Imam Al-Nawawi’s Riyad-us-Saliheen
Chapter 142
Saying ‘Al-Hamdulillah’ on Sneezing, its reply and Manners relating to Sneezing
and Yawning
878. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Allah likes sneezing and dislikes yawning. When any one of you sneezes and says `Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah)’, it becomes obligatory upon every Muslim who hears him to respond with `Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah have mercy on you)’. Yawning is from the devil. When one of you feels like yawning, he should restrain it as much as possible, for the devil laughs when one of you yawns.”
[Al-Bukhari].
879. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “When one of you sneezes he should say: `Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah),’ and his brother or his companion should say to him: `Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah have mercy on you).’ When he says this he should reply: `Yahdikum-ullah wa yuslihu balakum (may Allah guide you and render sound your state of affairs).”’
[Al-Bukhari].
880. Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “When one of you sneezes and praises Allah (i.e., says Al-hamdu lillah), you should invoke Allah’s Mercy upon him (i.e., say Yarhamuk-Allah); but if he does not praise Allah, you should not make a response.” [Muslim].
881. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: When two men sneezed in the presence of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), he responded to one with “Yarhamuk-Allah (may Allah have mercy on you)” and did not respond to the other. The latter said to him: “You invoked a blessing on this man but did not do so in my case.” The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied, “He praised Allah (i.e., he said `Al-hamdu lillah’) but you did not.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
882. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Whenever the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) sneezed, he would cover his mouth with his hand or a piece of cloth, suppressing the sound this way.
[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].
883. Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Jews used to intentionally sneeze in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) hoping that he would say to them: `Yarhamukum-ullah (may Allah have mercy on you),’ but he would respond with: “Yahdikum-ullahu wa yuslihu balakum (may Allah guide you and render sound your state of affairs).”
[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].
884. Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “When one yawns, he should put his hand over his mouth, otherwise the devil will enter.”
[Muslim].
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