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Holding back a yawn

كظم التثاؤب

Yawning is from Satan, so hold it back as far as you can.

The practice

Abu Hurayrah reports in al-Bukhari that the Prophet ﷺ said yawning is from Satan, so whoever yawns should hold it back as far as he can, for Satan laughs when someone yawns aloud.

islamweb's fatwa says a yawn is not a sin, since a person does not control it, but he should resist it, cover his mouth with his hand if it comes, and avoid making a sound. It quotes Ibn Battal that it is ascribed to Satan because he likes to see a person's face change, and an-Nawawi that it comes of a heavy, overfull body, so the warning is against overeating.

Evidence

Sahih

Sahih al-Bukhari 3289

Grades
Grader	Verdict
al-Bukhari	Sahih (included by al-Bukhari in his Sahih) (Sahih)

Full narration

حَدَّثَنَا عَاصِمُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ التَّثَاؤُبُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ، فَإِذَا تَثَاءَبَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَرُدَّهُ مَا اسْتَطَاعَ، فَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ إِذَا قَالَ هَا‏.‏ ضَحِكَ الشَّيْطَانُ ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Yawning is from Satan and if anyone of you yawns, he should check his yawning as much as possible, for if anyone of you (during the act of yawning) should say: 'Ha', Satan will laugh at him

View on sunnah.com

Scholarly opinionYawning: its causes and remedy (islamweb fatwa 179017)islamweb.net

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