Yawning should be suppressed in prayer Fatwa No: 292054
- Fatwa Date:30-4-2015
Assalamu Alaikkum. Jazakkallah for responding me. And I would like to know about yawning during prayer.I went through the Fatwa no.152883 and still I have a Question,that if it happens several time(very often)will the same fatwa apply?and do we want to say 'A'oodhubillah' every time? Because,I start to yawn continuously during Salah,not only for Fajr,also in other prayers and it makes me worry about that am I performing Salah correctly! It disturbs me as well. Please help me.
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
With regard to saying "A‘oothubillaah" (I seek refuge in Allaah) when yawning, we do not know of any Islamic evidence for it. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: “It is not prescribed to say "I seek refuge in Allaah from Satan the accursed" when yawning, because the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, commanded that if one yawns one should suppress it as much as possible, and if one cannot do so, he should put his hand on his mouth, and he did not advise the Muslims to say, "I seek refuge in Allaah from Satan the accursed". As regards the verse in which Allaah says (what means): {And if an evil suggestion comes to you from Satan, then seek refuge in Allaah. Indeed, He is Hearing and Knowing} [Quran 7:200], the evil suggestion from the devil here means the devil urging the person to commit a sin or to abandon an act of obedience to Allaah.” [End of quote]
Moreover, a Fatwa from the Permanent Committee of Iftaa’ reads: “We are not aware of any Islamic evidence for seeking refuge in Allaah when yawning, neither in prayer nor outside the prayer.”
As regards the Fatwa which you referred to in your question, it does not stipulate seeking refuge in Allaah from the devil when yawning. The prescription of suppressing yawning is what is prescribed, whether one yawns much or little. Also, placing one's hand on the mouth is prescribed if there is a need for it.
Finally, if you suffer from obsessive whispers, then we recommend that you beware of them and not get carried away with them, as they are a great evil and may lead to insanity.
Allaah Knows best.