— and that is confirmed by the report in Muslim (2995) on the authority of Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī: the Prophet ﷺ said, “When any one of you yawns, let him place his hand over his mouth, for Satan enters.”

4. This rule belongs to the etiquette of sitting with others. Out of respect for those present, the person in the gathering should maintain the best demeanor and most becoming appearance.

5. Moreover, closing one’s mouth while yawning annoys and frustrates Satan, who unleashes laziness and incapacity upon the Muslim in order to rob him of energy for obeying Allah.

6. Allah, Glorified and Exalted, wants the Muslim to possess strength and vigor in worship, for “the strong believer is better than the weak believer.” It is for this very reason that the prayer itself spreads the limbs apart in bowing and prostration, indicating a desire for vitality and power. Sluggishness and apathy, on the other hand, are traits of the hypocrites, who feel weighed down when called to worship.