Ruling On Replying The Sneezer

*Salaamun 'alaykum wa rahmat-ul-lahi wa barakātuh* 

```Ruling on Replying the Sneezer ```

_In the name of Allaah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) ._

*If the person who sneezes [remembers to] praise[s] Allāh then is it Fardh ‘ayn [meaning obligatory upon every person] or is it Fardh kifāyah [meaning obligatory on the muslim community only as a whole] to reply to such a person [by saying may Allāh have mercy upon you]?*

لكن هل تشميت العاطس إذا حمد فرض عين أو فرض كفاية؟

*Meaning is it sufficient for one person in the Muslim community to reply to a sneezing person or is it obligatory upon every single person who hears the sneezing person to reply?*

يعني: هل يكفي واحد من الجماعة إذا شمته عن الجماعة، أم لا بد على كل من سمعه أن يشمته؟

*[And the answer is] Some of the scholars have mentioned this to be fardh kifāyah,*

والجواب: أنه ذهب بعض العلماء على أن التشميت فرض كفاية؛

So if we were a group of people and one amongst us sneezed and said Alhamdulillāh (all praise and thanks is due to Allāh), then it would be sufficient for one person amongst us to reply to this individual *"Ya rahmak Allāh" (may Allāh have mercy on you).*

فإذا كنا جماعة وعطس رجل وقال الحمد لله، فقال أحدنا له: يرحمك الله كفى.

*Whilst others [from amongst the scholars] have said, rather replying to the sneezing person is fardh ‘ayn upon every person that hears the sneezing person,*

وقال بعض العلماء: بل تشميته فرض عين على كل من سمعه؛

Because the Prophet ﷺ said it is the right upon every person that hears him sneeze to reply by saying *"ya rahmak Allāh" [may Allāh have mercy upon you]*

لأن النبي صلى الله عليه وسم قال: " كان حقاً على كل من سمعه أن يقول يرحمك الله "

*So what is evident is that it is Fardh ‘ayn.*

وظاهر هذا أنه فرض عين،

So based upon this, [we say] that everyone that hears a person sneeze it is obligatory upon him to say *"ya rahmak Allāh"*

فعلى هذا كل من سمعه يقول له: يرحمك الله،

*And the sneezing person replies by saying yahdīkum-ul-Allāhu wa yuslih bālakum [may Allāh guide you and make your affairs good],*

ويقول هو: يهديكم الله ويصلح بالكم،

*And it is sufficient for him to say this to one person if he makes the intention for the whole group.*

ويكفى منه ردّ واحدٌ على الجميع، إذا نواه للجميع كفى.

📚 Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Sāliḥ al-ʿUthaymīn, Sharh Riyaḍh al-Ṣāliḥīn 2/604

ابن عثيمين, شرح رياض الصالحين 2/604

*May Allaah accept our ibaadat and forgive our shortcomings.*

_❞Keep Reminding, for Indeed the ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇʀ ʙᴇɴᴇꜰɪᴛs ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇʀ ❝_

*Allaahu l Musta'aan*