Sunan Abi Dawud

When the time draws near, a believer’s vision can hardly be false. The truer one of them is in his speech, the truer he is in his vision. Visions are of three types: Good visions are glad tidings from Allah, a terrifying vision caused by the devil, and the ideas which come from within a man. So when one sees anything he dislikes, he should get up and pray, and should not tell it to the people. He said : I like a fetter and dislike a shackle on the neck; a fetter indicates being firmly established in religion. Abu Dawud said : “when the time draws near” means that when the day and night are equal.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The vision flutters over a man as long as it is not interpreted , but when it is interpreted, it settles. And I think he said: Tell it only to one who loves (i.e. friend) or one who has judgment.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) say: A good vision comes from Allah and a dream (hulm) from the devil, so when one of you sees what he dislikes, he must spit on his left (three times), and seek refuge in Allah from its evil. It will then not harm him.

When one of you sees a vision which he dislikes, he must spit on his left (three times), seek refuge in Allah from the devil three times, and turn from the side on which he was lying.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) say : He who sees me in a dream will see me when awake or as if he will see me when awake, for the devil does not take my likeness.

If anyone makes a representation of anything, Allah will punish him on the Day of Resurrection for it until he breathes into it, but he will be unable to do so. If anyone pretends to have had a dream which he did not see, he will be ordered to tie a knot in a grain of barley. If anyone listens to other people’s talk when they try to avoid him, lead will be poured into his ears on the Day of Resurrection.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: One night it seemed to me in a dream that we were in the house of Uqbah ibn Rafi' and were brought some of the fresh dates of Ibn tab. I interpreted it as meaning that to us is granted eminence (rif'ah) in this world, a blessed hereafter ('aqibah), and that our religion has been good (tabah).

When one of you yawns, he should hold his hand over his mouth, for the devil enters.

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted in a similar way by Suhail through a different chain of narrators. This version has; “during prayer, so he should hold as far as possible”.

Allah likes sneezing but dislikes yawning. So when one of you yawns, he should restrain it as much as possible, and should not say Ha, Ha, for that is from the devil who laughs at him.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sneezed, he placed his hand or a garment on his mouth, and lessened the noise. The transmitter Yahya is doubtful about the exact words khafada or ghadda (lessened).

There are five qualities which a Muslim should display to his brother : return of salutation, response to the one who sneezes, acceptance of the invitation, paying sick visit to a patient, and accompanying the funeral.

Hilal ibn Yasar said: We were with Salim ibn Ubayd when a man from among the people sneezed and said: Peace be upon you. Salim said: And upon you and your mother. Later he said: Perhaps you found something (annoying) in what I said to you. He said: I wished you would not mention my mother with good or evil. He said: I have just said to you what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said. We were in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when a man from among the people sneezed, saying: Peace be upon you! The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: And upon you and your mother. He then said: When one of you sneezes, he should praise Allah. He further mentioned some attributes (of Allah), saying: The one who is with him should say to him: Allah have mercy on you, and he should reply to them: Allah forgive us and you.

The tradition mentioned above (No. 5013) has also been mentioned by Salim ibn Ubayd al-Ashja'i to the same effect from the Prophet (ﷺ) through a different chain of narrators.

When one of you sneezes, he should say: "Praise be to Allah in every circumstance," and his brother or his companion should say: "May Allah have mercy on you!" And he should then reply: "May Allah guide you and set right your affairs."

Respond three times to your brother when he sneezes, and if he sneezes more often, he has a cold in his head.

I know him that he traced this tradition back to the prophet (May peace be upon him). Abu Dawud said: Abu Nu’aim transmitted it from Musa b. Qais, from Muhammad b. Ajlan, from Sa’id, on the authority of Abu Hurairah, from the prophet (May peace be upon him).

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Invoke a blessing on one who sneezes three times; (and if he sneezes more often), then if you wish to invoke a blessing on him, you may invoke, and if you wish (to stop), then stop.

when a man sneezed beside the prophet (May peace be upon him), he said to him : Allah have mercy on you, but when he sneezed again, he said : The man has a cold in the head.

The Jews used to try to sneezes in the presence of the Prophet (ﷺ) hoping that he would say to them: "Allah have mercy on you!" but he would say: May Allah guide you and grant you well-being!