In the Name of Allaah…

Dr. Muhammad Baazmool (may Allaah preserve him) mentioned that there is no specified answer from the Sunnah to Jazaak Allaahu Khayran, read here.

To add something to that: The phrase “Jazaak Allaahu Khayran“ (may Allaah reward you well) is something that is from the Sunnah to be said to express thanks or praise, due to the hadeeth:

 مَنْ صُنِعَ إِلَيْهِ مَعْرُوفٌ فَقَالَ لِفَاعِلِهِ: جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا. فَقَدْ أَبْلَغَ فِي الثَّنَاء.

On the authority of Usaamah Ibn Zayd, he said that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said: “Whoever has had something nice done for him and then says to his companion, ‘Jazaak Allaahu Khayran,’ then he has surely excelled in praising (him).”

Al-Albaanee authenticated it in Saheeh Sunan At-Tirmithee #2035 (2/392).

So then it is not like other phrases found in the Sunnah that have specified answers, like:

1) Al-Hamdulillaah — Yarhamukallaah — Yahdeekumullaahu wa Yuslihu Baalakum

2) As-Salaamu ‘alaykum — wa ‘Alaykumus-Salaam

3) Uhibbuka fillaah — Ahabbak Allaahul-lathee Ahbabtanee feeh, etc

These are all supported by evidences. We may not say that the response to a certain phrase must be such-and-such except with evidence.

So then a person may respond to “Jazaak Allaahu Khayran” with any number of Arabic phrases that make sense, like:

• Aameen wa iyyaak
• Wa jazaak
• Aameen wa jazaak
• Wa iyyaak kathaalik
• Wa iyyaanaa ajma’een
• Wa iyyaak bi’ashri amthaalihaa, etc.

Or other phrases in English:

• Aameen, and to you brother
• Aameen, to you likewise
• And may He reward you too
• And to you
• To you the same, etc.

And this is done without clinging to any one phrase. So actually “Aameen Wa Iyyaak“ is a very sensible reply in Arabic. The shaykh only made a difference between saying it sometimes and saying it as if it is legislated in the Deen.

So we have to make a note here since many of us fall into this when we are learning Arabic. The phrase “Kayfa Haaluk“ does not have a legislated answer. It is not a must to reply, “Tayyib wal-Hamdulillaah.”  This is simply something taught since it is a common conversation, like “How are you?” and “I’m fine.”  It should not be taken as legislation, meaning that when you hear someone say, “Jayyid walillaahil-Hamd“ you correct him.  Rather many of us stick to “Tayyib wal-Hamdulillaah“ since it is the only phrase we know in Arabic. We do not intend to make it deen, but it is unfortunately our constant, unchanging answer to “Kayfa Haaluk“.

Likewise, “Aameen Wa Iyyaak.” It is just something we were taught as a conversation.  “Jazaak Allaahu Khayran, Aameen Wa Iyyaak“  its fine like that, it makes sense. But we have to realize it is not Deen. The specific phrase of “Jazaak Allaahu Khayran“ is Deen, but the reply is left up to how ever you want to answer. I am not suggesting that you must learn all those phrases I mentioned above and meanwhile you have a lot of legislated supplications to still learn, but you could simply not reply sometimes when someone says “Jazaak Allaahu Khayran“ as there is no obligatory or recommended reply needed. You could also mix up “Aameen, Wa Iyyaak“ with a simple “Aameen” or simply “Wa Iyyaak“, and sometimes no reply. Here you have four different answers. I hope I am not complicating this issue, may Allaah forgive me.

Additional note: The word ‘Aameen’ is legislated in general for Du’aa’. So a person may say Aameen based on that, but not because it is specifically related to this Du’aa’.

And it has been related that when ‘Aa’ishah, (radhiyallaah ‘anhaa) had heard the Du’aa’ of those who received some charity, saying, “Baarak Allaahu Feekum“ she replied “Wa Feehim Baarak Allaahu“ and she used to reply to their supplications in a way similar to how the people worded their supplication. See: ‘Amal al-Yowm wal-Laylah of an-Nasaa’ee (no.303).

Here is one hadeeth that shows the generality of saying “Aameen” to someone’s Du’aa:

On the authority of Jaabir ibn Samurah, may Allaah be pleased with him, the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) ascended the mimbar and said, “Aameen, Aameen, Aameen.” And then he (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

أَتَانِي جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ مَنْ أَدْرَكَ أَحَدَ وَالِدَيْهِ فَمَاتَ، فَدَخَلَ النَّارَ فَأَبْعَدَهُ اللَّهُ، فَقُلْ: آمِينَ. قُلْتُ: آمِينَ “. قَالَ: ” يَا مُحَمَّدُ، مَنْ أَدْرَكَ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ فَمَاتَ، فَلَمْ يُغْفَرْ لَهُ فَأُدْخِلَ النَّارَ فَأَبْعَدَهُ اللَّهُ، قُلْ: آمِينَ فَقُلْتُ: آمِينَ “. قَالَ: ” وَمَنْ ذُكِرْتَ عِنْدَهُ فَلَمْ يُصَلِّ عَلَيْكَ، فَمَاتَ فَدَخَلَ النَّارَ فَأَبْعَدَهُ اللَّهُ. قُلْ: آمِينَ فَقُلْتُ: آمِينَ “.

Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to me and said, ‘O Muhammad! Whoever lives to see his parents (getting old), and he dies and goes to the Fire (because of his lack of dutifulness to them), may Allaah distance him! Say: Aameen.’ So I said, ‘Aameen.’ He said: ‘O Muhammad! Whoever reaches the month of Ramdhaan and then dies and is not forgiven (since he missed the oppurtunities to be forgiven in Ramadhaan) and is made to enter the Fire, then may Allaah distance him!  Say Aameen.’ So I said: ‘Aameen.’ Then he said, ‘And whoever you have been mentioned in his presence and he does not send salaah upon you (asking Allaah to raise your mention), and then he dies and goes to the Fire (because of that), then may Allaah distance him! Say Aameen.’ So I said: ‘Aameen.'”

Reference: Saheeh At-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb (#2491).

You all know the Hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah, when she heard the Jew saying “As-Saam ‘alaykum” (Death be unto you) to the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam).  If not, review it, it is mentioned in this article.

Ibn Khuzaymah brings an additional wording to the story, that when the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) rebuked ‘Aa’ishah for what she said to the Jews, he then said:

…إن اليهود قوم حسد، وهم لا يحسدونا على شيء كما يحسدونا على السلام، وعلى آمين.

“Verily the Jews are a envious group of people, and they do not envy us over anything more than they envy us over the ‘Salaam’ and ‘Aameen'”

The hadeeth was collected by Ibn Khuzaymah in his Saheeh (1/73/2), according to Al-Albaanee, who declared its chain to be authentic in his Saheehah (no.691).

It is also found in Sunan Ibn Maajah (#856 of Ma’rifah’s printing) with a similar wording. As-Sindee [d.1138] said, “(They are jealous) over the Salaam and the Aameen due to what they know about their virtues and blessings. So the meaning is: So what is befitting for you is to use them both a lot.” (Sharh As-Sindee 1/466)

Imaam Muslim brings a hadeeth in his Saheeh (no.2732), on the authority of Aboo Ad-Dardaa’, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

عن أبي الدرداء رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنهُ ن رَسُول اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّم كان يقول: دعوة المرء المسلم لأخيه بظهر الغيب مستجابة؛ عند رأسه ملَك موَكّل كلما دعا لأخيه بخير قال الملَك الموكل به: آمين ولك بمثل.

“The supplication of a Muslim man for his brother in his absence is accepted. Every time he prays for good things for his brother, an angel near his head, the one assigned to him, says: Aameen and to you likewise.”

This shows that saying ‘Aameen’ to supplications is from the Sunnah of the Angels as well.

Al-Jassaas said in his book Ahkaam Al-Qur’aan, in his Tafseer of Soorah Yoonus:

قوله تعالى: { قَدْ أُجِيبَتْ دَعْوَتُكُمَا } أضاف الدعاء إليهما، قال أبو العالية وعكرمة ومحمد بن كعب والربيع بن موسى:     ” كان موسى يدعو وهارون يؤمن فسماهما الله داعيين “. وهذا يدل على أن آمين دعاء، وإذا ثبت أنه دعاء فإخفاؤه أفضل من الجهر به لقوله تعالى: { ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعاً وَخُفْيَةً } [ الأعراف:55 ] آخر سورة يونس عليه السلام.

“As for Allaah’s Statement: (Verily (both of) your supplication has been answered ), then He ascribed the supplication to both of them (Moosaa and Haaroon). Aboo Al-‘Aaliyah, ‘Ikrimah, Muhammad Ibn Ka’b, and ar-Rabee’ Ibn Moosaa said, ‘Moosaa was supplicating and Haaroon was saying ‘Aameen’, so Allaah referred to both of them as making supplications.'”

If this Tafseer is correct, it shows that the phrase ‘Aameen’ was from the Sunnah of the previous Prophets as well.

Ibn Al-‘Arabee says in his Ahkaam Al-Qur’aan, in his Tafseer of Soorah Al-Faatihah, regarding the meaning of the word, “Aameen”:

معنى لفظ آمين : في تفسير هذه اللفظة: وفي ذلك ثلاثة أقوال:

قيل: إنها اسم من أسماء الله تعالى، ولا يصح نقله ولا ثبت قوله.
الثاني: قيل معناه اللهم استجب، وضعت موضع الدعاء اختصارا.
الثالث: قيل معناه كذلك يكون، والأوسط أصح وأوسط.

“There are three positions about this. Firstly it is said that it is one of the Names of Allaah, but that is not authentically relayed, nor is it an established statement. Secondly, it has been said that is means: ‘O Allaah, respond!’ And it takes the place of a supplication like an abbreviation. Thirdly, it is said that it means: ‘Let it be like that.’ The more balanced and correct opinion is the middle one (i.e. the second one).”

Written by: Moosaa Richardson

ST Archives – Originally Published 11-29-2002