Some Islamic guidelines on sneezing, yawning, and sleeping
❶Sneezing and yawning
Sneezing is a violent
involuntary movement which shakes the body and may cause epistaxis and burst of
arteries, so you should thank God for going through it safely.
But yawning
is an involuntary movement which indicates inactivity and laziness, or
overeating.
During yawning you should put the back
of your right hand or your left palm on your mouth, even if you are during
prayer, so that you do not produce a voice that Allah dislikes.
●It was narrated from Abi Hurairah
that the Prophet ﷺ said,
“Allah likes sneezing and dislikes yawning.
When anyone of you
sneezes and says, ‘Praise be to Allah (AL Hamdu Lillah)’, it becomes obligatory upon every Muslim who hears him to
respond by saying, ‘May Allah have mercy upon you (Yarhamuka Allah).’
Yawning is from the Devil. When one of you feels like yawning,
he should restrain it as much as possible, for the Devil laughs when one of you
yawns.”
Reference: Riyad As-Saaliheen. Book 6, Hadith 878 [AL-Bukhari].
●Anas reported: When two men sneezed
in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ, he responded to one
with “May Allah have mercy
upon you (Yarhamuka Allah)” and did not respond to the other.
The latter said to him:
“You invoked a blessing on this man but did not do so in my case.”
The Prophet
replied, “He praised Allah (i.e., he said: ‘Al-Hamdu Lillah’) but
you did not.”
Reference: Riyad As-Saaliheen.
Book 6, Hadith 881 [AL-Bukhari and Muslim].
●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah
that the Prophet ﷺ said,
“If anyone of you sneezes, he should say, ‘Praise be to Allah (AL Hamdu Lillah)’, and his brother or
companion should say to him, ‘May Allah have mercy upon you (Yarhamuka Allah)’.
When the latter says, ‘Yarhamuka Allah’, the former should say, ‘May Allah give you guidance and
improve your condition (Yahdikum Allah wa Yuslih balakum).’”
Reference: Sahih AL-Bukhari. Book
78, Hadith 248
●Abu-Hurairah reported: When the
Prophet ﷺ sneezed, he used to cover his face with
his hands or with his garment and muffle the sound with it.
Reference: Jami' At-Tirmidhi.
Book 43, Hadith 2969
❷Sleeping
Sleeping is one of Allah’s laws, one
of His miracles, and one of His favors which are countless. It is of His
greatness that He does not die and neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep.
If man loses sleeping, his body will be destroyed.
Sleeping is the minor death, so when
you go to sleep, you should recite the two testimonies, because you may not
wake up again.
God says ﴾Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those
that do not die [He takes] during their
sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the
others for specified term. Indeed in that are signs for people who give thought﴿
Chapter of the Crowds.
Verse NO 42
﴾And it is He who takes your souls by night and knows what
you have committed by day. Then He revives you therein that a specified term
may be fulfilled. Then to Him will be your return, then He will inform you
about what you used to do﴿
Chapter of the Cattle.
Verse NO 60
֍People are sleeping; when they die
they get up֎
[1] It is a Sunnah to sleep on your right side.
●It was narrated from Abi-Hurairah
that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said,
“When anyone of you goes to bed, he should take hold of the hem
of his lower garment and then should dust his bed with the help of that and
then he should recite Allah’s Name because he does not know what might have
come on it after he left it.
When he intends to lie on bed, he should lie on
his right side and utter these words, “Exalted are You, my Lord, I have placed
my side (upon the bed) by You and I raise it up by You.
If You take my soul, then
forgive it. If You release it, then protect it with that with which You protect
Your pious servants.”
Reference: Sahih Muslim. Book 48,
Hadith 85
●It was narrated from AL-Bara' ibn
'Azib that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said, “When you go to bed perform ablution like that for prayer, lie
on your right side and say,
‘O Allah, I turn my face towards You and entrust my
affair to You. I lay myself down relying upon You, hoping in You and fearing
You. There is no refuge nor escape from You except to You. I believe in Your
Book which You have revealed, and in Your Prophet whom You have sent.’
Make
this as the last words of Yours (when you go to sleep) and in case you die during that night, you will die upon Fitrah (true religion, i.e., Islam).”
Reference: Sahih Muslim. Book 48, Hadith 75
●AL-Bara'
reported: When Allah’s Messenger ﷺ went to bed, he
said,
“O Allah, it is
with Your Name that I live and it is with Your Name that I die.”
And
when he got up he used to say, “Praise is due to Allah, Who gave us life after our death (sleep) and to Him is the resurrection.”
Reference:
Sahih Muslim. Book 48, Hadith 80
●Abu Hurairah reported:
Allah’s Apostle ﷺ ordered me to
guard the charity of Ramadan (Zakat AL-Fitr). Someone came to me and
started scooping some of the foodstuff with his hands. I caught him and told
him that I would take him to Allah’s Apostle.
Then Abu-Hurairah described the
whole narration and said, “That person said (to me): ‘Please do not take me to
Allah’s Apostle and I will tell you a few words by which Allah will benefit
you. When you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursi (2.255) for then there will be a
guard from Allah who will protect you all night along, and the Devil will not
be able to come near you till dawn.’
When the Prophet heard the story he said
to me, ‘He, who came to
you at night, told you the truth although he is a liar. And he (the thief) himself was the Devil.’”
Reference:
Sahih AL-Bukhari. Book 66, Hadith 32
**For more details of
the story, you can review another narration through this link:
[2] It is disliked to sleep on your belly.
●Abu-Hurairah reported:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw a man lying
on his stomach, so he said, “Indeed,
such lying is not loved by Allah.”
Reference:
Jami' At-Tirmidhi. Book 43, Hadith 2995
