The ''takbīr'' (, , ) is the name for the Arabic phrase ' (, , ).Wensinck, A.J., "Takbīr", in: Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs. Consulted online on 09 September 2023 First published online: 2012 It is a common Arabic expression, used in various contexts by

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

s around the world: in formal

salah ''Salah'' (, also spelled ''salat'') is the practice of formal worship in Islam, consisting of a series of ritual prayers performed at prescribed times daily. These prayers, which consist of units known as ''rak'ah'', include a specific s ...

(prayer), in the

adhan The (, ) is the Islamic call to prayer, usually recited by a muezzin, traditionally from the minaret of a mosque, shortly before each of the five obligatory daily prayers. The adhan is also the first phrase said in the ear of a newborn baby, ...

(Islamic call to prayer), in

Hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...

, as an informal expression of faith, in times of distress or joy, or to express resolute determination or defiance. The phrase is the official motto of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

and

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. It is also used by Orthodox

Arab Christians Arab Christians () are the Arabs who adhere to Christianity. The number of Arab Christians who live in the Middle East was estimated in 2012 to be between 10 and 15 million. Arab Christian communities can be found throughout the Arab world, bu ...

as an expression of faith. Emma Bennett
What does Allahu Akbar mean?
The Telegraph (UK), 12 June 2016.

Etymology

The Arabic word () means ''big'' from the

Semitic root The roots of verbs and most nouns in the Semitic languages are characterized as a sequence of consonants or " radicals" (hence the term consonantal root). Such abstract consonantal roots are used in the formation of actual words by adding the vowel ...

'. A

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymological ancestor in a common parent language. Because language change can have radical effects on both the s ...

word for this root exists in

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

as (). The Arabic word ( ) is the elative form ("bigger, biggest") of the

adjective An adjective (abbreviations, abbreviated ) is a word that describes or defines a noun or noun phrase. Its semantic role is to change information given by the noun. Traditionally, adjectives are considered one of the main part of speech, parts of ...

("big"). When used in the it is usually translated as "biggest", but some authors translate it as "bigger". The term ' itself is the stem II

verbal noun Historically, grammarians have described a verbal noun or gerundial noun as a verb form that functions as a noun. An example of a verbal noun in English is 'sacking' as in the sentence "The ''sacking'' of the city was an epochal event" (wherein ...

of the root , meaning "big", from which ''akbar'' "bigger" is derived. The form ' is a

nominative In grammar, the nominative case ( abbreviated ), subjective case, straight case, or upright case is one of the grammatical cases of a noun or other part of speech, which generally marks the subject of a verb, or (in Latin and formal variants of E ...

of ''

Allah Allah ( ; , ) is an Arabic term for God, specifically the God in Abrahamic religions, God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with God in Islam, Islam (in which it is also considered the proper name), althoug ...

'', meaning "

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

".Böwering, Gerhard, ''God and His Attributes'', Encyclopaedia of the Qurʼān, Brill, 2007. The is sometimes translated into English as "God is greater", which is short for "God is greater than all" (). It is an example of an Arabic idiom where an incomplete sentence, abbreviated because of its familiarity, is considered grammatically correct.

Usage in Islamic rituals

This phrase is recited by

s in many different situations.

In prayer

The phrase is said during each stage of both

(obligatory prayers, performed five times a day), and nafl (supererogatory prayers, performed at will). The call to prayer by the ''

muezzin The muezzin (; ), also spelled mu'azzin, is the person who proclaims the call to the daily prayer ( ṣalāt) five times a day ( Fajr prayer, Zuhr prayer, Asr prayer, Maghrib prayer and Isha prayer) at a mosque from the minaret. The muezzin ...

'' to those outside the mosque (''

'') and the call to those inside to line up for the commencement of prayer (''

iqama The ''iqama'' () is the second Islamic call to prayer, recited after the ''adhan''. It summons those already in the mosque to line up for prayer (''salah''). It is traditionally given a more rapid and less sonorous rendering than the ''adhan'', ...

'') also contain the phrase. While there are many short prayers like it, the is used more frequently than any other.

Following births and deaths

The phrase is used after the birth of a child as a means of praising God. It is also part of Islamic funeral and burial customs.

During the Eid Festival and the Hajj

During the festival of

Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second of the two main festivals in Islam alongside Eid al-Fitr. It falls on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijja, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. Celebrations and observances are generally carried forward to the ...

and the days preceding it, Muslims recite the '. This is particularly the case on the

Day of Arafah The Day of Arafah () is an Islamic holiday that falls on the ninth day of Dhu al-Hijjah of the lunar Islamic calendar. It is the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage and is followed by the holiday of Eid al-Adha. At dawn of this day, Muslim pilg ...

During the halal slaughter of animals

In the process of pronouncing the name of God while performing

Dhabihah In Islamic law, ''dhabihah'' (; ), also spelled ''zabiha'', is the prescribed method of slaughter for halal animals (excluding fish, which are exempt from this requirement). It consists of a swift, deep incision to the throat with a very sharp kn ...

one must say .

Other social usage

The expression ' can be used in a variety of situations, from celebrations to times of grief. In a historical account by someone who was present both at the birth of the ruler

Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam (; May 624October/November 692) was the leader of a caliphate based in Mecca that rivaled the Umayyads from 683 until his death. The son of al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Asma bint Abi Bakr, and grandson of ...

(7th century) and at his funeral, the author observes that ' was said on both occasions.

In times of joy and gratitude

The ' can be used to express joy or surprise. It is also used as applause in religious contexts, such as after a Quran recital, as other forms of applause are considered less appropriate. It is used to celebrate an election win. As a multi-purpose phrase, it is sometimes used by Arab football commentators as an expression of amazement, or even as a

football chant A football chant or terrace chant is a form of vocalisation performed by supporters of association football, typically during football matches. Football chanting is an expression of collective identity, most often used by fans to express their ...

In battle

Historically, the ' has been used as a cry of victory during battle.

Ibn Ishaq Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar al-Muttalibi (; – , known simply as Ibn Ishaq, was an 8th-century Muslim historian and hagiographer who collected oral traditions that formed the basis of an important biography of the Islamic proph ...

's 8th century ''Life of Muhammed'' narrates two occasions when

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

proclaimed the ' during battle.

Iran

During the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

of 1979, it was shouted from rooftops in Iran during the evenings as a form of protest. The ' was later adopted as the official motto of Iran. This practice returned in the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests, which protested the election results.

Usage by extremists and terrorists

The phrase has been used as a battle cry by Islamic extremists and terrorists. However, this usage has been denounced by other Muslims. Professor Khaled A. Beydoun, author of ''The New Crusades: Islamophobia and the Global War on Muslims'' (2023), writes that the association of the phrase "Allah Akbar" with terrorism has been exacerbated by mass media and television pundits. He adds that films and shows also utilize it as a cinematic trope further cementing the association.

In politics

In India,

Asaduddin Owaisi Asaduddin Owaisi (born 13 May 1969) is an Indian politician who is serving as the third and current president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) since 2008. He is a five time Member of Parliament (India), Member of Parliame ...

, president of the AIMIM and Abu Taher Khan, representing TMC, after being elected as members of the Indian Parliament, ended their oath with the slogan of "Allahu Akbar".

Usage by Christians

The phrase (Allah; meaning God in English) is only used by

in third person view, and is rarely mentioned during prayers or church service. The Palestinian Christians use Allah in their prayer to refer to the creator of the world, and the takbir as an expression of their faith. The use of takbir has been defended by Theodosios Hanna, the Palestinian Orthodox

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

of Sebastia.

Use on flags

Afghanistan

The Afghan constitution that came into force on January 4, 2004, required that ''Allāhu akbar'' be inscribed on the flag of the

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was a presidential republic in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2021. The state was established to replace the Afghan Afghan Interim Administration, interim (2001–2002) and Transitional Islamic State of Afghanist ...

. After the

2021 Taliban offensive The 2021 Taliban offensive was a Offensive (military), military offensive by the Taliban insurgent group and allied militants that led to the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the end of the nearly 20-year War in Afghanistan (200 ...

, the flag of the first emirate was readopted, and thus the ''takbīr'' removed from the flag.

Iran

''Allāhu akbar'' is written in stylized form across the bottom of the green stripe and the top of the red stripe of the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran, adopted in 1980.

Iraq

The phrase ''Allāhu akbar'' is written on the center of the

flag of Iraq Since the 14 July Revolution, 1958 Iraqi coup d'état, the various republican governments of Iraq have used a number of different flags, all featuring the Pan-Arab colours, pan-Arab colors of green, black, white, and red. The current official and ...

. During the

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

in January 1991,

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...

held a meeting with top military commanders, where it was decided to add the words ''Allāhu akbar'' (described as the Islamic

battle cry A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group. Battle cries are not necessarily articulate (e.g. "Eulaliaaaa!", "Alala"..), although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religio ...

) to Iraq's flag to boost his secular regime's religious credentials, casting himself as the leader of an Islamic army. Hussein described the flag as "the banner of jihad and monotheism". In 2004, the US-picked

Iraqi Governing Council The Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) was the provisional government of Iraq from 13 July 2003 to 1 June 2004. It was established by and served under the United States-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). The IGC consisted of various Iraqi ...

approved a new flag for Iraq that abandoned symbols of Hussein's regime, such as the words ''Allāhu akbar''. In January 2008, however, Iraq's

parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

passed a law to change the flag by leaving in the phrase, but changing the

calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...

of the words ''Allāhu akbar'', which had been a copy of Hussein's handwriting, to a

Kufic The Kufic script () is a style of Arabic script, that gained prominence early on as a preferred script for Quran transcription and architectural decoration, and it has since become a reference and an archetype for a number of other Arabic scripts ...

script. The Iraqi flag under Hussein had each of the two words of the phrase written in one of the spaces between the stars on the central band; the flag adopted in 2008 decided to leave the phrase in, removes the stars.

Other uses

A resistance movement that fought British rule in

Waziristan Waziristan (Persian language, Persian, Pashto, Ormuri, , ) is a mountainous region of the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Waziristan region administratively splits among three districts: North Waziristan, Lower South Waziristan Dis ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

, used a red flag bearing ''Allāhu akbar'' in white letters. The flag used by the Houthis in Yemen also includes bearing ''Allāhu akbar'' in green letters. File:Flag of Iraq.svg,

Flag of Iraq Since the 14 July Revolution, 1958 Iraqi coup d'état, the various republican governments of Iraq have used a number of different flags, all featuring the Pan-Arab colours, pan-Arab colors of green, black, white, and red. The current official and ...

, with stylized Kufic script, introduced in 2008 File:Flag of Iran.svg,

Flag of Iran The national flag of the Iran, Islamic Republic of Iran, also known as the ''Tricolour Flag of Iran'' (), is a tricolour (flag), tricolour featuring the Pan-Iranian colors comprising equal horizontal bands of green, white and red with the embl ...

, introduced in 1980 File:Flag of Afghanistan (2013–2021).svg, Former flag of Afghanistan, with the phrase beneath the

Shahada The ''Shahada'' ( ; , 'the testimony'), also transliterated as ''Shahadah'', is an Islamic oath and creed, and one of the Five Pillars of Islam and part of the Adhan. It reads: "I bear witness that there is no Ilah, god but God in Islam, God ...

, used from 2004 to 2021 File:Flag of Waziristan resistance (1930s).svg, Flag of 1930s Waziristan (Pakistan) resistance movement

References

Sources

* *

External links

Essay on the ''takbir''
at ''

Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...

'' * {{Authority control Islamic terminology Superlatives in religion Religious formulas Dhikr National mottos

Etymology

Usage in Islamic rituals

In prayer

Following births and deaths

During the Eid Festival and the Hajj

During the halal slaughter of animals

Other social usage

In times of joy and gratitude

In battle

Iran

Usage by extremists and terrorists

In politics

Usage by Christians

Use on flags

Afghanistan

Iran

Iraq

Other uses

See also

References

Sources

External links