592. Sneezing While Offfering Namaaz

By Asma Bint Shameem

You should say “Alhamdulillaah” even during your Salaah. 

But say it so that you say it to yourself without disturbing others. 

Proof:

Rifaa’ah ibn Raafi’ radhi Allaahu anhu said: 

“I prayed behind the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam and I *sneezed* and said: 

الحمد لله حمداً كثيراً طيباً مباركاً فيه ، مباركاً عليه ، كما يحب ربنا ويرضى

‘Praise be to Allaah, much good and blessed praise, as our Lord loves and is pleased with.’

When the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam had finished praying he said: 

“Who is the one who spoke during the prayer?” and no one said anything. 

Then he said it a second time, “Who is the one who spoke during the prayer?” and no one said anything. 

Then he said it a third time, 

“Who is the one who spoke during the prayer?” 

and Rifaa’ah ibn Raafi’ said: 

It was me, O Messenger of Allaah. 

He said: 

“What did you say?” He said: 

I said: 

الحمد لله حمداً كثيراً طيباً مباركاً فيه ، مباركاً عليه ، كما يحب ربنا 

ويرضى

Praise be to Allaah, much good and blessed praise, as our Lord loves and is pleased with. 

The Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam 

said: 

“By the One in Whose hand is my soul, thirty-odd angels competed to see which of them would take it up.” 

(al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood and al-Nasaa’i; hasan)

By this hadeeth we can see that if we sneeze while praying, we can say “Alhamdulillaah”. 

If it was wrong to say it, the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam would have corrected Rifaa’ah radhi Allaahu anhu. 

But he didn’t. 

In fact he praised him and asked about what he said. 

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

“If a person sneezes whilst he is praying, it is prescribed for him to say al-hamdu Lillaah, may He be glorified, whether the prayer is obligatory or naafil. 

This is the view of the majority of scholars among the Sahaabah and Taabi’een, and it was also the view of Imam Maalik, al-Shaafa’i and Ahmad, but they differed as to whether he should say it silently or out loud. 

The correct view and the view of Imam Ahmad is that he should say it out loud, but only loud enough that he can hear himself, lest he distract other worshippers. 

That is indicated by the general meaning of the report narrated by Abu Hurayrah radhi Allaahu anhu, that the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said: 

“If one of you sneezes, let him say ‘Al-hamdu Lillaah’…” 

The hadeeth was narrated by al-Bukhaari”

And Shaikh Ibn Baaz said:

“Yes, it is prescribed for him to say al-hamdu Lillah, because it is proven in the saheeh hadeeth that the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam heard someone say al-hamdu Lillah after sneezing and he did not rebuke him, rather he said: 

“I saw such and such a number of angels, all of whom were hastening to write it down.” 

And because praising Allaah is akin to the phrases of prayer, and is not contrary to it.” 

[Majmoo’ Fataawaa (29/348)]

Shaikh al-Albaani said:

“The one who sneezes in the prayer can say alhamdulilah in a low voice as long as it is not the audible prayers and as long as he is not saying it in between his recitation.”

And Allaah knows best