Rare terms and expressions
Tashmīt al-ʿāṭis (saying “may Allah have mercy on you” to the one who sneezes): with a dotted shīn. Ibn Fāris writes in Maqāyīs al-Lugha that the root shīn–mīm–tāʾ originally means “for an enemy to rejoice at a calamity that strikes the one he hates.” What is puzzling, he says, is that the same triliteral is also used for blessing the sneezer with the formula “may Allah have mercy on you.” Al-Khalīl comments: tashmīt al-ʿāṭis is a supplication for the sneezer, and anyone who invokes good for another is called a mushammīt with respect to him. That, Ibn Fāris concludes, is all that has come down to us about the word; its true origin is, in his view, hidden knowledge—perhaps once understood, but now lost as its people have passed away. Thaʿlab adds: “Its meaning—with the dotted shīn—is: ‘May Allah keep malicious joy (shamāta) far from you.’”
Al-miyāthir (sing. mithyara): with an initial mīm, then yāʾ, then a thāʾ. The term comes from al-withār; the wāw, being quiescent and preceded by a kasra, has been changed to yāʾ. It denotes saddle-cloths woven from silk or dībāj (brocade), so called because of their softness and pliancy.
Al-qassī: with a fatha on the qāf and a doubled, unpointed sīn. These are garments of khazz (fine wool interwoven with silk) attributed to the village of al-Qass in Egypt. Some later narrators pronounce the word with a kasra on the qāf and a light sīn, but al-Khaṭṭābī calls that a mistake, for in that case it would be the plural of qaws (bow), whereas what is meant are striped garments imported from Egypt and Syria.
Al-istabraq: with a kasra beneath the hamza, refers to the thick variety of dībāj; the word is Persian and was adopted into Arabic.
Overall meaning
The Prophet ﷺ was sent to perfect noble character; accordingly, he encourages every virtuous trait and deed and forbids every repugnant one.
Among the duties enjoined in this ḥadith are: visiting the sick, which fulfills a Muslim’s right, lifts his spirits, and brings prayers for him; following the funeral procession, which yields reward for the follower, benefits the deceased through supplication, includes greeting the dwellers of the graves, and offers reflection and admonition; offering tashmīt to the sneezer when he praises Allah by saying, “May Allah have mercy on you”; honoring the oath of one who swears, provided that answering his request brings you no harm, so that he need not expiate his oath, his request is answered, his feelings are spared, and his favor toward you is acknowledged; helping the oppressed against his oppressor, thereby removing injustice, restraining the aggressor, preventing evil, and enjoining right; and accepting the invitation of anyone who invites you, for that brings hearts together and purifies souls, whereas refusing breeds alienation and estrangement. If the invitation is to a wedding feast, attendance is obligatory; if it is to any other occasion, it is recommended.