wealth.” (1)
The Sahih also reports that he said:
“Allah loves sneezing and dislikes yawning.” (2)
They said: This proves that things occur in the world that Allah dislikes, [and therefore does not will] (3). Thus, things occur in the world that Allah does not will—namely, whatever Allah has not commanded, or has forbidden (4).
They said:
A command cannot intelligibly be a command unless the commander wills the person commanded to do what he has ordered. Whoever supposes that a commander requests the commanded act in a manner that neither constitutes will nor necessarily entails it has asserted something whose falsity is known by necessity. As for the example cited of a command issued by someone administering a test, such a person was not seeking (5) the commanded act or inwardly willing it; rather, he merely gave the appearance of willing and seeking it.
[They said] (6): Allah Most High has said:
“Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you.”
[Surah al-Baqara: 185]
(1) This hadith was cited earlier at 3:159, where its wording is: “Indeed, Allah has disliked…”
(2) This is part of a hadith narrated from Abū Hurayra—may Allah be pleased with him—recorded in al-Bukhārī, 8:49, Book of Manners, chapter “What Is Commendable about Sneezing and What Is Disliked about Yawning.” Its wording there is: “Allah loves sneezing and dislikes yawning. When a person sneezes and praises Allah, every Muslim who hears him is duty-bound to invoke Allah’s mercy upon him. Yawning, however, is only from Satan, so one should suppress it as much as possible. If he says, ‘Hā,’ Satan laughs at him.” The hadith is also recorded in al-Bukhārī, 8:50, Book of Manners, chapter “When One Yawns, One Should Place a Hand over One’s Mouth”; Sunan al-Tirmidhī, 4:180–181, Book of Manners, chapter “Reports Concerning Lowering the Voice and Covering the Face When Sneezing”; and al-Musnad, al-Ma'ārif ed., 14:31–33—see the editor’s note—and 18:151; al-Halabī ed., 2:571.
(3) The words in square brackets are omitted in (N) and (M).
(4) (N) and (M) read: “or has forbidden.”
(5) (M) reads: “seeking.”
(6) “And they said” is omitted in (N) and (M).