By Muhammad Abd Al-Mannan
Yawning is a common physiological event that has been described since antiquity. Hypocrites described yawning as an exhaustion of the fumes preceding fever. Modern medicine did not pay a great deal of attention to yawning until the eighties, with advances in neuropharmacology.
Yawning can be divided into 3 distinct phases: a long inspiratory phase, a brief acme and a rapid expiration, frequently but not always associated with stretching, tears, shivering, obstruction of the Eustachian canal (causing a reduction in audiologic acuity), followed with a feeling of comfort. The average duration of the yawn is 5 s, (range, 3 to 45 s). The earliest appearance of yawning was observed in a 15-week-old embryo.
This semi-voluntary even increases vigilance and aims to alert one when Drowsiness occurs. Yawning probably has an important role for social communication as well. Excessive or pathological yawning, "chaasm." is defined as a compulsive repetitive action which is not triggered by "physiological" stimuli such as fatigue or boredom, described in cases of frontal lobe tumours, encephalitis, progressive supranuclear palsy, following thalamotomy, after electroconvulsive therapy and as an early menifestation of vasovagal response.
When a person yawns, he deeply inspires breathing in the germs in the air. There are many germs in the air around us and by breathing through the nose the hair in the nose stops it from entering the lung. If the hand is placed before the mouth, the germs come onto the left hand and because we eat with the right hand we do not want the germs to enter via the right hand.
Abu Hurairah, May Allah be pleased with, narrated, "One should hold his hand over his mouth if he cannot help yawning."
Aby Hurairah narrates, May Allah be pleased with him, Allah's Messenger, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, said "Yawning in prayer is an act of the Devil, so when one of you yawns he should restrain it as much as possible." In another version the words are;He should place his hand upon his mouth.
Abu Harairah, May Allah be pleased with him, narrates The Prophet, May Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah likes sneezing... and dislikes yawning, so if someone sneezes and then praises Allah, then it is obligatory on every Muslim who heard him, to say May Allah be merciful to you (Yar-hamuka-l-lah). But with regard to yawning, it is from Shaytan, so one must try one's best to stop it, if one says 'Haa' when yawning, Shaytan will laugh at him."
