Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Why do we say Alhamdolillah after sneezing

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Why say alhamdolillah sneeze

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 5013  Narrated by Salim ibn Ubayd

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘When one of you sneezes, he should praise Allah. The one/s who is with him should say to him: ‘Allah have mercy on you’, and the one who sneezed should reply to them: ‘Allah forgive us and you.’ (in another narration it is reported that the one who sneezed should reply: ‘May Allah guide us and you’)

 

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.240         Narrated by Anas bin Malik

Two men sneezed before the Prophet (saws). The Prophet (saws) said to one of them, "May Allah bestow His Mercy on you," but he (saws) did not say that to the other. On being asked (why), the Prophet (saws) said, "That one praised Allah (at the time of sneezing), while the other did not praise Allah."

 

Your Question: Why do we say Alhamdolillah after sneezing

To praise Allah Subhanah immediately after one has sneezed is a guidance and preferred Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws), and to follow the guidance and example of the Messenger of Allah (saws) is a Command of Allah Subhanah.

 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzab verse 21:

There is indeed the best example for you to follow in the Messenger of Allah, for every such person looks forward to Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.

 

Although one does not need a reason to declare the Praises of Allah Subhanah, the exact wisdom behind the guidance to declare the Praise of Allah when one has sneezed is not specified by the Messenger of Allah (saws).  In a long narration related by At-Tirmidhi, it is recorded that when Allah breathed of His Spirit into Adam (a.s.) at the time of his creation, Prophet Adam (a.s.) sneezed and declared the Praise of Allah; thus some scholars are of the opinion that to praise Allah Subhanah after one has sneezed is to commemorate the Sunnah of the noble father of mankind, Prophet Adam (a.s.)…..and Allah Alone Knows Best.

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4662 (part)         Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘When Allah created Adam and breathed the spirit into him, he (Adam (a.s.)) sneezed and said, "Praise be to Allah." So he praised Allah by His permission and his Lord said to him, "Allah have mercy on you, Adam.”

 

Some are of the opinion that when one sneezes, one’s heart skips a beat and it is re-started again by the Permission of Allah Subhanah, and one is guided to declare the Praise of Allah for restarting the beating of their heart.  We wish to clarify here that this wisdom was not declared by the Messenger of Allah (saws), but is only an opinion of some people and is only to be believed if modern science is able to verify its authenticity.

 

For one who believes in Allah and the Last Day, it should suffice for him that the reason one is to declare the Praise of Allah when one has sneezed, is because it is a preferred Sunnah and a guidance of the Last and Final Messenger of Allah (saws).

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan