Once you have said, “May Allah have mercy on you,” it becomes obligatory for him to reply, “May Allah guide you and set your affairs aright.” Such is the wording that has come down to us from the Prophet ﷺ: in response he says, “May Allah guide you and set your affairs aright.”

The jurists then ask: is blessing the sneezer after he has praised Allah an individual duty or a collective one? In other words, if a group is present, is it enough for one person to extend the blessing on behalf of all, or must every listener do so? Some scholars hold that tashmīt (offering the blessing) is a communal obligation: if we are in a gathering, someone sneezes and says al-ḥamdu lillāh, and one of us says, “May Allah have mercy on you,” that suffices for the rest. Other scholars maintain that it is an individual duty upon everyone who hears, citing the Prophet’s statement, “It is a right upon everyone who hears him to say: May Allah have mercy on you.” The apparent wording indicates an individual obligation. Accordingly, everyone who hears him should say, “May Allah have mercy on you,” while the sneezer replies, “May Allah guide you and set your affairs aright.” One reply from him is enough for all, provided he intends it for everyone.

If he sneezes but does not praise Allah, do not say, “May Allah have mercy on you,” as a disciplinary measure for his failure to praise Allah; just as he withheld praise of Allah, deprive him of this supplication. Do not say, “May Allah have mercy on you.” Should you then remind him, saying, “Say al-ḥamdu lillāh,” or remain silent? The answer is that he may have omitted the praise out of negligence, or he may simply have forgotten. If it was forgetfulness, remind him and tell him, “Praise Allah,” but if he omitted it