Little Minarets

Family & kindness · 3 lines · Bukhari 6224

Dua for sneezing

When: Every time someone sneezes

Say it together

  1. When you sneeze

    الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ

    Line 1Alhamdulillah

    All praise is for Allah.

  2. The person who hears says

    يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ

    Line 2Yarhamuk-Allah

    May Allah have mercy on you.

  3. Then you answer

    يَهْدِيكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيُصْلِحُ بَالَكُمْ

    Line 3Yahdikumullahu wa yuslihu balakum

    May Allah guide you and make things good for you.

For parents & teachers

Teaching this dua

Children love this one because it is a conversation: one sneeze, three lines, two people. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that the person who sneezes praises Allah, the person who hears asks Allah to have mercy on them, and the sneezer answers with a dua for them in return. Practice with pretend sneezes at the dinner table; it gets giggles every time. It is also a gentle lesson in manners: a sneeze is a moment to think of the other person.

By age: Toddlers: "Alhamdulillah". Ages 4 and up: the reply. Ages 5 and up: all three.

Word by word
yarhamukamay He have mercy on you

يَرْحَمُكَ

yahdikumumay He guide you

يَهْدِيكُمُ

wa yuslihuand make good

وَيُصْلِحُ

balakumyour affairs, your state

بَالَكُمْ

Where it comes from

  • Sahih al-Bukhari 6224 (opens in a new tab) · narrated by Abu Hurayrah · graded sahih. We show the words of the dua from the hadith.
  • Arabic as on sunnah.com. The meaning is our own wording for children; sunnah.com has a standard translation.
  • Checked by Ozair Ali.

Learn next

Duas that go with it

  • بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا

    Dua before sleeping

    Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya

    Video1 lineBukhari 6324

  • الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا

    Dua for waking up

    Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi ahyana

    3 linesBukhari 6312

Color while you learn

Coloring pages to go with it