Author: Dr. Muhammad Zia-ur-Rahman Azmi (رحمه الله)
Chapter: Do Not Respond to a Sneeze if the Sneezer Does Not Say Alhamdulillah
Evidence from the Sunnah:
- Narration of Anas bin Malik (رضي الله عنه):
Anas bin Malik (رضي الله عنه) reported:
"Two men sneezed in the presence of the Prophet (ﷺ). He responded to one and not the other. The man whose sneeze was not responded to said, 'O Messenger of Allah, you responded to his sneeze but not mine.' The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, 'He praised Allah (by saying Alhamdulillah) whereas you did not.'"
(Sahih Bukhari: 6221, 6225; Sahih Muslim: 2991) - Narration of Abu Burdah (رضي الله عنه):
Abu Burdah (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
"I visited Abu Musa (رضي الله عنه) while he was in the house of the daughter of Fadl bin Abbas. I sneezed, but he did not respond. Then, the daughter of Fadl sneezed, and he responded to her. I returned to my mother and told her about this. When Abu Musa visited her, she asked him, 'My son sneezed in your presence, and you did not respond, but when she sneezed, you did?' He replied, 'Your son sneezed but did not praise Allah, so I did not respond. She sneezed and praised Allah, so I responded. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say:
"If one of you sneezes and praises Allah, respond to him. But if he does not praise Allah, do not respond."'"
(Sahih Muslim: 2992) - Narration of Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه):
Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) reported:
"Two men sneezed in the presence of the Prophet (ﷺ). One of them was more noble than the other. The noble man sneezed but did not praise Allah, so the Prophet (ﷺ) did not respond to him. The other sneezed and praised Allah, so the Prophet (ﷺ) responded to him. The nobleman said, 'I sneezed in your presence, but you did not respond, whereas you responded to him.' The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, 'He remembered Allah, so I responded to him. You forgot Allah, so I ignored you.'"
(Musnad Ahmad: 8346; Al-Adab al-Mufrad by Imam Bukhari: 932)
Key Rulings and Benefits:
- Saying Alhamdulillah is Essential:
- A sneezer must say Alhamdulillah to earn the response of Yarhamukallah from others.
- Failing to praise Allah after sneezing makes it impermissible to respond to the sneeze.
- Purpose of Praising Allah After Sneezing:
- Sneezing is a natural blessing from Allah, as it clears the respiratory system. Praising Allah is a way of acknowledging His mercy.
- Islamic Etiquette:
- Responding to sneezes is not a casual social act but a religious obligation contingent on the sneezer's compliance with the Sunnah.
- The Prophet's Guidance:
- The Prophet (ﷺ) demonstrated that responding to sneezes is conditional upon the act of remembering Allah, as shown in his interactions with the Companions.