Should the Follower Say “Sami‘a Allahu liman Hamidah” Behind the Imam?
Source: Fatawa ‘Ilmiyyah, Vol. 1, Kitab al-Salah, p. 278
Question:
Should a follower say “Sami‘a Allahu liman Hamidah” behind the Imam? If the follower only says “Rabbana laka al-hamd”, does it affect the prayer?
Answer:
Wa ‘alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh!
Alhamdulillah, wa-s-salatu wa-s-salamu ‘ala Rasulillah, amma ba‘d:
Preferred and Strong Opinion
The stronger and more correct view is that the follower should also say:
"Sami‘a Allahu liman Hamidah"
There is no authentic Hadith stating that only the Imam says it while the follower remains silent.
Rather, the general Ahadith indicate that the Imam, follower, and individual praying alone all say it.
Evidences
① General Wording of Authentic Ahadith
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“When the Imam says, ‘Sami‘a Allahu liman Hamidah,’ you should say, ‘Rabbana laka al-hamd.’”
This Hadith, along with other reports, shows the general nature of the statement and does not restrict “Sami‘a Allahu liman Hamidah” to the Imam alone.
② Hadith in Sunan al-Daraqutni
A sound (Hasan li-dhatih) narration in Sunan al-Daraqutni (1/338–339, Hadith 1270) explicitly shows that the follower also says:
"Sami‘a Allahu liman Hamidah"
③ Absence of Any Evidence for Restriction
There is no authentic text from the Prophet ﷺ or the Companions prohibiting the follower from saying it.
Those who deny this practice have no Shar‘i evidence to support their position.
Conclusion
✔ The Imam, follower, and individual praying alone all say “Sami‘a Allahu liman Hamidah.”
✔ The claim that only the Imam says it is unsupported by authentic evidence.
(Reference: Shahadat, December 2003)
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب
