Saying "Aameen": Its meaning and its ruling

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله ، وبـعـد

Adopted from al-Sharh al-Mumti`u

Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:

And the author’s (Abu al-Najaa Musaa al-Hijaawee) saying: “Everyone should say Aameen loudly in loud prayers (i.e. when Surah al-Faatihah is recited loudly)”, meaning: those praying individually, the followers and the Imaam (should say Aameen) in loud prayers.

As for the Imaam, then it is clear that he should say Aameen out loudly, because this is established from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم when he said:

إذا أمَّنَ الإِمامُ فأمِّنوا

“Say ‘Aameen’ when the Imaam says it.” ^[1]

So he صلى الله عليه وسلم attached our saying Aameen with that of the Imaam. And were we not able to listen to the Imaam, then his صلى الله عليه وسلم attaching our saying Aameen with that of the Imaam would have had no benefit (as no one would know when the Imaam is saying Aameen), rather it would have been a burden upon the Ummah. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself used to raise his voice while saying Aameen, while elongating. ^[2] Similarly the followers should raise their voice (behind the Imaam in loud prayers), as the Companions رضي الله عنهم used to do behind the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, and the Masjid would shake with it. ^[3] So the Sunnah of saying Aameen out loud is confirmed and authentic.

As for the one praying individually, if he is praying out loud then he also says Aameen loudly; but if he is praying silently, then he says Aameen silently and the evidence for that is that the Prophet صلى الله ليه وسلم would pray the silent prayers – Dhuhr and `Asr – and he would not say Aameen loudly. So this proves that if one is praying silently, then he also says Aameen silently.

Also, if an individual, when is alone praying the night prayers, and he sometimes sees that to keep the presence of his heart (in prayer) and to fight off sleep he should recite (the Qur’aan) loudly, then he should do so as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did when he صلى الله عليه وسلم prayed with Hudhaifah bin al-Yamaan رضي الله عنهما. ^[4]

So, if a person is praying loudly, he should say Aameen loudly. But sometimes when he sees that praying silently is better and more God-fearing and further away from showoff, and that there are things which prevent him from praying out loud – like those sleeping around him – so if he prays silently, then he says the Aameen silently as well and he should not raise his voice.

Shaikh Ibn al-`Utaymeen رحمه الله continues:

And the author’s saying: “with Aameen”:

It means: “O Allaah! Respond.” And it is اسم فعل (adverb) where the meaning of action is there without naming it.

Aameen is اسم فعل because it has the meaning: “accept”; like how the word صَهْ in `Arabic is اسم فعل having the meaning: “keep quiet”. Sometimes we say صَهٍ and sometimes صَهْ, and their meaning differs. When one says: صَهٍ, it means to stop talking about everything (i.e. complete silence); and when one says: صَهْ, it means to stop that particular part of speech.

The scholars have said: Pronouncing Aameen with Shaddah (ّ) on “م” (Meem) (i.e. double consonants – saying Aammeen – where the first “م” is Saakin and the second “م” has the vowel mark) would invalidate the prayer, because now the meaning has been changed to “we are travelling.” Therefore, they said: It is Haraam to say Aameen with the Shaddah on the “م” and it will invalidate the prayer.

If it is said: When should one say Aameen?

The response: As for the Imaam, he should say it after he ends saying:

{وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ}

Similarly, those who are praying alone should do the same.

As for the followers, then some of scholars have said: He should say Aameen after the Imaam has finished saying Aameen.

The evidence they took is from the apparent meaning of the Hadeeth of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم:

إذا أمَّنَ الإِمامُ فأمِّنوا

“Say ‘Aameen’ when the Imaam says Aameen.” ^[5]

(with the meaning that after the Imaam has finished saying Aameen, say Aameen). They said that this is like his صلى الله عليه وسلم saying:

إذا كبَّر فكبِّروا

“Say the Takbeer (Allaahu Akbar) when he (the Imaam) says it” ^[6]

It is known that one does not say the Takbeer except when the Imaam has finished saying it. So his صلى الله عليه وسلم saying: “when he (the Imaam) says Aameen”, meaning when the Imaam has finished saying Aameen. But this opinion is weak, because there is another narration which explains when to say Aameen, in the Hadeeth:

إذا قال الإِمام: {غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ}، فقولوا: آمين

“When the Imaam says: {Ghair-il-Maghdhoobi `alaihim Walad-Daalleen} then you should say: ‘Aameen’.” ^[7]

So based on this (Hadeeth), the meaning of “when he (the Imaam) says Aameen” would be: when he reaches the place of saying Aameen, i.e. {وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ} or when he begins saying Aameen, say Aameen so that you are with him.

But sometimes we hear when some of the people act in haste and precede (the Imaam in saying Aameen). The Imaam would hardly reach the “ن” in {وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ}, except that the person would say: “Aameen”. This is against the Sunnah and it is a one of the ways of racing the Imaam in prayer ^[8] (and it is prohibited), because the Imaam has not reached the place of saying Aameen, and that is after saying: {وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ}.

--end of quote.

[1] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (780) and Saheeh Muslim (410).

[2] Sunan Abu Dawood (932, 993) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee.

[3] There is a Hadeeth in Sunan Ibn Maajah (853) but it has been graded as “Dha`eef” by Shaikh al-Albaanee.

[4] Saheeh Muslim (772).

[5] See note [1].

[6] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (734) and Saheeh Muslim (414).

[7] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (782, 4475) and Saheeh Muslim (404, 410, 415).

[8] Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه reported: The Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم while teaching us (how to pray) said: “Do not try to go ahead of the Imaam, say the Takbeer when he says it. and when he says: {وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ}, you should say Aameen, bow down when he bows down, and when he says: “سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ”, say: “اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ”. [Saheeh Muslim (415)]

And in another Hadeeth the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “The Imaam is appointed so that be should be followed…” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (378, 688, 689, 722) and Saheeh Muslim (412, 417)]

Source:

[Al-Sharh al-Mumti`u of Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen (3/67-69)]