❖ Is Saying Āmīn Aloud by the Imām and Followers in Audible Prayers Established?
Source: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah, Vol. 1, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, p. 334Reference Article: Zād al-Yaqīn fī Taḥqīq Baʿḍ Riwayāt al-Taʾmīn
❀ Question:
Is it proven from authentic narrations that the Imām and followers should say Āmīn aloud in audible (jahrī) prayers? Please explain with evidences.
✔ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā baʿd!
Yes, saying Āmīn aloud (Āmīn bil-Jahr) in audible prayers by both the Imām and followers is clearly established through multiple authentic and sound (ṣaḥīḥ & ḥasan) narrations.
✿ 8 Authentic Evidences for Āmīn bil-Jahr:
➊ First Narration – Sunan Abī Dāwūd & Other Collections
Sayyidunā Wā’il ibn Ḥujr (رضي الله عنه) narrated:
"كَانَ رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ ﷺ إِذَا قَرَأَ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ قَالَ آمِينَ، وَرَفَعَ بِهَا صَوْتَهُ"
“When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited walā ḍ-ḍāllīn, he would say Āmīn and raise his voice with it.”
Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1/141–142, Ḥadīth 932 Musnad al-Dārimī 1/284, Ḥadīth 1250Narrators:
- Muḥammad ibn Kathīr al-ʿAbdī — A narrator in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī & Muslim
- Sufyān al-Thawrī — Reliable and known narrator
- Salamah ibn Kuhayl — Trustworthy
- Ḥijr Abū al-ʿAnbas — Reliable
- Wāʾil ibn Ḥujr — Noble Companion
Status: Ṣaḥīḥ (Authentic)
Refutation of Objections:
Some critics (e.g., Maulānā Muḥammad Amīn Ṣafdar Okāṛwī) challenge the narration based on alleged weakness in some narrators. However:
- Sufyān’s tadlīs is negligible (Bukhārī: "ma aqalla tadlīsahu")
- The objected narrator ʿAlāʾ ibn Ṣāliḥ isn’t even in this isnād
- Muḥammad ibn Kathīr al-ʿAbdī is accepted by Bukhārī and Muslim
➋ Second Narration – Sunan Ibn Mājah
"مَا حَسَدَتْكُمُ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ، مَا حَسَدَتْكُمْ عَلَى السَّلَامِ وَالتَّأْمِينِ"
“The Jews have never envied you for anything more than they envy you for (saying) Salām and Āmīn.”
Sunan Ibn Mājah 1/278, Ḥadīth 856 — Authentic Targhīb wa Tarhīb 1/328Meaning:
The Jews heard the Muslims saying Āmīn aloud, which caused them envy.
➌ Third Narration – From Anas (رضي الله عنه)
"إِنَّ الْيَهُودَ لَيَحْسُدُونَكُمْ عَلَى السَّلَامِ وَالتَّأْمِينِ"
“Indeed, the Jews envy you for Salām and Āmīn.”
Tārīkh Baghdād 11/43 al-Mukhtārah of al-Ḍiyāʾ al-Maqdisī 5/107, Ḥadīth 17129 — Authentic Chain➍ Fourth Narration – The Reason for Their Envy
"وَقَوْلُهُمْ خَلْفَ إِمَامِهِمْ فِي الْمَكْتُوبَةِ"
“Their (Muslims’) saying of Āmīn behind their Imām in the obligatory prayers” was the cause of the Jews’ envy.
Targhīb wa Tarhīb 1/328–329 Majmaʿ al-Zawāʾid 2/113 — Ḥasan Chain➎ Fifth Narration – From ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه)
“When Ibn ʿUmar would pray behind the Imām and the Imām recited Sūrat al-Fātiḥah, people would say Āmīn — so he would also say Āmīn and regarded it as Sunnah.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah 1/287, Ḥadīth 572Narrators:
- Nāfiʿ — Renowned Thiqah narrator
- Usāmah ibn Zayd — Reliable, narrator in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
- Ibn Wahb, Abū Saʿīd al-Juʿfī, Muḥammad ibn Yaḥyā — All trustworthy
Status: Ḥasan according to the majority.
➏ Sixth Narration – Statement from Imām al-Bayhaqī
"أنه كان يرفع بها صوته، إماماً كان أو مأموماً"
“He (Ibn ʿUmar) would say Āmīn aloud, whether as an Imām or a follower.”
al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī 2/59➐ Seventh Narration – Testimony from Nāfiʿ in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī
"كان ابن عمر لا يدعه، ويحضهم، وسمعت منه في ذلك خبراً"
“Ibn ʿUmar would never abandon it, he would encourage others, and I heard this from him directly.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī with Fatḥ al-Bārī 2/209 Muṣannaf ʿAbd al-Razzāq, Ḥadīth 2641➑ Eighth Narration – From Ibn Jurayj
"إن ابن عمر كان إذا ختم أمّ القرآن قال: آمين، لا يدع أن يؤمن إذا ختمها، ويحضهم على قولها"
“When Ibn ʿUmar finished Sūrat al-Fātiḥah, he would say Āmīn — never neglecting it — and he would encourage others to say it.”
Taghlīq al-Taʿlīq 2/319
Conclusion:
❖ The Sunnah of saying Āmīn aloud after Sūrat al-Fātiḥah is established from numerous authentic and sound narrations.
❖ The Prophet ﷺ, the noble Companions, and especially ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) practiced and promoted this regularly.
❖ Claims to the contrary are based on weak, vague, or unsupported narrations.
Note:This detailed research titled “Zād al-Yaqīn fī Taḥqīq Baʿḍ Riwayāt al-Taʾmīn” was published in Majallat al-Ḥadīth (Issue 7) and remains unanswered as of 18 September 2004.
Published: 16 Shaʿbān 1423 AH / 23 October 2002 CEهٰذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
