Sahifah Hammam

Explanation of the Hadith:

When one of you says Ameen:
This refers to after Surah al-Fatihah, when a person is in prayer, whether he is the imam or the follower, because the wording of the hadith is general, as is found in the hadith of Sahih Muslim:
«إِذَا قَالَ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي الصَّلَاةِ» [صحيح مسلم، كتاب الصلاة، رقم: 410]
“When one of you says Ameen in his prayer.”
It is understood from this that this virtue is for the one who is in prayer, not outside of prayer. Secondly, it is also clear that it is not necessary that only the imam says Ameen and the followers say Ameen upon hearing the imam’s Ameen, so that their Ameen coincides with the Ameen of the angels, because the wording of the hadith indicates that whether a person is praying alone, and even if he says Ameen quietly (sirr), his Ameen can coincide with the Ameen of the angels. It should be noted that at the end of Surah al-Fatihah, every angel also says Ameen—quietly in silent prayers and loudly in audible prayers. Thus, the worshipper whose Ameen coincides with the Ameen of the angels, his matter is successful.

And the angels in the heavens say Ameen:
Which angels are meant here? The intended meaning is the guardian angels, as well as those angels who are in the heavens besides them. This is evident from the wording of the hadith, and a supporting narration is also found in “Sunan al-Darimi,” where the wording of the hadith is as follows:
«فَقَالَ مَنْ خَلْفَهُ آمِيْن، فَوَافَقَ ذَلِكَ أَهْلَ السَّمَآءِ.» (Sunan al-Darimi, no. 1281)
“So those behind him (the imam) also say Ameen, so this saying of Ameen (if) coincides with those in the heavens…”
In «اَلْمَلَائِكَةُ», the “al” is for generalization, meaning that the guardian angels say Ameen, and the angels in the heavens also say Ameen. It should be noted that in those narrations where the specification is made of the angels in the heavens, it does not negate the other angels.

Thus, when one’s Ameen coincides with another’s Ameen:
By “coincidence” is meant agreement in word and time—that at the very moment the angels say Ameen, the servant also says Ameen, and the sound of both Ameens is at the same time. (Irshad al-Sari: 2/100)
Hafiz Ibn Hajar has quoted the statement of Ibn Munir, whose meaning is as follows: “In reality, the wisdom behind the servants coinciding with the angels in word and tongue is to keep the followers alert so that they do not become heedless in prayer, because the angels are not heedless; they say Ameen at the proper time, so the Ameen of the one who is alert will coincide with theirs.”
(Fath al-Bari: 2/265)

All the previous sins of that person are forgiven:
The apparent meaning of the hadith is that all sins are forgiven, but external (other) evidences indicate that major sins (kabair) are not forgiven without repentance, unless the right of a servant is involved and he is pardoned by that person.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar writes: “What is meant here are minor sins (saghair), that all minor sins are forgiven, not the major ones.” For this reason, in «مِنْ ذَنْبِهٖ», the «مِنْ» is for partiality, not for totality. Therefore, the translation of the hadith will be: “Some of his sins are forgiven.” (Fath al-Bari: 2/265)

Supplement:
(1) From this hadith, not only is the virtue of saying “Ameen” established, but it also refutes the claim of the Imamiya sect who say that saying “Ameen” invalidates the prayer because the word “Ameen” is neither in the Qur’an nor is it a dhikr.
(2) It also refutes those innovators who do not consider any virtue in saying “Ameen.”
(3) In audible prayers, both the imam and the followers should say Ameen aloud. Saying Ameen aloud (Ameen bil-jahr) is established by several ahadith, some of which are as follows:

Proofs for Ameen bil-jahr (saying Ameen aloud):

(1) It is narrated from Sayyiduna Wa’il ibn Hujr radi Allahu anhu, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:
«قرأ > فقال آمين ومد بها صوته»
(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 248 – Sunan al-Darimi: 1/284 – Sunan al-Daraqutni: 1/333 – Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 1/57 – Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah: 2/425 – Al-Albani rahimahullah declared it “sahih”)
“He recited {غَیْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَیْھِمْ وَلَا الضَّآلِیْن} and prolonged his voice with Ameen.”
In Sunan Abu Dawud, instead of «وَمَدَّ بِهَا صَوْتَهُ», it is «رَفَعَ بِهَا صَوْتَهُ», meaning “He raised his voice.” (Sunan Abu Dawud, no. 932, al-Albani rahimahullah declared it “sahih”)

(2) «امن ابن الزبير ومن وراءه حتى إن للمسجد للجة» (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Adhan, Chapter: The Imam saying Ameen aloud, before hadith no. 780 – Musnad al-Shafi’i, no. 15/212 – Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 2/59)
“Sayyiduna Ibn al-Zubayr radi Allahu anhu and his followers said Ameen so loudly that the mosque echoed.”

(3) It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha radi Allahu anha that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«ما حسدتكم اليهود على شيء، ما حسدتكم على السلام والتامين»
(Sunan Ibn Majah, no. 856 – Musnad Ahmad: 6/134-135 – Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 2/56 – Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, no. 574 – Silsilat al-Sahihah, no. 691)
“The Jews do not envy anything as much as they envy Ameen and Salam.”

(4) Ata’ (the Tabi’i, rahimahullah, teacher of Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah) said: “I found two hundred (200) Companions radi Allahu anhum in Masjid al-Haram; when the imam would say «وَلَا الضَّآلِّيْن», all the Companions would say Ameen aloud.”
(Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi: 2/59 – Sahih Ibn Hibban, nos. 1996, 1997 – Ibn Hibban declared it “sahih”)
«وفي هذا كفاية لمن له دارية»