Is it permissible to return the greeting of Salaam and to say "Yarhamuk Allah" (may Allah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes silently, by only moving the lips, given that both are obligatory?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Returning the salutation is an obligation by consensus, and it is an individual obligation (fard ayn) upon one person, and a collective obligation (fard kifayah) upon a group. The reply must be audible to the Muslim, otherwise, it is not considered a reply.
Saying "Yarhamuk Allah" (May Allah have mercy on you) to one who sneezes is a collective obligation (fard kifayah) if they praise Allah. The obligation is fulfilled by one person saying it. The saying must be audible to the sneezer.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/25317
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 25317
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy