Question: Does the follower in congregational Salah say both “Sami’ Allahu liman Hamidah and Rabbana wa lakal Hamd“? What about the Imam and what about the one praying by himself?
Answer:
Note: The tasmī’ is the saying of “Sami’ Allahu liman Ḥamidah سمع الله لمن حمده” and the Taḥmīd is the saying of “Rabbanā walakal Ḥamd or Rabbana Lakal Hamd ربنا ولك الحمد”.
A common mistake of Shāfi’īs in ṣalāh is that when they follow the Imām in congregational prayer, they do not say both the tasmī’ and the taḥmīd, but only say the taḥmīd. The mu’tamad (relied upon) view of the Shāfi’ī madhhab is that the follower, the Imām, and the one praying by her/himself is to say both the taḥmīd and the tasmī’.
Imām An-Nawawī says in his Majmū’:
“Ash-Shāfi’ī and his companions said, ‘The [ruling] of recommendation (mustahabb) for these remembrances (adhkār) are the same for Imām, the one following an Imam, and the one praying by himself. Every single person is to say both ‘Sami’ Allahu liman ḥamidah’ and ‘Rabbanā lakal ḥamd.’ There is no disagreement (khilāf) in our school regarding this matter.” [Vol. 3 page 391]
He says further down in the Majmū’,
“And we have already mentioned that one is to say at the time of rising [from bowing] ‘Sami’ Allahu liman ḥamidah’ and when he has stood straight up from rising he is to say ‘Rabbanā Lakal ḥamd until the end of the du’ā’’, and that it is mustaḥabb (recommended) that both of these remembrances are said in combination by the Imam, the one following an Imam, and the one praying by his/herself. Those who hold this view are ‘Aṭā’, Abū Burdah, Muḥammad ibn Sirīn, Isḥāq and Dāwūd.” [Vol. 3 page 393]
Ibn Naqīb Al-Masrī states in his ‘Umdat As-Sālik,
“The optimal way is to raise the hands and the head together, saying ‘Sami’ Allahu liman Ḥamidah – Allah hears whoever praises Him’. This is aid whether one is imam, follower, or praying alone. When one is standing upright, one says, ‘Rabbana lakal Ḥamdu mila`as – samawāti wal-Arḍi wa mila`a mā shi`ata min shay`in ba’du translated as ‘Our Lord, all praise is Yours, heavensful, earthful, and-whatever-else-You-will-full.”1
The Proofs for Our Madhhab’s View:
The hadith of Abū Hurayrah that the Prophet Muḥammad (ṣalla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would say ‘Sami’ Allāhu liman ḥamidah’ and then He would say, ‘Allahumma Rabbanā wa lakal-ḥamd’. [Sahīh Al-Bukhārī and Muslim]
From Hudhayfah that the Prophet Muhammad would say when raising his head from bowing: ‘Sami’ Allahu liman ḥamidah, Rabbanā lakal ḥamd’. [Sahīh Muslim]
Ibn Abi Awfā’ also narrated that the Prophet Muhammad would say both too. [Sahih Muslim in his Kitāb As-Ṣalah, Ibn Mājah in his Sunan, and Sunan Abū Dāwūd 846]
Imam ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (‘alayhis salām, Karam Allahu wajhuh) also reported that when Rasūlullah (‘alayhis salat wa salām) would raise his head from bowing he would say, ‘Sami’ Allāhu liman ḥamidah. Rabbanā wa lakal ḥamd […until the end of the du’ā’].” [Reported in Sunan At-Tirmidhī 266 who declared it Ḥasan Sahīh, Saḥīh Muslim in his chapter of the salah of a traveller, and in Musnad At-Tayālisī, At-Taḥqīq of Ibn Al-Jawzī #568, Al-Bayhaqi in his Ma’rifah, and Abū Dāwūd in his Sunan]
Imām An-Nawawī states, “And it is established in Sahīh Al-Bukhārī that the Prophet Muhammad said, “Pray as you have seen me pray!” This [hadith and the above hadith] necessitates that every person making Salah, combines between the two [remembrances]. And this is also because what is mentioned for the Imām [in the way of remembrance] as recommended is also recommended for others in their prayer, such as the tasbīḥ (saying Subḥān Allah) in the bowing position etc.” [Majmū’]
Another proof is reported by Imām Ad-Dāraquṭnī in his Sunan from Abū Hurayrah (raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu) who said that the Prophet Muhammad said, “When the Imām says, ‘Sami’ Allahu liman ḥamidah’ those behind him should also say ‘Sami’ Allahu liman ḥamidah’.” (It is also reported by Ibn Al-Jawzī in his Taḥqīq. The editor of the Sunan Majdi ibn Mansūr states that this hadith is Saḥīḥ (rigorously authentic). However, Ad-Dāraquṭnī considered it less preserved than the hadith that states “Rabbanā lakal Ḥamd” in place of the second Sami’ Allahu liman ḥamidah.
Conclusion
One should note that this act is a recommended act, and that the disagreement of the Muslim Jurists (fuquha) regarding this issue is one based upon differing interpretations. Imam Ash-Shawkani states in his Nayl Al-Awtar that Imams Ath-Thawri, Al-Awza’i, and a report from Imam Malik maintain that the Imam and the one praying by himself are to say both the tasmi’ and the tahmid. However, the one following the Imam only says Rabbana wa lakal Hamd. He reports from the two Hanafi Imams, Abu Yusuf and Muhammad Ash-Shaybani that the Imam and one praying by himself say both, but the follower says “Sami’ Allahu liman Hamida” not the tahmid. Abu Hanifah, he says, held that the Imam and the one praying by himself should only say the tasmi’ and not the tahmid, whereas the follower only says the tahmid. Ibn Al-Mundhir also reported this view from Malik and Ahmad, and Ibn Al-Mundhir held this view for himself. [Vol 2 page 109 pub. Dar Al-Wafa’] Sunni Muslims have always held that each of the fiqh schools are correct within their own principles, and that disagreement in these issues are not to be frowned upon, but celebrated, as the early Muslims used to say: The [legal] disagreement of this nation is a Mercy!
The Shafi’i madhhab’s view is that the Imam, the one praying by himself, and the follower in congregation are to say both the tasmi’ and the tahmid in Salah due to the proofs presented above. Regarding other seemingly conflicting evidence, Hafidh Ibn Hajar Al-’Asqalani pointed out that the other ahadith do not explicitly negate the Shafi’i view. Therefore, by reconciling [jam’], both the imam and the follower are to say both. (Fath al-Bari 2/229)
We ask Allah to bless our beloved Master Muhammad, his followers, and the fuquha’ who strove for truth Amin! And Allah, the mighty and majestic, always knows best!
Compiled by: Abu Layth
Checked by: Ml Yaqub Abdurrahman
- translation by Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller with slight editing by us [↩]