The
takbīr or
takbeer is the
ArabicArabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. In terms of speakers, the Arabic macrolanguage is the largest member of the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million people as...
name for the phrase
, . Usually translated "
GodIn Islam, Allah is the only real supreme being, all-powerful and all knowing Creator, Sustainer, Ordainer, and Judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique and inherently one , all-merciful and omnipotent. According to...
is great" or "
GodIn Islam, Allah is the only real supreme being, all-powerful and all knowing Creator, Sustainer, Ordainer, and Judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique and inherently one , all-merciful and omnipotent. According to...
is [the] greatest," it is a common Arabic expression and is used as both an informal expression of faith and as a formal declaration.
Definition and grammar
The form
is the nominative of
AllahAllah is the standard Arabic word for God. While the term is best known in the West for its use by Muslims as a reference to God, it is used by Arabic-speakers of all Abrahamic faiths, including Christians and Jews, in reference to "God"...
"[the one] God" The form
is the
elativeIn Semitic linguistics, the elative is a stage of gradation in Arabic that can be used both for a superlative and comparative. The Arabic elative has a special inflection similar to that of color adjectives, though differing in certain details...
of the adjective
"great". In
Semitic languagesThe Semitic languages are a group of related languages whose living representatives are spoken by more than 467 million people across much of the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa...
, an elative may indicate a
superlativeIn grammar the superlative of an adjective or adverb is the greatest form of adjective or adverb which indicates that something has some feature to a greater degree than anything it is being compared to in a given context...
(best), or a
comparativeIn grammar, the comparative is the form of an adjective or adverb which denotes the degree or grade by which a person, thing, or other entity has a property or quality greater or less in extent than that of another, and is used in this context with a subordinating conjunction, such as than,...
(better).
The term
itself is the stem II verbal noun (
) of the triliteral root
"great".
The word as used in the indicates the
superlativeIn grammar the superlative of an adjective or adverb is the greatest form of adjective or adverb which indicates that something has some feature to a greater degree than anything it is being compared to in a given context...
, usually translated as "greatest". In
ArabicArabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. In terms of speakers, the Arabic macrolanguage is the largest member of the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million people as...
usage, may also be used as a
comparativeIn grammar, the comparative is the form of an adjective or adverb which denotes the degree or grade by which a person, thing, or other entity has a property or quality greater or less in extent than that of another, and is used in this context with a subordinating conjunction, such as than,...
, in which sense it may be approximately translated as "greater", or "bigger" in some dialects (dictionaries carry both senses of
akbar).
Usage
This phrase is recited by
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
s in numerous different situations. For example, when they are happy or wish to express approval, when they want to praise a speaker, during battles, and even times of extreme stress or euphoria.
The phrase is said during each stage of both obligatory prayers, which are supposed to be performed five times a day, and supererogatory prayers, which are performed at will. The Muslim call to prayer, or
adhanThe adhān is the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin. The root of the word is "to permit", and another derivative of this word is , meaning "ear."...
, and to commence the prayer, or
iqamaThe word iqama refers to the second call to Islamic Prayer, given immediately before the prayer begins. Generally speaking, the iqama is given more quickly and in a more monotone fashion, as compared to the adhan...
, also contains the phrase, which is heard in cities all over the Muslim world.
Utterances in the Prayer.
Note that
takbīr (
) is only the name of the expression, while the phrase itself is "Allahu Akbar". In the Islamic world, instead of
applauseApplause is primarily the expression of approval by the act of clapping, or striking the palms of the hands together, in order to create noise. Audiences are usually expected to applaud after a performance, such as a musical concert, speech, or play...
, often someone will shout "takbir" and the crowd will respond "Allahu Akbar" in chorus.
During the Iranian revolution of 1979, the call was shouted from rooftops during the evenings as a form of protest. This practice returned in
the aftermathProtests following the 2009 Iranian presidential election against alleged electoral fraud and in support of opposition candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi, also nicknamed "Twitter Revolution" , occurred in Tehran and other major cities in Iran and around the world starting from June 13, 2009...
of the
2009 Iranian presidential electionIran's tenth presidential election was held on 12 June 2009, with incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad running against three challengers. The next morning the Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran's official news agency, announced that with two-thirds of the votes counted, Ahmadinejad had won the election...
. The phrase has also been used after the election to show the protest of the people against the election results. Many people shouted this phrase from 22:00-23:00 for 9 days after the 2009 Iranian election to show their protest to the result.
Takbir on flags
The phrase "Allahu Akbar" is written on the center of the
flag of IraqThe flag of Iraq has had a number of different designs since the Kingdom of Iraq was established in 1921. The current flag was adopted in 2008 for a year and is intended to be an interim measure until a permanent solution to the flag issue is found...
, 22 times along the borders of the central white stripe on the
flag of IranThe current flag of Iran was adopted on July 29, 1980, and is a reflection of the changes brought about by the Iranian Revolution. The emblem in the center of the flag is a highly stylized composite of various elements representing different facets of Islamic life: Allah, the Book, the Sword, the...
, and beneath the
ShahadahThe Shahada, also spelled shahadah, is the Islamic creed. The Shahada is the Muslim declaration of belief in the oneness of God and acceptance of Muhammad as his prophet. The declaration reads: laa ilāha illa Allāh, wa Muḥammad rasūl Allāh “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of...
in the 2004 draft constitution of
AfghanistanThe Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a landlocked country in south central Asia. It is variously described as being located within Central Asia, South Asia, or the Middle East...
in white script on the central red background.
External links