What do I say when someone sneezes?

What the sneezer says first

The whole exchange begins with the one who sneezes. He says alhamdulillah — praise belongs to Allah — and only then does anyone respond to him. This is not a formality attached to the sneeze itself; it is gratitude for a specific blessing.

The scholars explain why sneezing calls for praise. Ibn Uthaymeen, in his commentary on Bulugh al-Maram, describes the sneeze as a wind that moves through the body and is expelled — a relief, and a sign of the body's alertness, unlike a yawn. Al-Halimi, quoted by al-Suyuti in Mirqat al-Su'ud, adds that the sneeze clears harm from the brain, where thought and the nerves originate, so the soundness of the whole body follows from it. A blessing of that size is answered with thanks.

The Prophet ﷺ made the sequence explicit:

"When one of you sneezes, let him say: Alhamdulillah. And let his brother say to him: Yarhamuk Allah. And when he says Yarhamuk Allah to him, let him say: Yahdikum Allahu wa yuslihu baalakum."— Sahih al-Bukhari 6224, from Abu Hurayrah

The exchange, step by step

1. The sneezer praises Allah. He says alhamdulillah. Ibn Uthaymeen notes that the majority of scholars hold this to be a sunnah rather than an obligation, though some held it obligatory — since the one who omits it forfeits the supplication of those around him. Any form of praise counts: Ibn Baz was asked about "Alhamdulillahi Rabbil 'Alamin" and "Alhamdulillah 'ala kulli hal" and answered that however a person praises Allah, the response is still "Yarhamuk Allah."
2. The one who hears says "Yarhamuk Allah." This is a supplication, not a statement — the grammatical form is a report, but the meaning is a request, like saying Allahumma irhamhu. Al-Halimi explains the logic: harm and affliction are consequences of sin, so when a person is told "may Allah have mercy on you," it means the safety he has just been given should continue, and it reminds him to seek forgiveness.
3. The sneezer replies "Yahdikum Allahu wa yuslihu baalakum." Ibn Uthaymeen points out that the reply asks for more than what was asked for him: he was given a supplication for mercy, and he returns one for guidance in knowledge, success in action, and the setting right of both religious and worldly affairs.

When the reply is owed, and when it is not

The response is tied to the praise, not to the sneeze. The Prophet ﷺ once responded to one of two men who sneezed beside him and not the other, and when asked why, he said the one he answered had praised Allah and the other had not. Al-Bukhari titled a chapter of his collection on exactly this: the sneezer is not given the supplication if he has not praised Allah.

Shaykh Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbad draws the practical line: if someone sneezes and says nothing, you do not say "Yarhamuk Allah if you praise Allah" — you simply remain silent. But you may remind him. He cites the report that al-Awza'i, when a man sneezed near him without praising Allah, asked him what he says when he sneezes; the man answered "Alhamdulillah," and al-Awza'i then said "Yarhamuk Allah." The point was to draw the praise out of him so that he would deserve the supplication. Al-Abbad notes the same story is also related about Ibn al-Mubarak.

One caution on this: if a man says "Alhamdulillah" in answer to "How are you?" that is not praise for the sneeze, and it does not earn the response.

How many times

The scholars differ here, and the difference follows a real variation in the narrations.

Al-Bahuti, in Kashshaf al-Qina', sets out the Hanbali position: if he sneezes a fourth time, you supplicate for his wellbeing but do not give the sneeze-response. The count that matters, he notes, is how many times you have actually responded, not how many times he sneezed — so if he sneezes many times in a row and you have not yet responded three times, you still do. Al-Nawawi in al-Adhkar held the sunnah is to respond to each sneeze up to three. Ibn Hajar, in Fath al-Bari, leaned toward responding only once, since most narrations leave out the response after the first. Ibn Baz, asked whether "Shafak Allah" is established for sneezing more than three times, answered that nothing is established for it — the Prophet ﷺ only said the man had a cold — though he added there is no harm in supplicating for his recovery.

If the sneezer is not a Muslim

The response "Yarhamuk Allah" is a supplication for mercy, and it is not said for a non-Muslim. The evidence is the report that the Jews used to sneeze in the Prophet's ﷺ presence hoping he would say "Yarhamukum Allah" to them, and he would say instead: "Yahdikum Allahu wa yuslihu baalakum." Al-Azizi, quoted in the commentary on Sunan Ibn Majah, states it plainly: the disbeliever is not given the supplication for mercy; he is told "may Allah guide you and set your affairs right."

Two situations where the exchange is suspended

During the prayer. Ibn Baz was asked about responding to a sneeze mid-prayer and ruled that it is not done — the one praying does not respond to anyone, and no one responds to him, because the exchange is speech, and speech is not permitted in prayer. The one praying may still praise Allah inwardly. Ibn Baz confirms, on the authority of a narration in al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and al-Nasa'i, that a man sneezed and praised Allah during the prayer and the Prophet ﷺ did not object — so the praise itself is fine and does not harm the prayer.

During the Friday sermon. Ibn Uthaymeen was asked about this and ruled it is not permitted, for the same reason: responding is speech addressed to another person, and speech during the sermon is forbidden except for a need and with the imam. He cites the Prophet's ﷺ warning that telling your companion to be quiet while the imam is preaching is itself idle talk — and if even commanding good is barred, a supplication is barred more so.

Key takeaways

• The sneezer says "Alhamdulillah" first — the response is owed only after the praise, and if he stays silent you stay silent.
• The hearer says "Yarhamuk Allah", and the sneezer answers "Yahdikum Allahu wa yuslihu baalakum" — a supplication for guidance and the setting right of his affairs.
• The response is a supplication, not a statement, so it is not given to a non-Muslim, who is told instead "Yahdikum Allahu wa yuslihu baalakum."
• The Hanbalis limit the response to three times; beyond that the person is told he has a cold, and the count is of responses given, not sneezes heard.
• No response is given during the prayer or the Friday sermon, though the one praying may praise Allah inwardly.

Further reading

• Ibn Uthaymeen, Fath Dhi al-Jalal wa al-Ikram (commentary on Bulugh al-Maram), chapter on responding to the sneezer
• Al-Bahuti, Kashshaf al-Qina', book of funerals, section on the sneezer's response
• Al-Nawawi, al-Adhkar

And Allah knows best.