But should you say, “aʿūdhu billāh min ash-shayṭān ar-rajīm” (I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan)? No, because nothing of that kind has been transmitted from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He taught us exactly what to do when a yawn overtakes us: stifle it, or repel it with the hand; he did not instruct us to say, “I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan.” What has become common among some people—uttering that formula whenever they yawn—has no basis, for all acts of worship are governed by revelation, not by personal preference.

Someone might object, “Does not Allah say, ‘And if an evil suggestion from Satan provokes you, then seek refuge with Allah; surely He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing’ (Q 7:200)? And did not the Prophet inform us that yawning is from Satan? Then is this not such a provocation?” We reply: No, you have misunderstood the verse. The verse—“If an evil suggestion from Satan provokes you, then seek refuge with Allah; surely He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing”—refers to Satan’s urging a person to commit sins or neglect obligatory duties. That is the satanic provocation, just as Allah also says that Satan “sows discord between people.” His provocation lies in commanding disobedience and diverting people from what is obligatory. When you sense that, say, “aʿūdhu billāh min ash-shayṭān ar-rajīm.” As for yawning, the only prescribed response is a practical Sunnah: suppress it as much as you can; if you cannot, place your hand over your mouth.

Among the etiquettes of sneezing is that when a person sneezes he should cover his face with his garment. The scholars point to two underlying benefits. The first is that diseases may be expelled with the sneeze and then spread