CHAPTER 16: ETIQUETTES REGARDING
SNEEZING & YAWNING
Hadith 1: In Sahih
Bukhari it is reported on the authority of Hazrat Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that the Holy Prophet صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said,
‘Allah loves sneezing but dislikes yawning, so if anyone of you sneezes and
then says اَلْحَمْد لِلّٰہ
Alhumdulillah, then every Muslim who hears
him (praising Allah) must say یَرْحَمُکَ اللہ Yarhamuk’Allah.
However, as regards to yawning, it is from shaitaan, so if one of you yawns, he
should try his best to stop it, for when anyone of you yawns, Satan laughs at
him.’ In other words, shaitaan becomes very happy, since this is a sign of
laziness and negligence (and) shaitaan is pleased with such things. It is in
Sahih Muslim that when he says ‘Haa’ (yawning sound), shaitaan laughs (at him).
Hadith 2: In Bukhari
it is narrated from Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ that Rasool صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said,
‘When one of you sneezes, he should say, اَلْحَمْدُ
لِلّٰہ and his brother or companion should say یَرْحَمُکَ
اللہ. Then, the one who sneezed should say, یَھْدِیْکُمُ اللہُ وَیُصْلِحُ بَالَکُمْ۔. A narration cited in Tirmizi and Daarimi from Hazrat Abu Ayub رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ mentions that when a person sneezes, then he
should say: اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ عَلٰی کُلِ حَال ۔ Alhumdulillahi
Alaa Kul’li Haalin.
Hadith 3: In Tabrani
it is narrated from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘When anyone of you sneezes, he should say
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِیْنَ
Alhumdulillahi Rab’bil Aalameen’.
Hadith 4: Tabrani
reports from Ibn Abbas رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that the
Prophet صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘When a person sneezes and he says اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہ Alhumdulillah, the Angels respond by saying رَبّ الْعَالَمِیْنَ Rab’bil Aalameen and if he says رَبّ
الْعَالَمِیْنَ
then the Angels say, یَرْحَمُکَ
اللہ. Yarhamuk’Allah’.
Hadith 5: Tirmizi
reported from Nafi’ that a person sneezed in the presence of Ibn Umar رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہما
so he (the person who sneezed) said, اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ وَالسَّلامُ عَلٰی رَسُوْلِ اللہ۔ Alhumdulillahi
Was Salaamu Alaa Rasoolillahi. (On hearing this) Hazrat Ibn Umar رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہما said, ‘I am also
saying, اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ وَالسَّلامُ عَلٰی رَسُوْلِ
اللہ Alhumdulillahi Was Salaamu Alaa Rasoolillahi, but this is not the
occasion in which to say this. Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم instructed us to say اَلْحَمْدُ
لِلّٰہِ عَلٰی کُلِّ حَال
in such a situation’.
Hadith 6: Tirmizi
and Abu Dawud reported from Hilal bin Yassaf. He says, ‘We were with Saalim bin
Ubaid and someone sneezed and he said, اَلسَّلامُ
عَلَیْکُمْ۔ As Salaamu
Alaikum. Saalim responded by saying وَعَلَیْکَ
وَ عَلٰی اُمِّکَ
Walaika wa
Alaa Um’mika ‘Salaam upon you and your mother’. He felt sad (i.e. he was embarrassed
at being given such an answer). It has been mentioned in the narration of Abu
Dawud that he said, ‘It would have been more appropriate if you had not mentioned
my mother, be it with good or bad intent’. Saalim said, ‘I have said that which
the Prophet صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said. I gave this reply because a person
sneezed in the presence of Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ
تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم and said As Salaamu Alaikum. He صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم replied by
saying, وَعَلَیْکَ وَ عَلٰی اُمِّکَ Walaika wa Alaa Um’mika. Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم then advised him saying that when you sneeze
say: اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِیْن
Alhumdulillahi Rab’bil Aalameen, and the
person replying should say, یَرْحَمُکَ اللہ Yarhamuk’Allah
and the sneezer should say, یَغْفِرُ اللہُ لِیْ وَلَکُمْ.
Hadith 7: It is in
Sahih Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Hazrat Anas رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ. He says that two people sneezed in the
presence of the Holy Prophet صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم. He صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم replied to one of them and did not reply to
the other. He said, ‘Ya Rasool’Allah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم,
you replied to him (i.e. you prayed for mercy upon him) but you did not do so
for me.’ He صلَّی اللہ
تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘He said اَلْحَمْدُ
لِلّٰہ Alhumdulillah, whereas you did not say it’.
Hadith 8: It is in
Sahih Muslim from Abu Musa رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ. He
says, ‘I heard the Prophet صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم say
that when someone sneezes and says اَلْحَمْدُ
لِلّٰہ Alhumdulillah, then you should reply to him, and if he does not
say Alhumdulillah, then do not give him any response’.
Hadith 9: It is in
Sahih Muslim from Salama bin Aku’ رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ that a person sneezed in the presence of the Beloved Prophet صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم so the Prophet
صلَّی اللہ
تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم responded by saying یَرْحَمُکَ
اللہ. He then sneezed again, (so) the Prophet صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘He
has a cold’. It is mentioned in a narration cited in Tirmizi that the Beloved
Prophet صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی
علیہ وسلَّم said this after he sneezed thrice. In other words, this is
explaining that there is no need to respond when a person sneezes constantly.
Hadith 10: Tirmizi
and Abu Dawud have reported on the authority of Hazrat Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that when the Holy Prophet صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم sneezed, he would either cover his mouth with
his hand or with a cloth, and he would suppress the sound.
Hadith 11: It is in
Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Sa’eed Khudri رضی
اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that when a person yawns, he should place his
hand over his mouth because shaitaan enters the mouth.
Hadith 12: It is in
Tabrani Awsat from Anas رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that
Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘The truth is evident when one sneezes’.
It is in the narration of Hakeem on the authority of Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that when something is being said and one
sneezes in the course of it being mentioned, then that word is true. It is
mentioned in the narration of Abu Nu’aim that when one sneezes at the time of
Dua, it is testimony to the truth.
Hadith 13: Baihaqi
reports in Sha’bul Imaan on the authority of Ubaadah bin Saamit and Shadaad bin
Aus and Waathila that Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ
تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said that when anyone burps or sneezes, he
should not do so aloud, as shaitaan likes it when these are done in a loud voice.
Laws of Jurisprudence
Law: To reply to sneezing
is waajib, on condition that the person who sneezed says اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہ. It is Waajib to reply
to this immediately and to reply in a manner whereby he is able to hear you.
The same ruling which applies to the reply to Salaam is also applicable here. [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Raddul Muhtar]
Law: To reply to sneezing
is waajib once. If one sneezes for the second time and he says اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہ Alhumdulillah, then to reply for the second time is not waajib,
but Mustahab. [Alamgiri]
Law: When a person sneezes,
he should say اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہ
and it is better to say اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ العَالَمِیْنَ.
When the person says اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہ
it becomes waajib upon the one who hears him,
to respond to it. If he does not proclaim the ‘Humd’ اَلْحَمْدُ
لِلّٰہ then there is no need to answer. If someone sneezes more than
once, in one gathering or sitting, one should only reply thrice. Thereafter, he
has the option of replying or not. [Bazaazia]
Law: The one who sneezes
should either say اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ
العَالَمِیْنَ Alhumdulillahi Rab’bil Aalameen or اَلْحَمْدُ
لِلّٰہِ عَلٰی کلِّ حَال Alhumdulillahi
alaa Kul’li Haalin, and in reply to this, the
other person should say,یَرْحَمُکَ اللہُ Yarhamuk’Allah. Thereafter, the one who has
sneezed should either say, یَغْفِرُ اللہُ لَنَا
وَلَکُمْ Yaghfirullahu Lana Wa Lakum or he he should
say یَھْدِیْکُمُ اللہُ وَیُصْلِحُ بَالَکُمْ
Yahdikumul’laahu wa Yuslihu Baalakum. Nothing
else should be mentioned, with the exception of this. [Alamgiri]
Law: If an old woman sneezes,
then a male may reply to her sneezing and if she is a young female, then he
should reply in a manner whereby she does not here his voice. If a male sneezes
and a female replies to his sneezing, then if she is a young female, he should
reply to her in his heart, and if she is an elderly female, then he may reply
aloud. [Alamgiri]
Law: If someone sneezed
during the Khutbah, then the one who hears this should not reply to him.
[Khania]
Law: If an unbeliever
sneezed and he said 4 اَلْحَمْدُ
لِلّٰہِ Alhumdulillah, then in reply to this, one should say یَھْدِ یْکَ اللہُ
Yahdeek’Allahu. [Raddul Muhtar]
Law: One who sneezes should
praise Allah aloud (i.e. by saying Alhumdulillah) so that others may hear and
then reply to it. If some of those present replied to the sneezing, this is
sufficient for all those that are present. However, it is better for everyone
present to reply. [Raddul Muhtar]
Law: If someone sneezed
behind a wall (i.e. he is not present before you) and he says, اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ
Alhumdulillah, then the one who hears him should
(still) reply to it. [Raddul Muhtar]
Law: If the person who
heard someone sneezing said اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ even before
the person who sneezed said it, then it has been mentioned in a Hadith that he
will be protected from tooth and ear ache, and he will also be protected from gastro-enteritis.
Another Hadith mentions that he will be protected from back pains. [Raddul Muhtar]
Law: When sneezing, one
should lower the head, cover the mouth and suppress the sound. To sneeze
(intentionally) aloud is foolishness. [Raddul
Muhtar]
Beneficial Note: It has
been mentioned in the Hadith that to sneeze when saying something is testimony
of it being a just (true) word.
Law: Many
people regard it an ill-omen to sneeze. For example, if someone was going out
to do something and he sneezes, then it is assumed that the particular reason
for which one was going out, will be unsuccessful. This is mere ignorance as
there is no basis to it being an ill-omen, and to regard that which has been
mentioned as a sign of truthfulness in the Hadith, to be an ill-omen, is
seriously inaccurate.
0 comments:
Post a Comment