Source: Fatāwā Amaanpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amaanpuri
Does the ḥadīth of Wā’il ibn Ḥujr (رضي الله عنه) mention saying Āmīn quietly?
In Musnad al-Imām Aḥmad (4/316), Sunan al-Tirmidhī (248), Musnad al-Ṭayālisī (1024), Sunan al-Dāraquṭnī (1/334, ḥadīth 1256), and al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Ṣaḥīḥayn (2/232), Imām Shu‘bah (رحمه الله) narrates the words:
"وأخفى بها صوته" — “and he lowered his voice with it (Āmīn).”
However, this wording is an error of Imām Shu‘bah. In contrast, Imām Sufyān al-Thawrī (رحمه الله) narrated the correct wording:
"مد بها صوته" — “he prolonged his voice with it (Āmīn, i.e., said it aloud).”
This is the sound version, which holds preference.
❀ Imām al-Tirmidhī (رحمه الله) said:
“I asked Imām Abū Zur‘ah (رحمه الله) about this ḥadīth, and he said: In this matter, the narration of Sufyān al-Thawrī (رحمه الله) is more authentic.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī, under ḥadīth 248)
❀ Ḥāfiẓ al-Bayhaqī (رحمه الله) wrote:
“The error of Imām Shu‘bah in the text of this ḥadīth is evident.”
(al-Sunan al-Kubrā: 2/57)
❀ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) said:
“The leading scholars of ḥadīth deemed the narration of Imām Sufyān al-Thawrī (رحمه الله) to be correct in this matter.”
(I‘lām al-Muwaqqi‘īn: 2/286)
❀ Imām Muslim (رحمه الله) said:
“The statement of Imām Shu‘bah that the Prophet ﷺ lowered his voice is a mistake of Imām Shu‘bah.”
(al-Tamyīz, p. 48)
❀ Ḥāfiẓ al-Bayhaqī (رحمه الله) further stated:
“The scholars of ḥadīth agree that when there is a difference between Shu‘bah and Sufyān, the narration of Sufyān al-Thawrī (رحمه الله) is accepted.”
(al-Khilāfiyyāt: 2/64, Mukhtaṣarah)
And he also said:
“The leading preservers of ḥadīth, such as Imām al-Bukhārī, agreed that Shu‘bah erred in this narration. The same narration was transmitted by ‘Alā’ ibn Ṣāliḥ and Muḥammad ibn Salamah ibn Kuhayl (رحمهما الله) who supported the wording of Sufyān al-Thawrī (رحمه الله).”
(Ma‘rifat al-Sunan wal-Āthār: 2/360)
❀ Imām al-Nawawī (رحمه الله) wrote:
“The ḥadīth masters are unanimous that Imām Shu‘bah made an error in this ḥadīth.”
(Khilāṣat al-Aḥkām: 1/381)
❀ Imām Shu‘bah himself admitted:
“If Sufyān differs with me in a ḥadīth, then the ḥadīth belongs to Sufyān.”
(Taqdimat al-Jarḥ wa al-Ta‘dīl: 1/63, ṣaḥīḥ chain)
Statements from Yahyā ibn Ma‘īn, Yaḥyā ibn Sa‘īd al-Qaṭṭān, and others also confirm that in such cases, preference is always given to Sufyān al-Thawrī (رحمه الله).
❀ Abū al-Walīd al-Ṭayālisī (رحمه الله) narrated from Imām Shu‘bah (رحمه الله) a wording consistent with Sufyān’s version:
Sayyiduna Wā’il ibn Ḥujr (رضي الله عنه) said:
“He prayed behind the Prophet ﷺ. When he recited wa-lā al-ḍāllīn, he said Āmīn and raised his voice with it.”
(al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī: 2/58 — chain ṣaḥīḥ)
Ḥāfiẓ al-Bayhaqī graded its chain ṣaḥīḥ.
(Ma‘rifat al-Sunan wal-Āthār: 2/390)
❀ He also mentioned that it is possible Imām Shu‘bah realized his mistake and later corrected the wording.
(al-Khilāfiyyāt: 2/65, Mukhtaṣarah)
❀ Moreover, two of Shu‘bah’s students (Wahb ibn Jarīr and ‘Abd al-Ṣamad ibn ‘Abd al-Ṣamad) narrated the same ḥadīth without mentioning any lowering of the voice, simply stating: “The Prophet ﷺ said Āmīn.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān: 1805 — chain ṣaḥīḥ)
Imām Ibn Ḥibbān titled the chapter: “Bāb that Āmīn should be said aloud.”
Sufyān’s narration has two corroborating witnesses, whereas Shu‘bah’s version has none.
❀ Imām al-Ṭaḥāwī (رحمه الله, ḥanafī scholar) said:
“Shu‘bah erred here. He narrated from memory, not from a written source, and would narrate by meaning rather than precise wording. As he was not a jurist, when he failed to understand the meaning, one must refer to scholars of fiqh such as Imām Mālik and Imām Sufyān al-Thawrī (رحمهما الله).”
(Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār: 4/6; another version: 7/17)
❀ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar (رحمه الله) wrote:
“Sufyān al-Thawrī’s narration has corroboration, while Shu‘bah’s narration has none. For this reason, the ḥadīth critics decisively declared the narration of Sufyān to be sounder.”
(al-Talkhīṣ al-Ḥabīr: 1/237)
The mention of the Prophet ﷺ saying Āmīn quietly in the narration of Wā’il ibn Ḥujr (رضي الله عنه) is due to an error of Imām Shu‘bah (رحمه الله). The authentic and sound narration, supported by the consensus of the leading muḥaddithūn, is that the Prophet ﷺ said Āmīn aloud after wa-lā al-ḍāllīn.
Question:
Does the ḥadīth of Wā’il ibn Ḥujr (رضي الله عنه) mention saying Āmīn quietly?
Answer:
In Musnad al-Imām Aḥmad (4/316), Sunan al-Tirmidhī (248), Musnad al-Ṭayālisī (1024), Sunan al-Dāraquṭnī (1/334, ḥadīth 1256), and al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Ṣaḥīḥayn (2/232), Imām Shu‘bah (رحمه الله) narrates the words:
"وأخفى بها صوته" — “and he lowered his voice with it (Āmīn).”
However, this wording is an error of Imām Shu‘bah. In contrast, Imām Sufyān al-Thawrī (رحمه الله) narrated the correct wording:
"مد بها صوته" — “he prolonged his voice with it (Āmīn, i.e., said it aloud).”
This is the sound version, which holds preference.
Reason One:
❀ Imām al-Tirmidhī (رحمه الله) said:
“I asked Imām Abū Zur‘ah (رحمه الله) about this ḥadīth, and he said: In this matter, the narration of Sufyān al-Thawrī (رحمه الله) is more authentic.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī, under ḥadīth 248)
❀ Ḥāfiẓ al-Bayhaqī (رحمه الله) wrote:
“The error of Imām Shu‘bah in the text of this ḥadīth is evident.”
(al-Sunan al-Kubrā: 2/57)
❀ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) said:
“The leading scholars of ḥadīth deemed the narration of Imām Sufyān al-Thawrī (رحمه الله) to be correct in this matter.”
(I‘lām al-Muwaqqi‘īn: 2/286)
❀ Imām Muslim (رحمه الله) said:
“The statement of Imām Shu‘bah that the Prophet ﷺ lowered his voice is a mistake of Imām Shu‘bah.”
(al-Tamyīz, p. 48)
❀ Ḥāfiẓ al-Bayhaqī (رحمه الله) further stated:
“The scholars of ḥadīth agree that when there is a difference between Shu‘bah and Sufyān, the narration of Sufyān al-Thawrī (رحمه الله) is accepted.”
(al-Khilāfiyyāt: 2/64, Mukhtaṣarah)
And he also said:
“The leading preservers of ḥadīth, such as Imām al-Bukhārī, agreed that Shu‘bah erred in this narration. The same narration was transmitted by ‘Alā’ ibn Ṣāliḥ and Muḥammad ibn Salamah ibn Kuhayl (رحمهما الله) who supported the wording of Sufyān al-Thawrī (رحمه الله).”
(Ma‘rifat al-Sunan wal-Āthār: 2/360)
❀ Imām al-Nawawī (رحمه الله) wrote:
“The ḥadīth masters are unanimous that Imām Shu‘bah made an error in this ḥadīth.”
(Khilāṣat al-Aḥkām: 1/381)
❀ Imām Shu‘bah himself admitted:
“If Sufyān differs with me in a ḥadīth, then the ḥadīth belongs to Sufyān.”
(Taqdimat al-Jarḥ wa al-Ta‘dīl: 1/63, ṣaḥīḥ chain)
Statements from Yahyā ibn Ma‘īn, Yaḥyā ibn Sa‘īd al-Qaṭṭān, and others also confirm that in such cases, preference is always given to Sufyān al-Thawrī (رحمه الله).
Reason Two:
❀ Abū al-Walīd al-Ṭayālisī (رحمه الله) narrated from Imām Shu‘bah (رحمه الله) a wording consistent with Sufyān’s version:
Sayyiduna Wā’il ibn Ḥujr (رضي الله عنه) said:
“He prayed behind the Prophet ﷺ. When he recited wa-lā al-ḍāllīn, he said Āmīn and raised his voice with it.”
(al-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī: 2/58 — chain ṣaḥīḥ)
Ḥāfiẓ al-Bayhaqī graded its chain ṣaḥīḥ.
(Ma‘rifat al-Sunan wal-Āthār: 2/390)
❀ He also mentioned that it is possible Imām Shu‘bah realized his mistake and later corrected the wording.
(al-Khilāfiyyāt: 2/65, Mukhtaṣarah)
❀ Moreover, two of Shu‘bah’s students (Wahb ibn Jarīr and ‘Abd al-Ṣamad ibn ‘Abd al-Ṣamad) narrated the same ḥadīth without mentioning any lowering of the voice, simply stating: “The Prophet ﷺ said Āmīn.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān: 1805 — chain ṣaḥīḥ)
Imām Ibn Ḥibbān titled the chapter: “Bāb that Āmīn should be said aloud.”
Sufyān’s narration has two corroborating witnesses, whereas Shu‘bah’s version has none.
❀ Imām al-Ṭaḥāwī (رحمه الله, ḥanafī scholar) said:
“Shu‘bah erred here. He narrated from memory, not from a written source, and would narrate by meaning rather than precise wording. As he was not a jurist, when he failed to understand the meaning, one must refer to scholars of fiqh such as Imām Mālik and Imām Sufyān al-Thawrī (رحمهما الله).”
(Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār: 4/6; another version: 7/17)
❀ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar (رحمه الله) wrote:
“Sufyān al-Thawrī’s narration has corroboration, while Shu‘bah’s narration has none. For this reason, the ḥadīth critics decisively declared the narration of Sufyān to be sounder.”
(al-Talkhīṣ al-Ḥabīr: 1/237)
Conclusion:
The mention of the Prophet ﷺ saying Āmīn quietly in the narration of Wā’il ibn Ḥujr (رضي الله عنه) is due to an error of Imām Shu‘bah (رحمه الله). The authentic and sound narration, supported by the consensus of the leading muḥaddithūn, is that the Prophet ﷺ said Āmīn aloud after wa-lā al-ḍāllīn.
