Seeking Assistance From Other Than Allah

Examining the Narrators

The first narrator was called Muhammad bin Kathir.

Imam Dhahabi and Hafidh Asqalani write:
Imam Ahmad said that Muhammad bin Kathir is weak. Imam Nasaa’ee said that he is not reliable in the science of Hadith. Abdullah bin Ahmad said that he narrates false narrations of Hadith, which is why the scholars of Hadith reject his narrations and say that Muhammad bin Kathir is weak. Imam Bukhari, Imam Abu Dawood, Imam Salih, and Hafidh Jazrah say that he made many mistakes in his narrations, all his narrations are weak and that his narrations are difficult to understand. Imam Ibn Adhi mentions his unknown narrations in his book Kamil. Imam Ibn Habbaan said Muhammad bin Kathir is authentic but made many mistakes. Imam Laith and Ibn Mu’een praised him.

(Meezan ul I’tidaal, Tahdheeeb-ut-tahdheeb, biography of Muhammad bin Kathir)

The other narrator of these narrations is Muhammad bin Khalid.

Imam Dhahabi and Hafidh Asqalani write:
Muhammad is a truthful man but is unknown. Imam Ibn Abi Khatim said that I asked my Father about Muhammad but he replied that he was unaware of his existence.

(Meezaan ul I’tidaal, biography of Muhammad bin Khalid)

Another narrator of these narrations is called Abdul Jabbar bin Wyle.

Hafidh Asqalani writes:

Imam Bukhari, Imam Tirmidhi and Imam ibn Habbaan said that bin Wyle had never heard any Hadith from his Father. The other scholars of Hadith say that he was born after his Father's death that is why it’s not possible that he would have heard any Hadith from his Father. Imam Ibn Sa’ad said that ibn Wyle has only narrated a few Hadith.
(Tahdheeb ut-tahdheeb, biography of Abdul Jabbar bin Wyle)
Abdul Jabbaar’s narrations cannot be used as evidence because he said that he narrated directly from his Father whereas his Father had died before his birth.
Is-haaq bin Ibrahim az Zubedi was another narrator of these narrations
Imam Dhahabi writes:
Imam Dawood and Imam Nasaaee said that he had no knowledge of Hadith and he was not authentic. Imam Atee said that he was a liar.
(Meezaan ul I’tidaal, biography of Is-haaq bin Ibraaheem uz Zubaidi)
Another narrator of these narrations is called Abdullah bin Salim.
Imam Dhahabi writes:
He was a NAasbee (from a misled sect), Abdullah bin Salim contempted Hadrat Ali (Radiall hu anhu) and he used to say that Hadrat Ali (Radiall hu anhu) helped those people who killed Hadrat Abu Bakr (Radiall hu anhu) and Hadrat Umar (Radiall hu anhu).

(Meezaan ul ‘itidaal, biography of Abdullah bin Salim)

Another narrator of these narrations is Isma’il bin Muslim Makkee.
Imam Dhahabi and Hafidh Asqalani write:
Imam Ahmad, Imam Abu Zurah, Imam Nasaaee, Imam Ali, and Imam Bukhari say that he is weak and that he narrates unknown Hadith. This is why the scholars of Hadith began to avoid his narrations. Imam ibn Mo’een said that he combined the text from one Hadith into another.
(Meezaan ul I’tidaal, tahdheeb ut-tahdheeb, biography of Isma’il bin Muslim Makkee)
How can the above narrations be used as evidence when the narrators of these Ahadith have been highly criticized by the scholars of Hadith. The Ahadith that have been narrated by these narrators cannot be authentic; they can only prove that “Amin” is to be said loudly by the Imam, not that the followers say Amin loudly together with the Imam. If this was the case, the narrators of these Ahadith who are the companions of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) should have said “When the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) said Amin loudly, we also said Amin loudly. But they only reported that the Prophet said Amin loudly.
It is established that the Imam says Amin loudly sometimes. The way of the companions was to follow this and to listen to the Amin quietly, not to read Amin loudly themselves. Secondly, there are other Ahadith that mention that the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to say Amin silently.

Imam Ibn Abi Shaibah writes:

Wyle reported that he performed Salaah behind the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) and he said Amin silently.

(Musannaf ibn Abee Shaiba. Chapter Ta’meen)

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal writes:
Wyle reported that the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) led the Salaah and said Amin silently.

(Musnad Ahmad bin Hambal, narrations of Wyle bin Hajjar)

Both of the above narrations prove that when the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) led the Salaah, he said Amin silently.
Imam Abu Dawood writes:
When the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) led the Salaah, after saying “Waladdaalleen”, he became silent.

(Abu Dawood. Chapter Al Qiraa’t)

The above narration proves that when the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) became silent, it was to say Amin silently. If the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) was to say Amin loudly then, there was no point in Him remaining silent after saying “Waladdaalleen”.
Let us now examine the evidence of those people who say Amin loudly behind the Imam.

First Evidence

Imam Bukhari writes:

Ata bin Rubah said that “Amin” is a du’a. Abd Allah and the people who were behind him said Amin loudly and this sound echoed throughout the masjid.
(Bukhari. Chapter on ta’meen)
They conclude from this Hadith that Amin should be said loudly so that the sound echoes throughout the masjid. We argue that although this narration is written in Bukhari, but he did not write the chain of this narration. Imam Bukhari was born at the very end of the 2^nd century after Hijrah and Abdullah bin Zubair died in the 73^rd year of Hijrah. This means that Imam Bukhari was born 125 years after the death of Abdullah bin Zubair. How could Bukhari know that the masjid echoed with the sound of Amin, at the time of Abdullah bin Zubair?

Ta’leeq (To Suspend)
When a scholar of Hadith writes a Hadith without mentioning the chain between himself and the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace), or he mentions a little part of the chain, a Hadith such as this is called Hadith Mu’allaq (suspended Hadith). This is because this type of Hadith is chain-less. The scholars of Hadith call it a suspended Hadith.
Hafidh Asqalani writes:
When a scholar of Hadith writes a chainless Hadith directly from the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) or from a companion, or a student of a companion, this type of narration is not accepted because he never met the companion of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) or the companion’s student. It is not known whether the narrators, which he does not mention, are authentic or weak. The majority of scholars of Hadith agree that if a scholar, who writes a chainless Hadith, claims that the narrators are authentic, his claim will not be accepted until he mentions their names. Both Muslim and Bukhari contain some chain-less Hadith which cannot be accepted.
(Sharh un nukhbah and muqaddamah Fath ul Baari. Chapter on Hadith Mu’allaq by Hafidh Asqalani)
According to the majority of scholars chainless narrations are not acceptable. Ibn Zubair’s above narration is a chain-less narration and so it cannot be accepted as evidence. Secondly, it is not clear from Ibn Zubair’s narration if the followers said “Amin” after “Waladdaalleen” or during the du’a in the Fajr Salaah. It is also not clear if the followers in the Salaah said Amin in all their Salaah or just once. Thirdly, it doesn’t say that the Prophet ordered to say Amin. The above mentioned Hadith cannot be used to prove that Amin should be said behind the Imam.