and sneezing is a sign of lightness and vitality; for that reason it is beloved to Allah. It has therefore been legislated that when a person sneezes he should say al-ḥamdu lillāh (praise be to Allah), for it is a blessing that has been bestowed on him, so let him thank Allah for it. He should say al-ḥamdu lillāh whenever he sneezes, whether he is in prayer or outside of it, in whatever place he may be. The scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, add that if he happens to sneeze while in the restroom he should not voice al-ḥamdu lillāh; rather, he praises Allah inwardly, for they hold that a person does not pronounce the remembrance of Allah in such a place.

When someone sneezes and praises Allah, it becomes incumbent upon everyone who hears him to respond, yarḥamuka Allah (may Allah have mercy on you), thus invoking mercy for him as a recompense for his having praised Allah, exalted is He. Because he praised Allah, one of the rewards allotted to him is that his brothers supplicate mercy on his behalf.

The Prophet’s words, “It is a right upon everyone who hears him,” on their face indicate that the obligation rests on each individual listener. This is reinforced by his statement in another hadith: “If he sneezes and praises Allah, then respond to him with the tashmīt.” Some scholars, however, have held that replying to the sneezer is a communal duty (farḍ kifāyah); that is, if one person among the group says, “May Allah have mercy on you,” the obligation is lifted from the rest.