1258 – ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When one of you sneezes, let him say: al-ḥamdu lillāh (praise belongs to Allah). Let his brother then say to him: yarḥamuka-llāh (may Allah have mercy on you). When he has been told, ‘May Allah have mercy on you,’ the sneezer should reply: yahdīkumullāh wa yuṣliḥu bālakum (may Allah guide you and set your affairs aright).” Recorded by al-Bukhārī (1).
Vocabulary of the ḥadīth
• yuṣliḥ: from the verb ṣaluḥa/yaṣluḥu or yaṣlaḥu; the verbal nouns are ṣalāḥ and ṣuluḥ. Ṣalāḥ (soundness, rectitude) is the opposite of fasād (corruption).
• bālakum: bāl refers to the heart, condition, or state. One says, “a man of contented bāl,” meaning one whose circumstances are spacious; thus the phrase means: “may He rectify your hearts and conditions.”
Points derived from the ḥadīth
- Sneezing is a sudden, powerful exhalation that exits through the nasal passage without a person’s volition. It arises from irritation of the nasal mucous membrane, or it may expel illness as in the common cold. Suppressing it causes bodily sluggishness, whereas letting it out leaves the sneezer feeling light.
- For that reason it is recommended that the sneezer praise Allah for facilitating the release of those vapors. The hearer then says, “May Allah have mercy on you,” a supplication suited to one who has just enjoyed bodily well-being. The sneezer then answers, “May Allah guide you and set your affairs aright.” The sneezer’s response resembles the reply owed by one who is greeted with salām.
- Al-Ādāb al-Sharʿiyyah relates that Ibn Hubayrah said: When a person sneezes, one may deduce from that