Answer
(Fatwa: 1501/1417=D /1429)
One should not withhold the sneezing. The abovementioned matter is of yawning, one can put inner and outer side of his palms upon his mouth while yawning, and both ways are allowed. It is in Shami that if a person is in standing position in salah, he should use his right hand whether outer or inner side, and if he is in other positions of salah he should use the outer side of his left hand. (Shami, 1:477) But this is the ruling of yawning (no sneezing) which is called tathaub in Arabic. The sneezing which is called utaas in Arabic, there is no ruling to control it. The Hadith says: ان الله يحب العطاس ويكره التثاؤب (Allah like sneezing and dislikes yawning) And it is narrated in Bukhari and Muslim:
التثاؤب من الششطان فاذا تثاوب احدكم فليكظم ما استطاع وفي رواية مسلم فليمسك بيده على فيه فان الشيطان يدخل (شامی: 477:1)
Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) knows Best
Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband