It is reported from some of the Companions in the story of Ibn al-Zubayr that they would raise their voices in saying the *Amin* until the mosque would shake, and no scholar denied that. So what
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Regarding the *Amin*... the Companions and the worshippers in the mosque would say the *Amin*, and they would raise their voices.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed
The questioner : The scholars say that this is evidence for raising the voice in the *Amin*. There is no one who denies the evidence that raising the voice in the *Amin* by the followers is a recommended practice.
The Shaykh : Yes, the answer to this is from two aspects. The first aspect is regarding the claim itself that the honorable professor mentioned, which is that the scholars say: no one denied it. This principle should be understood in the correct way. We know that many matters contrary to the Sunnah occurred and were transmitted to us, yet the denial of them was not transmitted along with them. Therefore, denial must be interpreted in a broader sense. For example, it can be said that it was not denied because the Sunnah was well known. I recall an example now: Imam al-Bayhaqi narrates in his *Sunan* with a sound chain from Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that when he called the adhan, he would say in his adhan, "Hayya 'ala khayr al-'amal" (Hasten to the best of deeds). He narrated this, but did not narrate that the Companions denied it to him, or that anyone else who heard it from him denied it. We all know that the Prophetic adhan does not include this addition, nor any addition before or after it, which is well known today. So what is the answer to this addition that was reported in a sound chain from Ibn Umar? The answer is that the narrator reported this by way of information and notification, and the matter of ruling on it is established in the Sunnah. The known adhan is limited to the words that Muslims continue to preserve, excluding the additions before and after the adhan in some countries. So the summary of the answer is that the non-transmission of denial does not imply that denial did not occur. From this, the scholars say that not knowing a thing does not imply knowing its non-existence. And secondly, this is a matter that occurred after the Rightly Guided Caliphs and after a long, glorious period following the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). It is obvious and very natural that some scholars and some rulers, such as Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, would issue independent legal reasoning. If he was correct, he would have two rewards, and if he was wrong, he would have one reward. Especially since the early Salaf had the spirit to which we call Muslims today, which is the spirit of tolerance and sincere advice that does not lead to schism and the division of the word of Muslims. So it is good that this was the opinion of Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, and he was the Imam. Naturally, those who follow would follow the Imam's ruling. Therefore, we are not obligated to follow that opinion as long as we are clear about our matter regarding the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). We all know, and we are in Mina, that Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), when he performed Hajj and stayed in Mina, would pray the full prayer, praying the four-rak'ah prayer as four. Some of the Companions who were with him would deny that to him personally. Yet, that person who denied it would pray behind Uthman, and Uthman would pray the full prayer, and the denier himself would pray the full prayer. Among them was Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him). It was said to him: How are you denying the addition, meaning the completion of the prayer, to him, yet you pray behind him the full prayer? He would say, "Disagreement is evil." This is a report narrated in the *Sunan* of Abu Dawud. If it had not been in the *Sunan* of Abu Dawud, which is one of the six books of hadith, and it was narrated in some books that are transmitted to us, and only the completion of Uthman's prayer was transmitted to us, then if someone said, "Uthman prayed the full prayer," and one person denied it to him, how would he know that one person denied it to him? It is possible that denial occurred, but we did not know of the denial. In reality, we know that some people denied Uthman for completing the prayer in Mina, but we did not know of denial against Ibn al-Zubayr for making the followers behind him do so. The issue is a matter of scholarly disagreement, and in matters of disagreement, there is tolerance, as we said, with the attempt by the one obligated to follow the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as much as he is able to do so.
The Shaykh : Yes, indeed
The questioner : The scholars say that this is evidence for raising the voice in the *Amin*. There is no one who denies the evidence that raising the voice in the *Amin* by the followers is a recommended practice.
The Shaykh : Yes, the answer to this is from two aspects. The first aspect is regarding the claim itself that the honorable professor mentioned, which is that the scholars say: no one denied it. This principle should be understood in the correct way. We know that many matters contrary to the Sunnah occurred and were transmitted to us, yet the denial of them was not transmitted along with them. Therefore, denial must be interpreted in a broader sense. For example, it can be said that it was not denied because the Sunnah was well known. I recall an example now: Imam al-Bayhaqi narrates in his *Sunan* with a sound chain from Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) that when he called the adhan, he would say in his adhan, "Hayya 'ala khayr al-'amal" (Hasten to the best of deeds). He narrated this, but did not narrate that the Companions denied it to him, or that anyone else who heard it from him denied it. We all know that the Prophetic adhan does not include this addition, nor any addition before or after it, which is well known today. So what is the answer to this addition that was reported in a sound chain from Ibn Umar? The answer is that the narrator reported this by way of information and notification, and the matter of ruling on it is established in the Sunnah. The known adhan is limited to the words that Muslims continue to preserve, excluding the additions before and after the adhan in some countries. So the summary of the answer is that the non-transmission of denial does not imply that denial did not occur. From this, the scholars say that not knowing a thing does not imply knowing its non-existence. And secondly, this is a matter that occurred after the Rightly Guided Caliphs and after a long, glorious period following the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). It is obvious and very natural that some scholars and some rulers, such as Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, would issue independent legal reasoning. If he was correct, he would have two rewards, and if he was wrong, he would have one reward. Especially since the early Salaf had the spirit to which we call Muslims today, which is the spirit of tolerance and sincere advice that does not lead to schism and the division of the word of Muslims. So it is good that this was the opinion of Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, and he was the Imam. Naturally, those who follow would follow the Imam's ruling. Therefore, we are not obligated to follow that opinion as long as we are clear about our matter regarding the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). We all know, and we are in Mina, that Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), when he performed Hajj and stayed in Mina, would pray the full prayer, praying the four-rak'ah prayer as four. Some of the Companions who were with him would deny that to him personally. Yet, that person who denied it would pray behind Uthman, and Uthman would pray the full prayer, and the denier himself would pray the full prayer. Among them was Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him). It was said to him: How are you denying the addition, meaning the completion of the prayer, to him, yet you pray behind him the full prayer? He would say, "Disagreement is evil." This is a report narrated in the *Sunan* of Abu Dawud. If it had not been in the *Sunan* of Abu Dawud, which is one of the six books of hadith, and it was narrated in some books that are transmitted to us, and only the completion of Uthman's prayer was transmitted to us, then if someone said, "Uthman prayed the full prayer," and one person denied it to him, how would he know that one person denied it to him? It is possible that denial occurred, but we did not know of the denial. In reality, we know that some people denied Uthman for completing the prayer in Mina, but we did not know of denial against Ibn al-Zubayr for making the followers behind him do so. The issue is a matter of scholarly disagreement, and in matters of disagreement, there is tolerance, as we said, with the attempt by the one obligated to follow the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as much as he is able to do so.