Fiqh al-Adiyah wa-al-Adhkar - Abd al-Razzaq ibn Abd al-Muhsin al-Badr - (3/286)

Fiqh al-Adiyah wa-al-AdhkarAbd al-Razzaq ibn Abd al-Muhsin al-Badr

Consider, my Muslim brother—may Allah preserve you—the beauty and perfection to which the Shariah calls when one sneezes: praise, glorification, mutual mercy, and supplication. The one who sneezes praises Allah; whoever hears him prays that Allah have mercy upon him; and he, in turn, responds to that supplication with another, praying for the guidance and well-being of the one who invoked Allah’s mercy upon him. What a strong bond this creates, and what beautiful solidarity and fellowship!

Indeed, Islam has made invoking Allah’s mercy upon one who sneezes one of the reciprocal rights Muslims owe one another. It is related in the Sahīh from Abū Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “A Muslim has six rights over another Muslim: when you meet him, greet him with peace; when he invites you, accept his invitation; when he seeks your counsel, advise him sincerely; when he sneezes and praises Allah, pray that Allah have mercy upon him; when he falls ill, visit him; and when he dies, follow his funeral procession.”1

Tashmīt—invoking Allah’s mercy upon one who sneezes—means supplicating for good. It is said to derive from shawāmit, meaning the legs, as though one were praying that the person remain steadfast and upright in obedience. It is also said to mean: “May Allah keep you from becoming an object of malicious rejoicing and spare you anything over which others might gloat.”

This supplication is due only to someone who praises Allah upon sneezing. As for one who does not praise Him, Allah’s mercy is not invoked upon him. It is related in the two Sahīhs that Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Two men sneezed in the presence of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. He invoked Allah’s mercy upon one of them but not the other. The man for whom he had not done so said, ‘So-and-so sneezed and you invoked Allah’s mercy upon him, whereas I sneezed and you did not invoke Allah’s mercy upon me.’ He replied, ‘This man praised Allah, whereas you did not praise Allah.’”2

Muslim also narrated from Abū Burda, who said: “I entered upon Abū Mūsā al-Asharī while he was in the home of al-Fadl ibn Abbās’s daughter. I sneezed, but he did not invoke Allah’s mercy upon me; then she sneezed, and he invoked Allah’s mercy upon her. I then returned

(1) Previously referenced. (2) Sahīh al-Bukhārī, no. 6225; Sahīh Muslim, no. 2991.

فانظر أخي المسلم رعاك الله إلى هذا الجمال والكمال الذي دعت إليه الشريعةُ عند العُطاس؛ حمدٌ وثناءٌ وتراحمٌ ودعاءٌ، العاطسُ يحمَد اللهَ، ومَن يسمعه يدعو له بالرحمة، ثم هو يُبادل الدعاءَ بالدعاء، فيدعو لِمَن شَمَّته بالهداية وصلاح الحال، فما أقواها من لُحمة، وما أجمله من ترابط ووصال. بل جعل الإسلامُ تشميتَ العاطس حقًّا من الحقوق المتبادلة بين المسلمين، ففي الصحيح من حديث أبي هريرة ﵁، عن رسول الله ﷺ أنَّه قال: "حقُّ المسلم على المسلم ستٌّ: إذا لقيتَه فسَلِّم عليه، وإذا دعاك فأجبه، وإذا استنصحك فانصح له، وإذا عطس وحمد اللهَ فشَمِّته، وإذا مرض فعُده، وإذا مات فاتَّبعه"١. والتشميتُ هو الدعاءُ بالخير، قيل: هو مشتقٌّ من الشوامت وهي القوائم، كأنَّه دعا له بالثبات والقيام بالطاعة، وقيل: معناه أبعدَك الله عن الشماتة، وجنَّبك ما يشمت عليك به. ثمَّ إنَّ هذا التشميت إنَّما يستحقُّه مَن يحمَد اللهَ عند العُطاس، وأمَّا من لَم يحمد فإنَّه لا يُشَمَّت، ففي الصحيحين عن أنس ﵁ قال: "عَطَسَ عند النَّبِيِّ ﷺ رجلان، فشمَّت أحدَهما ولَم يُشمِّت الآخَر، فقال الذي لَم يُشمِّته: عَطسَ فلانٌ فشَمَّتَه، وعطستُ أنا فلَم تُشَمِّتْنِِي، فقال: إنَّ هذا حَمِِدَ اللهَ، وإنَّكَ لَم تَحْمَد الله"٢. وروى مسلم عن أبي بُردة قال: دخلتُ على أبي موسى الأشعريِّ، وهو في بيت بنت الفضل بن عباس، فعطستُ فلم يُشَمِّتنِي، وعطستْ فشمتَّها، فرجعتُ

١ سبق تخريجه. ٢ صحيح البخاري (رقم:٦٢٢٥) ، وصحيح مسلم (رقم:٢٩٩١) .