The Sunnah Regarding Yawning
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ التَّثَاؤُبُ مِنَ
الشَّيْطَانِ، فَإِذَا تَثَاءَبَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَرُدَّهُ مَا اسْتَطَاعَ، فَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ إِذَا قَالَ هَا. ضَحِكَ الشَّيْطَانُ
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Yawning is from Satan and if anyone of you yawns, he should check his yawning as much as possible, for if anyone of you (during the act of yawning) should say: ‘Ha’, Satan will laugh at him.”
[Saheeh Bukhari no. 3289]
What to do When Yawning?
Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah said:
“If you want to suppress it, then bite your lower lip, not a strong bite that it cuts, but in order to join the lips together such that the mouth does not open. So what is important is to suppress it whether by this way or other than it. If you are not able to suppress it, then place your hand on your mouth. As for what some of the Scholars, may Allah have mercy upon them, mention to place the back of your hand, then there is no origin for it. Verily, you place your palm to cover your mouth…So if you feel like yawning, if you are able to suppress it or prevent it, this is the Sunnah and this is better. If he is not able to, then place your hand on your mouth”.
[Sharh Riyaadh as-Saliheen (1/1001)]
Hafidh Ibn Hajr rahimahullah said:
“And in meaning, [by] placing the hand on the mouth or the thawb on the mouth or what will obtain the purpose. And the hand was only specified if the yawn cannot be suppressed by other than it”.
[Fathul-Bari (10/612)]
Imam al-Munaawi rahimahullah said:
“That is: with the back of your left palm as was mentioned by a group [of Scholars] and seen it as more complete. The origin of the Sunnah is to place the right hand. It was said he places the palm of the right hand on the mouth instead of the left hand”.
[Fayd ul-Qaadir (1/314)]
How is Yawning From Shaytan?
Hafidh Ibn Hajr rahimahullah said:
“Ibn Battal said: yawning was attributed to Shaytan with the meaning of attributing pleasure and want. That is, Shaytan loves to see a person yawn because his image changes [i.e. face] so he laughs at him. It does not mean that Shaytan causes yawning…”
[Fathul-Bari (10/612)]
Why does Shaytaan Laugh at You When You Yawn?
Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah said:
“That is, Shaytan knows that this indicates his laziness and sluggishness and Shaytan loves that a human being be lazy and sluggish. We seek refuge with Allah from it. And Shaytan dislikes a person being energetic, serious, always firm, strong, and with energy”.
[Sharh Riyaadh as-Saliheen (1/1001)]
Does Shaytaan Enter a Person In Reality?
Hafidh Ibn Hajr rahimahullah said:
“As for the narration in Muslim that Shaytaan enters, (then it) is carried to mean that he enters in reality and even if he runs inside the blood stream, he does not have dominance over it as long as the person mentions Allah. As for the one who yawns, he is not remembering Allah in that situation, so Shaytan dominates over him by entering in him in reality. It is also carried to mean that the word ‘enter’ is used to intend dominance over him. This is because the purpose of entering something is to gain dominance over it”.
[Fathul-Bari (10/612)]
And Allah Knows Best
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
