Ka’b bin Maalik in over 300 pages and explained 110 points of benefits from this hadeeth.

945. Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (ra) said that some people (the Jews of Banu Quraysh) came down at the command of Sa’d bin Mu’az . He was called and he came riding a donkey. When he approached the mosque, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Rise up for one better than you”, or he said “Rise up for your chief. And he also said, “O Sa’d these people have come down on your orders”. Sa’d said, “Those of them that are their fighting men should be slain and their young children should be made captives”. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “You have judged according to Allah’s decree”, or he said, “You have decided in the light of the King’s command.)
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: Sa’d bin Mu’adh who was in the Prophet’s mosque recovering from the serious injury he sustained during the Battle of Trench came to meet the Prophetﷺ and the rest of the people in a mosque temporarily set up for the daily obligatory prayers during the sieged on the Jews of Qurayza after their treachery. 2. In another authentic narration of the same hadīth, it says, “Qoomoo ilaa sayyidikum (Stand up to your leader (i.e. Sa’d bin Mu’adh))”; and in another, with the addition, “fa anziloohu (… and help him alight)”. Based on these expressions, Imam al-Albaanee (رحمه الله (averred, “So it appears to me – and Allah knows Best – that the author (may Allah shower blessings on him) actually only intended to relate the meaning of the hadeeth (and not the exact wording) in order to draw attention that it is not connected with a man’s standing up for his brother out of respect as is common place but (he could do that) only to help him come down, for he (Sa’d bin Mua’dh) was ill (at the time). If heﷺ had intended the first meaning, (i.e. standing for a person to show respect), he would have said, ‘Qoomoo li sayyidikum (stand up for the sake of your leader)’ which is not contained in any of the chains of report of the hadeeth.” Therefore, the narration establishes standing up to meet our brother, in order to offer help to him or the like. It could even imply standing up to a person to slap or beat him. However, to stand up out of respect for him does not have any basis in this hadeeth. Allah knows Best. See hadeeth no. 977 and Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah (67).

946. Anas said, “There is no one that people loved to see more than the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. But when they saw him, they did not stand up for him since they knew that he disliked that.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: In other versions of this hadeeth collected by Imam AtTahaawee in Mushkil al-Aathaar and Abu Ya’alaa in his Musnad, the above expression, ‘lam yaqoomoo ilayhi (translated as, ‘they did not stand up to him’), occurs as lam yaqoomoo lahu (they would not stand up because of him). According to Imam Al-Albaanee (الله رحمه” ,(Apparently, this is the correct thing (i.e. that they would not stand up because of him) due to the earlier cited difference between, ‘standing up because of him’ and ‘standing up to him’. While the first is that which is disapproved, the second standing is clearly permissible (since it has to do with helping him fulfill a particular need), regarding even the general people how much more their leaders as is in the hadeeth of Sa’d bin Mu’adh…” In the report of Imam al-Bayhaqee, it says, “lam yataharrakoo (they would not even move)” indicating that what was known to be detested is to stand up because of him because, ‘to stand up to him’ would mean to help him which may even be obligatory and not detested. While stating this report, Imam al-Bayhaqee said, “Abu Abdillah, al-Haafidh (i.e. Imam Hakim) said, ‘I attended the lesson of Abu Muhammad, Abdur-Rahman bin Mirzabaanee al-Khazzaaz – the great scholar of hadeeth of his time – at Hamdan. He came out to us while we were sitting down looking at him. When he drew near us, we all stood up. He forbade and prevented us from that and then said…(he then related the chain of narration up to Anas bin Malik and read this hadeeth).’” Thereafter, Imam al-Albaanee (الله رحمه (said, “There are many of such reports from the pious predecessors such that if compiled, could make a treatise.” These shed light on the fact that what the Prophetﷺ disapproved was standing up because of a person. See hadeeth no. 977.

947. ‘A’isha, the Umm al-Mu’minin, said, “I have not seen anyone who more resembled the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in words or speech or manner of sitting than Fatima.” ‘A’isha continued, “When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw that she had come, he would greet her and then he stood up for her, kissed her, took her hand and brought her forward and made her sit in hi place. When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, visited her, she greeted him, stood up for him, and kissed him. She came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in his final illness and he greeted her, kissed her, and told her a secret. She wept. Then he confided something else to her and she laughed. I said to the women, ‘I see that this woman is superior to other women, let she is one of them. First she wept and then she laughed.’ I asked her, ‘What did he say to you?’ She replied, ‘I would be telling a secret.’ When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, Fatima said, ‘He confided to me, “I am dying,” so I wept. Then he confided to me, “You will be the first of my family to join me,” so I was happy and pleased at that.'”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: The point of reference in this hadeeth in relation to the chapter heading is the expression, “qaama ilayha (he would stand up to her)”, and it has been mentioned that it differs from ‘standing up because of her’ which is disapproved. The import of his standing up here is similar to that of hadeeth no. 944.

chapter 429. A man standing up for someone sitting down

948. Jabir said, “The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was ill and we prayed behind him while he was sitting down. Abu Bakr relayed his takbir to the people. The Prophet turned towards us and saw that we were standing. He indicated to us that we should sit down. So we prayed sitting down with him. When he said the taslim, he said, ‘You were about to do what the Persians and Romans do. They stand in front of their kings when they are seated. Do not do that. Follow your Imams. If the Imam prays standing, then pray standing. If he prays sitting down, then pray sitting down.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: This hadeeth prohibits standing before a person while he is seated by way of showing reverence to him which was from the ways of the non-Muslims. As such, it also prohibits imitating the non-Muslims regarding things that are basically exclusive to them.

chapter 430. When someone yawns, he should put his hand over his mouth

949. Abu Sa’id reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “When one of you yawns, he should put his hand over his mouth. Otherwise Shaytan might enter it.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)
Commentary: When the mouth opens due to something which is detested in the Sharee’ah, it becomes a path for Satan who is given the ability to enter the belly of man and move within it as blood moves within the veins. Therefore, it is only noble for one to repress the yawn as much as possible as mentioned earlier, or put his hand over his mouth to prevent the great enemy access into his body.

950. Ibn Abbas said, “When someone yawns, he should place his hand over his mouth. Yawning comes from Shaytan.”
Grade: Saheeh (Authentic)

951. Same as 949.
Commentary:As No. 949, with a different isnād.