hasan (good), and (10) Bilal said to the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Do not precede me with Amin" (11). Their hadith contains no argument for them; its purpose was merely to inform them of the place for their saying of Amin, which is immediately following the imam's saying: {not of those who have earned [Your] anger nor of those who have gone astray}. This is because that is the place for the imam's saying of Amin, so that the saying of Amin by the imam and those being led in prayer may occur at the same time, coinciding with the angels' saying of Amin. This has come explicitly, as we have stated, and it is what was narrated from Imam Ahmad in his "Musnad" (12), from Abu Hurayrah, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When the imam says: {not of those who have earned [Your] anger nor of those who have gone astray}, then say: Amin, for the angels say: Amin, and the imam says: Amin. So whoever's saying of Amin coincides with the saying of Amin by the angels, his past sins will be forgiven." The Prophet's (peace be upon him) statement in the other wording: "When the imam says Amin," means when he begins to say it.

Section: It is sunnah (recommended) for the imam and the follower to say it aloud during prayers where the recitation is audible, and to say it silently during prayers where the recitation is silent. Abu Hanifah and Malik, in one of two narrations from him, said: It is sunnah to say it silently, because it is a supplication (du'a), so it is recommended to be silent, like the Tashahhud. Our argument is that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Amin," and raised his voice with it; and because the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded saying Amin when the imam says Amin, so if he did not say it aloud, he would not be able to connect it to him, as is the case with the silent prayer (13). What they mentioned is invalidated by the end of al-Fatihah, for it is a supplication and is said aloud, and the supplication of the Tashahhud follows it, so it follows it in silence, while this is a follower of the recitation and thus follows it in loudness.

Section: If the imam forgets to say Amin, the follower says Amin and raises his voice so that he may remind the imam, so that he may perform it. This is because it is a verbal sunnah which, if the imam neglects, the follower performs, such as the seeking of refuge (isti'adhah). If the imam says it silently, the follower says it aloud, due to what we have mentioned. If he omits the saying of Amin out of forgetfulness or intentionally, until he has begun reciting the surah, he does not perform it, because it is a sunnah whose proper time has passed.