171 / What Is Said When Sneezing and What Should Be Done When Yawning

The discussion here concerns what should be said when someone sneezes and what should be done when someone yawns. Al-Bukhārī narrated in his Sahīh from Abū Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Allah loves sneezing and dislikes yawning. If someone sneezes and praises Allah, every Muslim who hears him is duty-bound to pray that Allah have mercy upon him. As for yawning, it is only from Satan, so he should suppress it as much as he can. If he says, ‘Hā,’ Satan laughs at him.”1

The wisdom behind praising Allah upon sneezing is that—as Ibn al-Qayyim says—the sneezer receives a blessing and benefit through the release of vapors trapped in his brain which, were they to remain there, would cause him serious ailments. He is therefore prescribed to praise Allah for this blessing, while all his limbs remain intact and in their proper form after this convulsion that has affected the body. Praise, then, belongs to Allah as befits His Noble Countenance and the might of His Majesty.2

It was stated above in the hadith that Allah loves sneezing. This is because it benefits the person and brings him good, and because it leads to praise, glorification, and supplication.

As for yawning, Allah does not love it because it is from Satan and because it generally occurs only when the body is weighed down, full, relaxed, and inclined to laziness. A Muslim is commanded to suppress it as much as he can. It is narrated in the two Sahīh collections from Abū Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Yawning is from Satan. When one of you yawns, he should suppress it as much as he can, for when one of you says, ‘Hā,’ Satan laughs at him.” According to another wording narrated by Muslim: “So when he yawns