Short answer
Yes. Muslims say Ameen, which means "O Allah, answer". It is sunnah to say it after Surah al-Fatiha, in and out of salah, and at the end of a dua. In the Hanafi school it is said quietly in salah, even in the prayers recited aloud; the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools say it aloud in those prayers.
Saying Ameen after al-Fatiha is sunnah for the imam, the follower and the one praying alone, and it is said silently. It is not part of al-Fatiha. Saying Ameen to a dua, your own or someone else's, is mustahabb.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Ameen is said aloud by the imam and the followers in the prayers in which the recitation is aloud.
- Hanbali
- Same as the Shafi'i school: aloud in the loud prayers.
- Maliki
- The follower and the one praying alone say it quietly; in the loud prayers the well-known view is that the imam does not say it and the followers do.
Explanation
Ameen (also spelt Amin or Amen) is a word of request: "O Allah, accept" or "O Allah, answer". It is the same word that Jews and Christians say at the end of prayers, and Muslims say it too, with the vowel of the first syllable stretched: Aameen. See Ameen for its pronunciation.
In salah. After the imam finishes al-Fatiha with wa lad-dallin, everyone says Ameen. The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever's Ameen coincides with the Ameen of the angels has his past sins forgiven. The Hanafi scholars hold that it is said quietly, because it is a dua and the basic rule for dua is quietness, and they rely on the narration of Wa'il ibn Hujr through Shu'bah, quoted by al-Tirmidhi, that he said Ameen and lowered his voice with it (al-Tirmidhi himself preferred Sufyan's narration, which says he drew it out), and on reports from Companions such as Umar and Ibn Mas'ud. The other schools hold that it is said aloud in Fajr, Maghrib and Isha. Each school has hadith for its view, so both practices are valid and no one should argue over it.
Outside salah. Say Ameen after reciting al-Fatiha, at the end of your own dua, and when someone else makes dua, such as the imam in qunut or after a talk. Ameen is not a word of the Quran, so it is never written in the mushaf.
For the full manners of asking Allah, see how to make dua properly.
The evidence
Sahih al-Bukhari 780
Sahih... إذا أمن الإمام فأمنوا فإنه من وافق تأمينه تأمين الملائكة غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه ...
"When the imam says Ameen, say Ameen, for whoever's Ameen coincides with the Ameen of the angels will have his past sins forgiven."
Saying Ameen after al-Fatiha is a sunnah with great reward.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 248
Grading to be checked... قال آمين وخفض بها صوته ...
"He said Ameen and lowered his voice with it."
Shu'bah's narration, which the Hanafis rely on for saying Ameen quietly. Al-Tirmidhi quotes it in this hadith but preferred Sufyan's narration that he drew out his voice.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Salah, chapter on the description of the prayer. The imam and the follower say Ameen quietly.
- al-Majmu' (Nawawi), Kitab al-Salah, the discussion of Ameen. The Shafi'i view that it is said aloud in the loud prayers.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.