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الادب المفرد
Adab al-Mufrad
كتاب العطاس والتثاؤبBook of Sneezing and Yawning
بَابُ تَشْمِيتِ الرَّجُلِ الْمَرْأَةَChapter: Man responding to a woman's sneeze
Hadith 941
اُردوEn
حَدَّثَنَا فَرْوَةُ، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِشْكَابَ، قَالاَ: حَدَّثَنَا الْقَاسِمُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ الْمُزَنِيُّ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ كُلَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ قَالَ: دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي مُوسَى، وَهُوَ فِي بَيْتِ ابْنَتِهِ أُمِّ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ الْعَبَّاسِ، فَعَطَسْتُ فَلَمْ يُشَمِّتْنِي، وَعَطَسَتْ فَشَمَّتَهَا، فَأَخْبَرْتُ أُمِّي، فَلَمَّا أَتَاهَا وَقَعَتْ بِهِ وَقَالَتْ: عَطَسَ ابْنِي فَلَمْ تُشَمِّتْهُ، وَعَطَسَتْ فَشَمَّتَّهَا، فَقَالَ لَهَا: إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: ”إِذَا عَطَسَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ فَشَمِّتُوهُ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَحْمَدِ اللَّهَ فَلاَ تُشَمِّتُوهُ“، وَإِنَّ ابْنَكِ عَطَسَ فَلَمْ يَحْمَدِ اللَّهَ، فَلَمْ أُشَمِّتْهُ، وَعَطَسَتْ فَحَمِدَتِ اللَّهَ فَشَمَّتُّهَا، فَقَالَتْ: أَحْسَنْتَ.
It is narrated from Abu Burdah bin Abu Musa (may Allah have mercy on him) that I went to my father, Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him), while he was with (his wife) the daughter of Fadl bin Abbas (Umm Kulthum). I sneezed, but he did not respond to me, and she (Umm Kulthum) sneezed, and he responded to her. I told my mother (Umm Abdullah). When my respected father came to her, she spoke at length and said: My son sneezed, but you did not respond to him, and you responded to her (your wife Umm Kulthum). He said to my mother: Indeed, I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: "When one of you sneezes and says «الحمد للہ», then respond to him, and if he does not say «الحمد للہ», then do not respond to him." My son sneezed and did not say «الحمد للہ», so I did not respond to him, and she (Umm Kulthum) sneezed and she said «الحمد للہ», so I responded to her. She said: You did very well.
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Usman Muneeb
Benefits and Issues:
➊ From this hadith, it is understood that a man may respond to a woman's sneeze; however, if she is a non-mahram and there is a fear of temptation in responding, then one should refrain from replying.
➋ In the present manuscripts and in the editions of Sahih al-Adab al-Mufrad, there is an addition of "his daughter" (ibnatahu) before "Umm al-Fadl," and "Umm al-Fadl" is made to be in apposition to it. In the margin of the Fadl Allah al-Samad edition, it is mentioned with reference to Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah that this word was omitted from the original, and he corrected it using Sahih Muslim, al-Tabarani, and others. However, it seems likely that this was a scribe's error, who wrote "ibnatahu" instead of "ibnatu," or perhaps Shaykh rahimahullah made an oversight, because in Sahih Muslim it is "ibnatu al-Fadl ibn Abbas," meaning the daughter of Fadl ibn Abbas, who was the wife of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari radi Allahu anhu, whom Abu Musa married after her separation from Hasan ibn Ali radi Allahu anhu. In the current form, the meaning of the phrase becomes entirely incorrect, implying that Abu Musa was with his own daughter Umm al-Fadl, whereas this is not the case. Therefore, either "Umm al-Fadl" should be left as it is, which could be the kunyah of Umm Kulthum, or it should be "ibnatu al-Fadl ibn Abbas," as is found in Sahih Muslim, and this latter is closer to correctness. I have also adjusted the text to match Sahih Muslim.
➌ The name of this daughter of Fadl ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma was Umm Kulthum.
➊ From this hadith, it is understood that a man may respond to a woman's sneeze; however, if she is a non-mahram and there is a fear of temptation in responding, then one should refrain from replying.
➋ In the present manuscripts and in the editions of Sahih al-Adab al-Mufrad, there is an addition of "his daughter" (ibnatahu) before "Umm al-Fadl," and "Umm al-Fadl" is made to be in apposition to it. In the margin of the Fadl Allah al-Samad edition, it is mentioned with reference to Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah that this word was omitted from the original, and he corrected it using Sahih Muslim, al-Tabarani, and others. However, it seems likely that this was a scribe's error, who wrote "ibnatahu" instead of "ibnatu," or perhaps Shaykh rahimahullah made an oversight, because in Sahih Muslim it is "ibnatu al-Fadl ibn Abbas," meaning the daughter of Fadl ibn Abbas, who was the wife of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari radi Allahu anhu, whom Abu Musa married after her separation from Hasan ibn Ali radi Allahu anhu. In the current form, the meaning of the phrase becomes entirely incorrect, implying that Abu Musa was with his own daughter Umm al-Fadl, whereas this is not the case. Therefore, either "Umm al-Fadl" should be left as it is, which could be the kunyah of Umm Kulthum, or it should be "ibnatu al-Fadl ibn Abbas," as is found in Sahih Muslim, and this latter is closer to correctness. I have also adjusted the text to match Sahih Muslim.
➌ The name of this daughter of Fadl ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhuma was Umm Kulthum.
Source: Fadlullah al-Ahad: Urdu Commentary on al-Adab al-Mufrad, Page: 941
