The etiquettes of yawning

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has told us that:

"Sneezing is from Allah and yawning is from Shaytaan. If any of you yawns, let him place his hand over his mouth. If he says 'Ah, ah!' (makes a noise when yawning), Shaytaan laughs from inside him."

"Yawning is from the Shaytaan. If any of you feels the urge to yawn, let him resist it as much as possible, for if any of you says 'Ha' (makes a noise when yawning), the Shaytaan laughs."

"If any of you yawns, let him cover his mouth lest the Shaytaan enter."

Thus, the Shaytaan (Satan):

  • Prompts the human to yawn, which is indicative of laziness and sluggishness

  • Enters the person who yawns

  • Laughs at man and makes fun of his ugly appearance when he is in that state

In summary, if a person feels like yawning they should:

  • Resist yawning as much as possible

  • Cover their mouth

  • Suppress their voice (not make a sound)

Note: This is especially true when a person is praying and above applies more than ever.  A person who is praying should use the left hand to cover the mouth, unless they are in the standing position, in which case they should use the right hand (because it requires less movement to cover the mouth with the right hand when standing).
 

Read about other Islamic etiquettes

 


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