Is responding to a sneeze an individual obligation or a collective obligation?
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The questioner : Is responding to a sneeze an individual obligation or a collective obligation?
The Shaykh : It is an individual obligation because it is established in Sahih al-Bukhari. This is one of the matters that our brothers present here must know and then apply. The saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):, and as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2669Sahih (Darussalam), even a single verse or a group of verses. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said in a hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 1240. Among them: . In a narration in "Sahih al-Bukhari": Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2747Sahih (Darussalam) So the ruling on responding to a sneeze differs from the ruling on giving and returning the greeting. Giving and returning the greeting is a collective obligation; if some people do it, it drops off the rest. As for responding to a sneeze, there is this authentic, explicit text. It is authentic because it is in al-Bukhari, and explicit as you hear, in its entirety. So it is the right of everyone who hears it to respond to the sneeze.
Other than that?
The Shaykh : It is an individual obligation because it is established in Sahih al-Bukhari. This is one of the matters that our brothers present here must know and then apply. The saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Let the one present convey it to the one absent
فليبلِّغ الشاهد الغائبConvey from me, even if it be an Ayah
بلِّغوا عنِّي ولو آيةThe rights of a Muslim on the Muslims are five
حقُّ المسلم على المسلم خمسIf he sneezed and praised Allah, respond to his sneeze
إذا عطسَ وحَمِدَ الله فشمِّتْهit is a right due from every one who hears him
فحقٌّ على كلِّ مَن سَمِعَه أن يشمِّتَهOther than that?
Source
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