Passive Aggressive Attack

In the Name of Allah,

All praise is due to Allah, the one who accepts the Salah

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Say, "Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names." And do not recite [too] loudly in your prayer or [too] quietly but seek between that an [intermediate] way. (Quran 17:110)

Last night I was attending the tafseer, and witnessed a smack down of other madhaib with passive aggressive tone. Imam was doing tafseer for the above verse, and after giving the authentic tafseer, he went on a rant that was very hurtful, and divisive. I stayed quite, as I have promised one of the person there that I will not disrupt the class. So, I would like to bring the truth forward and shatter the attacks against the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH).

First, let me share what he said. In the second part of the verse above, Allah gives an order to use an intermediate level voice when praying Salah. Imam first said that whoever says Ameen aloud is correct, and whoever doesn't also correct, but in the same breath he said that you don't have to shout Ameen aloud. Well, if you accept the difference of opinion, then why disrespect them with this comment. He went on to repeating and mocking the loudness of the Ameen in the Salah from the other group. I could see the anger in his eyes, and saw the passive aggressive fire behind the remarks. It is certainly not befitting an Imam to attack other opinions like that.

So, lets look at the Tafsir ibn kathir (the most authentic of them all).

(And offer your Salah neither aloud nor in a low voice,) Ibn `Abbas said: "When he prayed with his Companions, he would recite Qur'an loudly, and when the idolators heard that, they insulted the Qur'an, and the One Who had revealed it and the one who had brought it.


(but follow a way between. )'' This was also reported in the Two Sahihs. Ad-Dahhak also narrated something similar from Ibn `Abbas, and added: "When he migrated to Al-Madinah, this no longer applied, and he recited as he wished.''


(but follow a way between. )'' This was the view of `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and Qatadah that this Ayah was revealed concerning recitation in prayer. It was narrated from Ibn Mas`ud: "Do not make it so soft that no one can hear it except yourself.''

First, the verse prohibits reciting in Salah silently, so this Imam should start saying Ameen in audible sound, if he is applying this verse to saying Ameen (violation of fiqh rule). Second, this order was abrogated, after hijra, as it was no danger in saying Salah loud (abrogation rule of fiqh). Third, there are authentic ahadith where the Prophet (PBUH) ordered us to say Ameen, and in other ahadith the masjid ranged with the sound of Ameen (meaning it was very loud and together) (rule of takhsees).

Following are sahih.


"Pray as you have seen me praying, and when it is the time of prayer, one of you should pronounce the call (Adhan) for the prayer and the eldest of you should lead the prayer.
(Bukhari 9:91:352)


Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "When the Imam says: 'Ghair-il-Maghdubi 'Alaihim Walad-Dallin (i.e. not the path of those who earn Your Anger, nor the path of those who went astray (1.7)), then you must say, 'Ameen', for if one's utterance of 'Ameen' coincides with that of the angels, then his past sins will be forgiven." (Bukhari 60:6:2)

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab and Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman told him from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When the imam says 'Amin', say 'Amin', for the one whose 'Amin' coincides with the 'Amin' of the angels - his previous wrong actions are forgiven him."
Ibn Shihab said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say 'Aameen' (extending it)."  (Muwatta 3.12.47)


Following are ahsan


Reported Nafa', "Ibn 'Umar did not encourage the people to say it aloud, nor did he discourage them. I have heard him report that." Reporting on this same subject, Abu Hurairah said, "When the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, would recite, '...Not with those with whom You are displeased and not of those who have gone astray,' he would say, 'ameen such that those close to him could hear him." (Related by Abu Dawud.) Ibn Majah's version is, "Until the people in the first row would hear him, and the mosque would ring with the sound." Al-Hakim also relates this hadith, and says that it is sahih according to the criterion of al-Bukhari and Muslim. Al-Baihaqi calls it hassan sahih. Ad-Daraqutni considers it as hassan. 


The Jews do not envy you over anything as much as they envy you over the salutation and aameen [behind the imaam] (al-Bukhaaree in al-Adab al-Mufrad, Ibn Maajah, Ibn Khuzaymah, Ahmad and Siraaj with two saheeh isnaads)

So, it is clear that saying Ameen is the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), and all scholars agree on this fact. Scholars disagree on saying it in audible sound, but saying it in audible voice is proven from the authentic ahadith. Scholars diagree on the isnaad of the ahaidth, but saying it in a loud voice is supported by ahadith that are "ahsan".

Twisting the meaning of the Quran to fit our desire is a great sin, and I urge them to stop this, as this was the second time. If they truly believe that this verse is addressing saying Ameen in the Salah, then the Imam should follow the order and say it in soft but audible sound. If the Imam say it in the audible sound, I will certainly lower my sound to match the Imam, but until then the truth stands that saying Ameen in a loud voice is not prohibited, rather a tradition of the Prophet (PBUH) and the companions.

And Allah knows best.

JazakAllah Khairin

A follower of Muhammad ibn Abdullah (PBUH)
AbuArman Jumani