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Answering the one who sneezes

تشميت العاطس

When someone sneezes and praises Allah, the one who hears him asks Allah to have mercy on him.

Sahih

The practice

Abu Hurayrah reports in al-Bukhari that the Prophet ﷺ taught that one who sneezes should praise Allah, his brother should answer by asking Allah to have mercy on him, and the sneezer should then pray that Allah guide him and set his affairs right. It is among the five rights of a Muslim on a Muslim (al-Bukhari 1240).

islamweb's fatwa cites the hadith that it is a duty on every Muslim who hears the sneezer praise Allah to answer him. On answering a sneeze during the Friday sermon, it records that the schools differ, and says the matter is too small to divide people over.

Evidence

Sahih

Sahih al-Bukhari 6224

Grades
GraderVerdict
al-BukhariSahih (included by al-Bukhari in his Sahih) (Sahih)
Full narration

حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِذَا عَطَسَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ‏.‏ وَلْيَقُلْ لَهُ أَخُوهُ أَوْ صَاحِبُهُ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ‏.‏ فَإِذَا قَالَ لَهُ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ‏.‏ فَلْيَقُلْ يَهْدِيكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيُصْلِحُ بَالَكُمْ ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, " If anyone of you sneezes, he should say 'Al-Hamduli l-lah' (Praise be to Allah), and his (Muslim) brother or companion should say to him, 'Yar-hamuka-l-lah' (May Allah bestow his Mercy on you). When the latter says 'Yar-hamuka-llah", the former should say, 'Yahdikumul-lah wa Yuslih balakum' (May Allah give you guidance and improve your condition)

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