Amin and Salat

The following is an excerpt from “The Study Quran,” page 63 from the Internet Archive, on the last paragraph of the commentary for al-Fatihah. In this section, it discusses the tradition of saying “ʾĀmīn” ( آمين ) after reciting the Fateah in the Salat by the congregation.

According to a ḥadīth, “When the prayer leader says, Not of those who incur wrath, nor of those who are astray, you must say, Āmīn, for if one’s utterance of āmīn coincides with that of the angels, his past sins will be forgiven” (IK, Q). Upon the completion of the Fātiḥah, it is thus customary among Sunni Muslims to say Āmīn after a brief moment of silence, which serves to distinguish this utterance from the Quran itself (Q). It is not considered obligatory, but is reported to have been the custom of the Prophet and is strongly recommended by Sunni scholars (IK). Some advocate saying it aloud, while others recommend saying it under one’s breath (Q). Most understand āmīn to mean, “O God! Answer us,” which functions as a supplication (IK, Q). Others say that it is one of the Names of God (Q), while others say it means, “Thus shall it be” (Q). This last meaning is closest to the meaning of the Hebrew cognate “Amen.” In this sense, it is a declaration of affirmation and is understood as the seal upon one’s prayers (Q).

What I find particularly interesting is that there is no certainty as to what precisely this word means, let alone how it got added to the Salat. Many falsely assume that this is from the same word as ( ءَامِن ), which is phonetically the same, but a different word that means “safe” or “secure.” So not only have traditionalists decided that Bismillah should not be included in Salat, but they also decided that this word of dubious meaning is to be added to the Salat.