It is Sunnah: Responding to a Sneeze

A series of worksheets that establish some of Prophet Mohamed’s ﷺ Sunnah and encourage children to make a bit out of them.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Sneezing is a health phenomenon that you’ve definitely seen happen to you and those around you numerous times… So why does sneezing occur?

Sneezing occurs as the body tries to cleanse the nose. When foreign objects such as smoke or dust get stuck in it, the nose becomes irritated, making sneezing the primary defence mechanism against bacteria and insects.

When a foreign object enters the nose, it interacts with the fine hairs and sensitive skin in the nostrils, causing discomfort. This sends messages to the brain telling it that the nose needs to clean itself, and in response the brain sends a signal to sneeze, preparing your body for it.

The eyes are usually closed during a sneeze, the tongue moves towards the roof of the mouth, and the muscles contract, all within a few seconds. During a sneeze, the body gets rid of the mucus and air stuck in the nose. A sneeze may also carry microbes that transmit diseases such as the flu… That is why sneezing is very important for your health and is a blessing. Subhan Allah!

Because Islam is a beautiful, wholesome religion, it covers all aspects of our lives… Even sneezing has to be done in good manners and good practices… So, let’s get acquainted together with the Sunnah of sneezing…

How do we apply this Sunnah?

If a Muslim sneezes in front of you, it is his right for you to pray for him… This supplication is called: Tashmeet

Abu Huraira t reported Allah’s Messenger ﷺ as saying, “A Muslim has five duties towards another Muslim:

to return a salutation, visit the sick, follow funerals, accept an invitation and say, ‘God have mercy on you’ when one sneezes.”

How do I respond to a sneeze? I say, “Yarhamukum-Ullah” (may Allah have mercy on you.)

Abu Hurairah reported:

The Prophet ﷺ 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].

What do I say when I sneeze?

Abu Hurairah t reported:

The Prophet ﷺ 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].

I only respond to those who praise Allah. If the sneezing does not say, “Al-hamdu lillah,” I do not respond, “’Yarhamuk-Allah.” That is until he remembers himself and praises Allah Almighty.

Anas t reported:

When two men sneezed in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ, 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 ﷺ replied, “He praised Allah (i.e., he said ‘Al-hamdu lillah’) but you did not.”

Abu Musa t reported:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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 respond.” [Muslim].

When sneezing, I try to lower my voice… and use a tissue or the back of my elbow to cover my mouth so as not to harm those around me…

Abu Hurairah t narrated that when the Prophet ﷺ would sneeze, he would cover his face with his hand or with his garment and muffle the sound with it.

If someone sneezes more than once, the Sunnah is to respond to him each time, up to three times:

Iyas bin Salamah t narrated from his father: “A man sneezed in the presence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while I was present, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Yarhamukallah (May Allah have mercy upon you).’ Then he sneezed a second and third time. So, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “This man is suffering from a cold.'”

May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet and Master Muhammad, who taught us the matters of our religion and was keen to guide us to what is best for us… Whenever you apply this Sunnah, remember your love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and follow his guidance and actions until you met him in heaven, inshaa’ Allah.

So: make sure to apply this beautiful Sunnah starting today!

To remember today’s Sunnah, here is a beautiful colour-in printable to hang in your room…

Special thanks to my wonderful friend Nada Sheikha for providing the art for today’s topic:

you can find this printable in Arabic here: فاتبعوني يحببكم الله: تشميت العاطس

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You can download the printable for this Sunnah by clicking on the Download File icon:

Download Responding to a Sneeze printable

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