❀ Sunnah Method of Saying Ameen in Salah and the Practice of the Companions ❀
When one is praying alone or behind the Imam in silent prayers (like Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr), he should say Ameen in a low voice.
However, when one is praying behind the Imam in an audible prayer (like Maghrib, ʿIshā’, and Fajr), then when the Imam reaches:
وَلَا الضَّآلِّينَ
he should say Ameen aloud, following the Sunnah.
Immediately after the Imam says Ameen, the followers should also say Ameen aloud, without delay.
Sayyiduna Wā’il bin Ḥujr رضي الله عنه narrates:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited:
غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّآلِّیْنَ,
then he said Ameen aloud.”
(Tirmidhi: Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb Mā Jā’a fī al-Ta’mīn: 842; Abu Dawood: Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb al-Ta’mīn Warā’ al-Imām: 239)
Tirmidhi classified it as ḥasan, and Ibn Ḥajar and Imām Dāraqutnī graded it ṣaḥīḥ.
Sayyiduna Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“When the Imam says Ameen, you should also say Ameen. Whoever's Ameen coincides with the Ameen of the angels will have his past sins forgiven.”
(Bukhari: Kitāb al-Adhān, Bāb Jahr al-Imām bi al-Ta’mīn: 780; Muslim: Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb al-Tasmiʿ wa al-Taḥmīd: 410)
Imām Ibn Khuzaymah رحمه الله explains in the commentary of this ḥadīth:
“This ḥadīth proves that the Imam should say Ameen aloud, because the Prophet ﷺ only commanded the followers to say Ameen with the Imam when it is possible for them to hear the Imam’s Ameen. No scholar would suggest that the Prophet ﷺ gave this command if the followers could not hear the Imam's Ameen.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah, 1/672)
This narration also shows that if a follower has not yet begun or completed Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, he should still say Ameen along with the congregation to attain the reward of forgiveness.
Allāh knows best. (ʿA. R.)
Sayyiduna ʿAbdullāh bin Zubayr رضي الله عنه and those praying behind him said Ameen so loudly that the mosque echoed.
(Bukhārī, Taʿlīqan, Bāb Jahr al-Imām bi al-Ta’mīn; Muṣannaf ʿAbd al-Razzāq, 2/69)
Imām Bukhārī mentioned this with certainty.
Sayyiduna ʿIkrimah رحمه الله said:
“I witnessed that when the Imam recited:
غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّآلِّیْنَ,
the people’s loud Ameen caused the mosque to echo.”
(Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah, 2/781)
ʿAṭā’ bin Abī Rabāḥ رحمه الله stated:
“I saw 200 Companions of the Prophet ﷺ. When the Imam recited:
غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّآلِّیْنَ,
all of them would say Ameen aloud in the Masjid al-Ḥarām.”
(Al-Sunan al-Kubrā li al-Bayhaqī, 2/95; Kitāb al-Thiqāt by Ibn Ḥibbān)
The chain of narration is authentic according to the conditions of Ibn Ḥibbān.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The Jews are not as disturbed by anything as much as they are by Salaam and Ameen.”
(Ibn Mājah: Iqāmat al-Ṣalāh, Bāb al-Jahr bi Ameen: 856)
Authenticated by Imām Ibn Khuzaymah and al-Būṣayrī.
According to Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr رحمه الله:
“Imām Aḥmad would become angry at those who disliked saying Ameen aloud, because the Jews detest the saying of Ameen.”
All of the above evidences and narrations clearly establish that in audible prayers, both the Imam and the congregation should say Ameen aloud, as this is the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and the practice of the noble Companions رضي الله عنهم.
◈ The Ruling on Saying Ameen in Prayer
❀ Method of Saying Ameen in Individual and Congregational Salah
When one is praying alone or behind the Imam in silent prayers (like Ẓuhr and ʿAṣr), he should say Ameen in a low voice.
However, when one is praying behind the Imam in an audible prayer (like Maghrib, ʿIshā’, and Fajr), then when the Imam reaches:
وَلَا الضَّآلِّينَ
he should say Ameen aloud, following the Sunnah.
Immediately after the Imam says Ameen, the followers should also say Ameen aloud, without delay.
◈ Practice of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ
Sayyiduna Wā’il bin Ḥujr رضي الله عنه narrates:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited:
غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّآلِّیْنَ,
then he said Ameen aloud.”
(Tirmidhi: Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb Mā Jā’a fī al-Ta’mīn: 842; Abu Dawood: Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb al-Ta’mīn Warā’ al-Imām: 239)
Tirmidhi classified it as ḥasan, and Ibn Ḥajar and Imām Dāraqutnī graded it ṣaḥīḥ.
◈ Conformity with the Angels’ Ameen
Sayyiduna Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“When the Imam says Ameen, you should also say Ameen. Whoever's Ameen coincides with the Ameen of the angels will have his past sins forgiven.”
(Bukhari: Kitāb al-Adhān, Bāb Jahr al-Imām bi al-Ta’mīn: 780; Muslim: Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Bāb al-Tasmiʿ wa al-Taḥmīd: 410)
◈ The Imam Must Say Ameen Aloud
Imām Ibn Khuzaymah رحمه الله explains in the commentary of this ḥadīth:
“This ḥadīth proves that the Imam should say Ameen aloud, because the Prophet ﷺ only commanded the followers to say Ameen with the Imam when it is possible for them to hear the Imam’s Ameen. No scholar would suggest that the Prophet ﷺ gave this command if the followers could not hear the Imam's Ameen.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah, 1/672)
◈ Those Who Have Not Completed Surah al-Fātiḥah Should Still Say Ameen
This narration also shows that if a follower has not yet begun or completed Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, he should still say Ameen along with the congregation to attain the reward of forgiveness.
Allāh knows best. (ʿA. R.)
◈ The Loud Ameen of the Companions رضي الله عنهم
❀ Practice of Sayyiduna ʿAbdullāh bin Zubayr رضي الله عنه
Sayyiduna ʿAbdullāh bin Zubayr رضي الله عنه and those praying behind him said Ameen so loudly that the mosque echoed.
(Bukhārī, Taʿlīqan, Bāb Jahr al-Imām bi al-Ta’mīn; Muṣannaf ʿAbd al-Razzāq, 2/69)
Imām Bukhārī mentioned this with certainty.
❀ Practice of the Tābiʿīn
Sayyiduna ʿIkrimah رحمه الله said:
“I witnessed that when the Imam recited:
غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّآلِّیْنَ,
the people’s loud Ameen caused the mosque to echo.”
(Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah, 2/781)
❀ Practice of 200 Companions
ʿAṭā’ bin Abī Rabāḥ رحمه الله stated:
“I saw 200 Companions of the Prophet ﷺ. When the Imam recited:
غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّآلِّیْنَ,
all of them would say Ameen aloud in the Masjid al-Ḥarām.”
(Al-Sunan al-Kubrā li al-Bayhaqī, 2/95; Kitāb al-Thiqāt by Ibn Ḥibbān)
The chain of narration is authentic according to the conditions of Ibn Ḥibbān.
◈ Hatred of the Jews Towards Ameen
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The Jews are not as disturbed by anything as much as they are by Salaam and Ameen.”
(Ibn Mājah: Iqāmat al-Ṣalāh, Bāb al-Jahr bi Ameen: 856)
Authenticated by Imām Ibn Khuzaymah and al-Būṣayrī.
◈ The Position of Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal رحمه الله
According to Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr رحمه الله:
“Imām Aḥmad would become angry at those who disliked saying Ameen aloud, because the Jews detest the saying of Ameen.”
Conclusion:
All of the above evidences and narrations clearly establish that in audible prayers, both the Imam and the congregation should say Ameen aloud, as this is the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and the practice of the noble Companions رضي الله عنهم.
