Duaas When a Person Sneezes

When a person sneezes, he should say اَلْحَمْدُ لله  (all praise belongs to Allah Ta’ala).

The one who hears his sneeze and hears him saying Alhamdulillah, should reply to him by saying, يَرْحَمُكَ الله (may Allah Ta’ala have mercy on you).

In response, the one who sneezed should make dua for him saying:  يَهْدِيكُمُ اللهُ وُيُصْلِحُ بَالَكُم (may Allah Ta’ala guide you in deen and dunya and improve your present condition in deen and dunya).

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: إذا عطس أحدكم فليقل: الحمد لله وليقل له أخوه أو صاحبه: يرحمك الله فإذا قال له يرحمك الله فليقل: يهديكم الله ويصلح بالكم (صحيح البخاري، الرقم: 6224)

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “When one of you sneezes, he should say, الْحَمْدُ لله. (In response), his brother or his companion should say, يَرْحَمُكَ الله. When he says يَرْحَمْكُ الله, the one who sneezed should make dua for him saying, يَهْدِيكُمُ اللهُ وُيُصْلِحُ بَالَكُم.”

When a person sneezes, he should say اَلْحَمْدُ لله  (as reported in the Hadith) or he may recite the following duaas:

Duaa One:

اَلْحَمْدُ لله عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ

All praise belongs to Allah Ta’ala in all conditions

عن أبي هريرة، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال إذا عطس أحدكم فليقل الحمد لله على كل حال وليقل أخوه أو صاحبه يرحمك الله ويقول هو: يهديكم الله، ويصلح بالكم (سنن أبي داود، الرقم : 5033)

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “When one of you sneezes, he should say, الحمد لله على كل حال  (All praise belongs to Allah Ta’ala in all conditions).

(In response), his brother or his companion should say, يَرْحَمُكَ الله  (May Allah Ta’ala have mercy on you).

When his brother or companion says يَرْحَمُكَ الله then the one who sneezed should make dua for him saying, يَهْدِيكُمُ اللهُ وُيُصْلِحُ بَالَكُم  (May Allah Ta’ala guide you in deen and dunya and improve your present condition in deen and dunya).

Duaa Two:

الحَمْدُ لله حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ، مُبَارَكًا عَلَيْهِ، كَمَا يُحِبُّ رَبُّنَا وَيَرْضَى

All praise is due to Allah Ta’ala, such praises that are plentiful, pure and full of blessings, according to how our Rabb loves and He is pleased with.

حدثنا رفاعة بن يحيى بن عبد الله بن رفاعة بن رافع الزرقي، عن عم أبيه معاذ بن رفاعة، عن أبيه، قال: صليت خلف رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فعطست، فقلت: الحمد لله حمدا كثيرا طيبا مباركا فيه، مباركا عليه، كما يحب ربنا ويرضى، فلما صلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم انصرف، فقال: من المتكلم في الصلاة؟، فلم يتكلم أحد، ثم قالها الثانية: من المتكلم في الصلاة؟، فلم يتكلم أحد، ثم قالها الثالثة: من المتكلم في الصلاة؟ فقال رفاعة بن رافع ابن عفراء: أنا يا رسول الله، قال: كيف قلت؟، قال: قلت: الحمد لله حمدا كثيرا طيبا مباركا فيه مباركا عليه، كما يحب ربنا ويرضى، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: والذي نفسي بيده، لقد ابتدرها بضعة وثلاثون ملكا، أيهم يصعد بها. (سنن الترمذي، الرقم: 404)

Hazrat Rifaa’ah (radhiyallahu anhu) says, “I once performed salaah behind Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and during the salaah I sneezed. I then praised Allah Ta’ala in the following words:

الحَمْدُ لله حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ، مُبَارَكًا عَلَيْهِ، كَمَا يُحِبُّ رَبُّنَا وَيَرْضَى

After completing the salaah, Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) turned (to the Sahaabah) and asked, “Who was the person who had spoken during the salaah?” No one responded. For the second time, Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) asked, “Who was the person who had spoken during the salaah?” No one responded. For the third time, Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) asked, “Who was the person who had spoken during the salaah?” Hazrat Rifaa’ah (radhiyallahu anhu) then said, “I was the person, O Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).” Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) then asked him, “What did you say?” I responded saying, “I recited the following dua (after I had sneezed)

الحَمْدُ لله حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ، مُبَارَكًا عَلَيْهِ، كَمَا يُحِبُّ رَبُّنَا وَيَرْضَى

Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, “I take an oath on the Being in whose hands (and control) lies my soul. Over thirty angels had rushed to take the great rewards of the dua which you had recited, each one competing with the other in regard to who will take it up (to the heavens).”

Duaa Two:

 اَلْحَمْدُ لله رَبِّ العَالَمِين

All praise belongs to Allah Ta’ala, the Rabb of the worlds

The one who hears him sneeze and hears him saying Alhamdulillah, should reply to him by saying:

يَرْحَمُكَ الله

May Allah Ta’ala have mercy on you

In response, the one who had sneezed should make the following dua:

يَغْفِرُ الله لِي وَلَكُم

May Allah Ta’ala forgive me and forgive you.

عن هلال بن يساف، عن سالم بن عبيد، أنه كان مع القوم في سفر فعطس رجل من القوم، فقال: السلام عليكم، فقال: عليك وعلى أمك، فكأن الرجل وجد في نفسه، فقال: أما إني لم أقل إلا ما قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، عطس رجل عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: السلام عليكم، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: عليك وعلى أمك، إذا عطس أحدكم فليقل: الحمد لله رب العالمين، وليقل له من يرد عليه: يرحمك الله، وليقل: يغفر الله لي ولكم. (سنن الترمذي، الرقم: 2740)

It is reported regarding Hazrat Saalim bin Ubaid (radhiyallahu anhu) that he was once on a journey with a group of people when a person among them sneezed and said “As salaamu alaikum.” Hazrat Saalim bin Ubaid (radhiyallahu anhu) responded, “May peace be upon you and your mother!” (On hearing this,) it seemed as though this person became upset. Therefore, Hazrat Saalim bin Ubaid (radhiyallahu anhu) told him, “I only responded to you in the manner in which Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) responded (to a person who sneezed and said what you have said). Once, a person sneezed in the presence of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and said “As salaamu alaikum.” Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) responded saying, “May peace be upon you and your mother!” (Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) thereafter corrected the person explaining to him that he should not make salaam after sneezing, but he should praise Allah Ta’ala). Rasulullah (sallallahiu alaihi wasallam) said, “When anyone of you sneezes, he should say اَلْحَمْدُ لله رَبِّ العَالَمِين , and the one who replies to him (after hearing him sneeze) should say يَرْحَمك الله , and the one who had sneezed should then say, يَغْفِرُ الله لِي وَلَكُم .” 

Note: Hazrat Saalim (radhiyallahu anhu) emulated Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) in replying to the person who said salaam upon sneezing instead of saying alhamdulillah.

The Muhadditheen explain that the reason for Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) replying to the person in this manner was to show him his mistake and correct him. Hence, this was not a reply to his salaam, but rather it was a dua for him and his mother.

He first said to the person that may peace be upon you and your mother, as she did not teach you the etiquettes of sneezing correctly. Thereafter, he taught him the correct method of replying to the sneeze of a person by saying:

“When anyone of you sneezes, he should say اَلْحَمْدُ لله رَبِّ العَالَمِين , and the one who replies to him (after hearing him sneeze) should say يَرْحَمك الله , and the one who had sneezed should then say, يَغْفِرُ الله لِي وَلَكُم .”