Question:
Is it permissible to recite the tahmid if we sneeze in prayer?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
This has happened before during the time of the Prophet PBUH, when the Prophet PBUH was the imam of the congregational prayer. Narrated by Rifa’ah bin Rafi’ bin Afra’, he said:
صَلَّيْتُ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَعَطَسْتُ ، فَقُلْتُ : الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ ، مُبَارَكًا عَلَيْهِ ، كَمَا يُحِبُّ رَبُّنَا وَيَرْضَى ، فَلَمَّا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ انْصَرَفَ ، فَقَالَ : مَنِ الْمُتَكَلِّمُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ ؟ ، فَلَمْ يَتَكَلَّمْ أَحَدٌ ، ثُمَّ قَالَهَا الثَّانِيَةَ : مَنِ الْمُتَكَلِّمُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ ؟ ، فَلَمْ يَتَكَلَّمْ أَحَدٌ ، ثُمَّ قَالَهَا الثَّالِثَةَ : مَنِ الْمُتَكَلِّمُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ ؟ فَقَالَ رِفَاعَةُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ ابْنُ عَفْرَاءَ : أَنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ، قَالَ : كَيْفَ قُلْتَ ؟ ، قَالَ : قُلْتُ : الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ مُبَارَكًا عَلَيْهِ ، كَمَا يُحِبُّ رَبُّنَا وَيَرْضَى ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ ، لَقَدْ ابْتَدَرَهَا بِضْعَةٌ وَثَلاَثُونَ مَلَكًا ، أَيُّهُمْ يَصْعَدُ بِهَا
"I prayed behind the Prophet (ﷺ) and I sneezed and said: 'Al-hamdu lillahi, hamdan kathiran tayiban mubarakan fih, mubarakan'alaihi, kama yuhibbu rabbuna wa yarda (Praise be to Allah, much good and blessed praise as our Lord loves and is pleased with.)' When he finished praying, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Who is the one who spoke during the prayer?' But no one said anything. Then he said it a second time: 'Who is the one who spoke during the prayer?' So Rifa'ah bin Rafi bin Afrah said: 'It was me, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'I said: "Praise be to Allah, much good and blessed praise as our Lord loves and is pleased with.'" The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'By the One in Whose hand is my soul, thirty-odd angels hastened to see which of them would take it up.'"
Sunan al-Tirmizi (404), Sunan al-Nasaie (931), Sunan Abu Daud (773). Imam al-Tirmizi said: Hadith Rifa’ah is hasan.
Imam al-Tirmizi commented on the above hadith stating:
“According to scholars, it is permissible in sunnah prayers, for most Tabien said: If someone sneezes in obligatory prayer, then it is permissible for him to recite tahmid in a low voice that can be heard only by him.” Refer: Jami’ al-Tirmizi (2/165)
Syeikh al-Romli said:
“If someone sneezes, then it is sunnah for him to recite the tahmid. As though the author meant to say that reciting tahmid outside of al-Fatihah. For if it is recited while one is reciting al-Fatihah, it will break the continuous recitation of al-Fatihah (such as long pauses).” Refer: Nihayah al-Muhtaj ila Syarh al-Minhaj (4/150)
Syeikh Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad al-Ba’lawi said:
“If someone sneezes in prayer, then it is sunnah to recite tahmid through sirr (low voice) even if one is reciting al-Fatihah. However, if it is while reciting al-Fatihah, one has to repeat his al-Fatihahh for it breaks the continuous recitation of al-Fatihah.” Refer: I’anah al-Tolibin ‘ala hilli alfaz Fath Al-Mu’in li Syarh Qurrah al-‘Ain(1/256)
Syeikh Muhsin al-Abbad was asked regarding the ruling of reciting tahmid when one sneezes in prayer, he answered: “It is permissible to recite tahmid but impermissible to respond to the tahmid even in a low voice that do not disturb others. It is only permissible to recite the tahmid in a low voice that can only be heard by himself.”
In short, it is permissible for someone who sneezes in prayer to recite tahmid on the condition that he does not raise his voice and disturbs others. He should recite it in a low voice to avoid disturbing others.
Hence, considering the various opinions of scholars, we are inclined to the opinion that state it is better for those who hear the tahmid to not respond to it. The reason is, he is praying and he should focus on his own prayer recitations.
Wallahua’lam.