صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب              صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Sunan and manners about sneezing

Two blessed sayings of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم:

   ٭ ‘Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ likes the sneeze and does not like the yawn.’ (Sahih Bukhari, vol. 4, pp. 163, Hadees 6226)

  ٭ ‘When one sneezes and says ﴿اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ﴾, the angels say ﴿رَبُّ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ﴾ and if he says ﴿رَبُّ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ﴾, the angels say, ‘May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy upon you.’ (Al-Mu’jam-ul-Kabeer, vol. 11, pp. 358, Hadees 12284)

  ٭Lower your head, cover your face as you sneeze, and sneeze in a low voice as it is foolish to sneeze loudly. (Rad-dul-Muhtar, vol. 9, pp. 684)

  ٭One should say ﴿اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ﴾ after sneezing. (It is stated in Khaza`in-ul-‘Irfan on page 3 with reference to Tahtaawi that it is a Sunnat-ul-Muakkadah   to recite the Hamd of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ after sneezing.) It is better to say            ﴿اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبُّ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ﴾ or ﴿اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ عَلٰی کُلِّ حَالٍ﴾.

  ٭It is Wajib for the one who hears to say ﴿یَرْحَمُكَ اللّٰہ﴾ (May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on you) immediately in such an audible voice that the one who sneezed can hear it. (Bahar-e-Shari’at, vol. 16, pp. 119)

  ٭Upon hearing ﴿یَرْحَمُكَ اللّٰہ﴾, the person who sneezed should say                               ﴿یَغْفِرُ اللّٰہُ لَنَا وَ لَکُمْ﴾ (may Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ forgive me and you) or say                                 ﴿یَہْدِیْكُمُ اللّٰہُ وَ یُصْلِحُ بَالَـکُمْ﴾ (may Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ guide you and improve your condition). (Fatawa ‘Aalamgiri, vol. 5, pp. 326)

  ٭Whoever says ﴿اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ عَلٰی کُلِّ حَالٍ﴾ after sneezing and passes his tongue over all his teeth, he will be safe from dental diseases, اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه عَزَّوَجَلَّ. (Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 6, pp. 396)

  ٭Sayyiduna ‘Ali کَـرَّمَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَـالٰی وَجۡـھَـهُ الۡـکَـرِیۡم has said, ‘Whosoever says ﴿اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ عَلٰی کُلِّ حَالٍ﴾ upon sneezing, he will never suffer from pain in the molars or earache.’ (Mirqat-ul-Mafatih, vol. 8, pp. 499, Taht al-Hadees 4739)

  ٭The one sneezing should utter ﴿اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ﴾ audibly so that it can be heard and answered. (Rad-dul-Muhtar, vol. 9, pp. 684)

  ٭The reply [i.e. ﴿یَرْحَمُكَ اللّٰہ﴾] is Wajib on the first sneeze, if the one sneezing says ﴿اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ﴾ on the second sneeze as well, it is not Wajib to reply rather it is Mustahab. (Fatawa ‘Aalamgiri, vol. 5, pp. 326)

  ٭The reply is Wajib only when the one sneezing says ﴿اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ﴾; if he does not say ﴿اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ﴾, there is no reply. (Bahar-e-Shari’at, vol. 16, pp. 120)