Sneezing During Prayer: Is Saying “Alhamdulillah” Allowed?
Question: Sometimes I sneeze during prayer, and I say “Alhamdulillah.” Is this correct?
Answer: During prayer, you can say “Alhamdulillah” quietly to yourself when you sneeze. There is no harm in this, but it should not be said loudly to avoid disturbing other worshippers. If another worshipper hears “Alhamdulillah,” they should not respond with “Yarhamuk Allah” but remain silent.
In Abu Dawood, it is narrated from Mu’awiyah bin Al-Hakam As-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: I prayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and a man from the people sneezed, so I said (during the prayer), “Yarhamuk Allah.” The people stared at me, so I said: “May my mother lose me! Why are you staring at me?” They began striking their thighs with their hands, and when I saw that they were telling me to be quiet, I became silent. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) finished the prayer, he neither beat me nor scolded me nor reviled me. He simply said: “This prayer is not for ordinary human speech; it is only for glorifying Allah, declaring His greatness, and reciting the Qur’an.”
(Abu Dawood: 930, authenticated by Sheikh Albani).
Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi (may Allah preserve him)
❪Jeddah Dawah Center, Hayy Al-Salamah – Saudi Arabia❫
Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi (may Allah preserve him)