Should one respond to someone who sneezes or greets while one is reciting the Quran, or should one continue reciting?
"Saying 'Yarhamukallah' (may Allah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes and returning the greeting of 'Salam' are rights a Muslim has over his brother. Returning the 'Salam' is obligatory, according to the correct opinion, while saying 'Yarhamukallah' to one who sneezes is a Sunnah or obligatory. It is permissible for one who is greeted with 'Salam' or hears a sneezer praise Allah to respond to them, even if they are in the middle of reciting the Quran. Then, they can continue their recitation. This is because responding to a sneezer and returning the 'Salam' are acts of worship linked to a specific cause, whereas Quran recitation is not linked to such a cause, and interrupting it for a legitimate religious reason is permissible."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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