Whenever the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sneezed, he would put his hand—or his garment—over his mouth and lower—or drop—his voice therewith
Authenticعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: كان رسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا عَطَس وضَعَ يَدَه -أو ثوبَهُ- على فيهِ، وخَفَضَ -أو غضَّ- بها صوتَهُ.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Whenever the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sneezed, he would put his hand—or his garment—over his mouth and lower—or drop—his voice therewith.
Explanation
Whenever the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sneezed: First: He would put his hand or garment over his mouth so that nothing would come out of his mouth or nose and hurt those around him. Second: He would lower his voice and not raise it.
Benefits
- Demonstrating the Prophet's guidance concerning sneezing and following his example in that.
- It is recommended to put a garment, tissue paper, or the like over one's mouth and nose when sneezing lest something should come out and hurt those around him.
- Lowering the voice while sneezing is required and is a sign of perfect manners and noble morals.
Source · Narrated by Abu Dāwūd, At-Tirmidhi, and Ahmad
From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).