What is Sunan Abu Dawud 5039 about?

This hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud (Book of General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab)), narrated by Salamah b. al-Akwa said :, states: "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."

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sunan Abu Dawud, which contains 5,276 hadiths across 43 books. It is hadith number 5039 in the Book of General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab).

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

‹

#5038

#5039

Sunan Abu Dawud

#5040

›

Sunan Abu Dawud #5039

General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab)

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُوسَى، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ، عَنْ إِيَاسِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ الأَكْوَعِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، عَطَسَ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ لَهُ ‏"‏ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ عَطَسَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ الرَّجُلُ مَزْكُومٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

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.

Narrated by Salamah b. al-Akwa said :

Context

In this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) responds to a man who sneezed by saying, 'May Allah have mercy on you.' When the man sneezed again, the Prophet humorously noted that he had a cold. This interaction highlights the Prophet's kindness and attentiveness to those around him, as well as the social etiquette surrounding sneezing.

Modern Application

Today, acknowledging someone who sneezes with a kind word is a common courtesy. This hadith reminds us of the importance of respectful greetings and maintaining a warm, friendly atmosphere in our interactions with others, fostering a sense of community.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Respectful Greetings and Prophetic Etiquette because it exemplifies the Prophet's mannerisms in social interactions and the importance of courteous responses.

Respectful Greetings Prophetic Etiquette