Saying Aameen after the Imaam's supplications in the Friday sermon

29-11-2005 | IslamWeb

Question:

This question is a reply question to the answer of Fatwa 85371 under title “Jum'ah sermon Du'a is Sunnah.” The following is part of your Fatwa.
“As for the Du'a of the Imaam during Friday sermon and the fact that the people praying with him say Aameen, this is Sunnah.”
My question is since this is one of our hot titles among my colleges please providing me a Hadeeth with the relevant number to proof the above Fatwa.
I was asking a leading scholar in Sri Lanka and he said we should not raise our hands and should not say Aameen. It is completely denying the above Fatwa.
Also he said there is not even a single Hadeeth which proof that Messenger of Allaah was supplicating in the pulpit and the gathered people said Aameen.
Further I ask him in Middle East people used to raise there hands and say Aameen during Friday sermon (This information I took form my friends who worked in the Middle East). He then said only our Asian people are saying Aameen. Arabs will not raise their hands. Please don't get me wrong for again and again asking this question.
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

The evidence that it is a recommended act for the preacher in the Friday speech to supplicate is that Imaam Muslim may Allaah have mercy upon him reported that Hussayn Ibn 'Abdur-Rahmaan As-Sulami may Allaah have mercy upon him narrated: "I was sitting next to 'Imaarah Ibn Ru'aybah As-Sulami may Allaah be pleased with him and Bishr Ibn Marwaan may Allaah have mercy upon him was delivering a Friday speech and when he supplicated he raised his hands. Thereupon 'Imaarah may Allaah be pleased with him said: "May Allaah disgrace these hands. I saw the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) when he was delivering a Friday speech, and when he supplicated he pointed up with his index finger only." So, 'Imaarah may Allaah be pleased with him denied raising the hands but confirmed supplicating during the Friday speech. This is evidence that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) used to supplicate when delivering the Friday speech but he did not raise his hands. As regards the congregation, some scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them are of the view that they should not raise their hands when saying 'Amen' as there is no evidence on this, and the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) prayed many Friday prayers with the companions may Allaah be pleased with them and were they used to raise their hands when he used to supplicate, this would certainly have been reported to us.

As regards saying Amen, it should not be said loudly. The Maaliki and Hanbali schools are of the view that saying Amen should be said silently. Whereas, the Shaafi'ee school is of the view that Amen should be said softly without raising the voice, and the Hanafi school is of the view that one should say 'Amen' in his heart only.

To conclude, all of the four schools agree on saying Amen but they differed with regard to the method of saying it. This difference of opinion is very old and each group gives its own evidence. Therefore, it is not possible to solve this difference of opinion once and for all, and a person should not waste his time arguing about this, and it should not be a reason for dispute or causing an affliction among the Muslims.

Allaah Knows best.

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