It is upon the follower to delay his taʿmīn behind the taʿmīn of the Imām by the extent of a letter or two letters so that the taʿmīn of the follower follows the taʿmīn of the imām and coincides with it in some of the letters.

The statement “aamīn”, is a sunnah for the imām and for the follower.  It is a sunnah for the imām in the audible prayer; he raises his voice with it after the recitation of al-Fātiḥah, saying aamīn. And it is a sunnah for the follower; he raises his voice with it once the Imām reaches his saying:

غَيْرِ آلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِم وَ لا آلضَّآلِّين

“Not the path of those who have earned your anger, nor those who have gone astray”
[Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, 1:7]

He is to say: Āmīn.

The scholars, may Allāh have mercy upon them, have mentioned that this place is from the places wherein the taʿmīn (saying aamīn) of the Imām coincides with the taʿmīn of the follower.  I asked Shaykh Nāṣir al-Dīn al-Albānī, may Allāh have mercy upon him, during his visit to the Kingdom of Saudi al-ʿArabīa in the year 1406h., about the issue of the taʿmīn of the follower with the taʿmīn of the imām; the shaykh, may Allāh have mercy upon him, said:  “It is upon the follower to delay his ta’meen behind the ta’meen of the Imām by the extent of a letter or two letters so that the ta’meen of the follower follows the ta’meen of the imām and coincides with it in some of the letters.  So when the Imām says:  ‘aamīn,’ the follower begins the saying of: ‘aamīn;’ therefore he and the imām coincide in some of the letters of the word.  The imām is to precede him by a letter or two letters from the word.  In doing so, agreement between the Imām and follower in the saying of aamīn is attained in some of the letters from the word; and by that the ta’meen of the follower occurring immediately after the taʿmīn of the Imām, is attained.”¹

Endnotes:

[1] Taken from Explanation of the Prophet’s Prayer Described

Translated by: Raha ibn Donald Batts