What is meant by the follower following the imam in the ameen?

The questioner : The issue of the ameen behind the imam: is the meaning that after the imam says "Ameen" completely, I say "Ameen" behind him?

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : And I do not wait, meaning I do not wait to hear the imam say "Ameen" after he says: ?

The Shaykh : Yes, regarding his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) which the majority of worshippers, unfortunately, do not apply and rather contradict in a clear manner, namely his saying: The scholars explained this with two interpretations. The first interpretation is "when the imam begins the Ameen," meaning when he starts saying Ameen. The second interpretation is "when he finishes." Both interpretations agree that it is not permissible for the follower to precede the imam in the Ameen. Now, you are asking a precise question. In my opinion, we should not enter into such precise questions in this era, such as preferring the first opinion, "when he begins," or the second, "when he finishes what he began." We should not enter into these details because both opinions are possible. I see you are preparing to speak; be patient. The important thing is that worshippers now preserve the agreed-upon point in both opinions, which is not to precede the imam. Are you guaranteed of this? Therefore, leave the details where there is no disagreement, and enter into the matter where there is total disagreement: contradicting the hadith, striking the hadith with the chest as it is said, and contradicting all the scholars who interpreted the hadith with one of the two interpretations mentioned above.

The questioner : Our Shaykh, the reward for this hadith is great, that a person is forgiven for what has preceded of his sins. So I am asking for myself. Even when I say Ameen for myself, which do you prefer, Shaykh?

The Shaykh : I prefer that when he begins, you begin. This is what we always discuss in this matter. But I say that regarding the majority, this is not very important. As for my opinion, when he begins, you begin. Because the imam, as soon as he says Ameen, takes a breath and begins the recitation. If we adopt the second opinion, meaning he says Ameen and then we begin Ameen, he will have begun the recitation of the Qur'an while we are busy with what? With Ameen. And so I prefer this first opinion. But I draw attention to the fact that this is a secondary matter compared to the contradiction in which the majority of worshippers fall. Recently, we were invited to a house, and before that, we were invited to al-Mafraq to give this advice, and it is as if you are speaking to walls. What is the reason? Can the perfumer fix what time has spoiled? The reason, as Imam al-Shafi'i said, is: "Abandoning the habit is hostility." People have become accustomed to preceding the imam. Barely has the imam started, and we are testing you: are you now under examination? The imam is reciting al-Fatihah and raising his voice with Ameen, and before he finishes , you find the mosque filled with what? With Ameen. O people, fear Allah. First, you have contradicted the command of the Messenger of Allah . You have lost the forgiveness of Allah, which if a Muslim directed himself to it with a long life that is not achieved for any person after Noah, if he lived the life of Noah (peace be upon him) to attain the forgiveness of Allah, this life would be cheap compared to what? To this forgiveness. What does it mean "if his Ameen coincides"? Here, it is necessary to recall a premise present in the minds of Muslims in general, or at least students of knowledge, or fewer than that, the scholars, which is that the angels are described in the Noble Qur'an as . They pray with the Muslims, and there are authentic hadiths in al-Bukhari and Muslim that there are
two groups of angels. A group of angels ascend after the 'Asr prayer, and another group descends, and so they take turns. These witness the congregational prayer in the mosques and say Ameen with the imam. Do you see that they do like us? We disobey, but those, as Allah said: . If you understand, they do not precede the imam but rather lag behind the imam. So if we lag behind the imam, we participate with the angels in the Ameen, and thereby we deserve the forgiveness of the Lord of the Worlds. So the loss is great and very great, and it is that we lose the forgiveness of Allah, in addition to the fact that we have disobeyed the Messenger of Allah. And whoever disobeys the Messenger of Allah has disobeyed Allah, just as whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah. Establish the prayer.