Dua when a person sneezes – 4

When a person sneezes, he should say “Alhamdulillah” (as reported in the Hadith), or he may recite the following dua:

 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 .”