Reciting Ameen out loud

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

Hanafis do not say Ameen out loud in Salah after Fatihah. Rather they whisper it. This is because they believe the stronger evidence from Hadith dictates this position.

Explanation

عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنِ وَائِلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّهُ صَلَّى مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ قَالَ: {غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ} [الفاتحة: 7] قَالَ: «آمِينَ» يَخْفِضُ بِهَا صَوْتَهُ. قال الإمام الذهبي: على شرط البخاري ومسلم

Alqamah bin Wa’il narrated from his father, that he prayed with the Prophet ﷺ. When he said: Not those with wrath upon them, nor those who go astray. (al-Fatihah: 7). He ﷺ said: Ameen, with which he lowered his voice. (Mustadrak al-Hakim, 2913). Imam al-Dhahabi said it is aligned with the criteria of al-Bukhari and Muslim.

 

The Hadith narration above makes it clear that the Prophet ﷺ did not recite Ameen out loud during Salah. Rather it was whispered. That is why the Hanafi Imams consider it Sunnah to whisper Ameen during Salah and not say it aloud.

The Hadith narration above was confirmed Sahih by Imam al-Dhahabi. There are other Hadith narrations related to this issue. However, this narration seems to be the most authentic.

 

Narrations against

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِذَا تَلَا {غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ} [الفاتحة: 7]، قَالَ: آمِينَ، حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ مَنْ يَلِيهِ مِنَ الصَّفِّ الْأَوَّلِ

(Sayidina) Abu Hurairah said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited Not those with wrath upon them, nor those who go astray. (al-Fatihah: 7). He would say: Ameen, such that the people behind him ﷺ in the first row would hear it. (Sunan Abi Dawood, 934).

This narration is weak due to Bishr bin Rafi being and weak narrator and Abdullah being unfamiliar (Jahaalah). Both of them feature in the Sanad (chain) of this Hadith narration.

In the narration in Ibn Maja (853) the words فَيَرْتَجُّ بِهَا الْمَسْجِدُ (The Masjid would reverberate with it) are added at the end. However, that narration also has the two problematic narrators in it.

 

فيرتج بها المسجد كما ذكرناه، وهو حديث ضعيف، وفي إسناده بشر بن رافع الحارثي، ضعفه البخاري والترمذي والنسائي وأحمد وابن معين. (البناية شرح الهداية)

The Masjid would reverberate with it. As we mentioned. And it is a weak Hadith. Bishr bin Rafi’ al-Harithi is in its chain of transmission (Isnad). He was considered weak by al-Bukhari, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa’i, Ahmad, and Ibn Ma’in. (Imam Badr al-Deen al-Ayni 855H, al-Binayah).

The above narrations support the view of reciting Ameen out loud. However, they are not a concern for the Hanafis because they are weak narrations. Whereas the Hanafis have a Sahih Hadith to support their position.

 

The Sahabah

It is understood that the Sahabah differed with regards to reciting Ameen out loud or not. This is often the case when the Madhabs of Ahl al-Sunnah differ upon a matter. There are narrations to suggest that senior Sahabah supported the Hanafi position.

 

عَنْ أَبِي سَعْدٍ الْبَقَّالِ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، قَالَ: كَانَ عَلِيٌّ، وَابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ لَا يَجْهَرَانِ بِبِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ، وَلَا بِالتَّعَوُّذِ، وَلَا بِآمِينَ

Abu Saad al-Baqal narrated from Abu Wail who said: Ali and Ibn Masoud did not pronounce “In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful” out loud. Nor did they seek refuge, nor Amen (out loud). (Tabarani al-Mujam al-Kabeer, 9304).

The narration above has the great companions Sayidina Ali and Sayidina Abdullah bin Mas’ud opposing reciting Ameen out loud. However, the narration is weak. So we cannot establish it as a matter of fact.

رَوَاهُ الطَّبَرَانِيُّ فِي الْكَبِيرِ وَفِيهِ أَبُو سَعْدٍ الْبَقَّالُ وَهُوَ ثِقَةٌ مُدَلِّسٌ. (مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد)

It was narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Kabir, and in it is Abu Saad al-Baqal, who is trustworthy but a Mudalis. (Imam Noorud-deen al-Haythami 807H, Majma’ al-Zawaid).

 

The following narration does not have the same narrator as the one in Tabarani. And it does mention that Sayidina Ali refrained from reciting Ameen out loud. But it does not mention Sayidina Abdullah bin Mas’ud. Rather it has Sayidina Umar instead.

أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ , عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ , عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ , قَالَ: كَانَ عُمَرُ وَعَلِيٌّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا لَا يَجْهَرَانِ بِ {بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ} [الفاتحة: 1] وَلَا بِالتَّعَوُّذِ , وَلَا بِالتَّأْمِينِ

Abu Bakr bin Ayyash narrated from Abu Sa`id from Abu Wail. He said: Umar and Ali, (May Allah be pleased with them) did not recite out loud (In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful). [Al-Fatihah: 1]. Nor seeking refuge, nor Ameen (out loud). (Sharh Ma’ani al-Aathaar, 1208).

Conclusion

When praying behind an Imam, the Hanafis do not recite Ameen out loud. Rather they whisper it. This follows the normal pattern in Salah. The followers of an Imam do not tend to recite aloud. Rather they whisper their recitals.

Not only does the Hanafi view follow the norm of Salah, but it is also supported by an authentic Hadith narration of the Prophet ﷺ. Furthermore, senior Sahabah seemed to have held the view of whispering the Ameen and not reciting it aloud.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (08.12.24)