The Takbir in Arabic, as well as English.

A Muslim boy raises both of his hands to recite the Takbir in prayer.

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The Takbīr or Tekbir (تَكْبِير) is the Arabic term for the phrase Allāhu Akbar (الله أكبر). It is usually translated "God is [the] Greatest," or "God is Great". It is a common Islamic Arabic expression. It is used in various contexts by Muslims: in formal prayer, as an informal expression of faith, in times of distress, to express celebration or victory, and to express resolute determination or defiance (especially in politically charged contexts).

The form Allāhu is the nominative of Allah "God". The form akbar is the elative of the adjective kabīr "great", from the root k-b-r. As used in the takbir it is usually translated as "greatest", but some authors prefer "greater".^[1] The term takbīr itself is the stem II verbal noun (tafʿīlun) of the triliteral root k-b-r "great".

Usage[link]

This phrase is recited by Muslims in many different situations. For example, when they are very happy, to express approval, to praise a speaker, or as a battle cry, during times of extreme stress. In the Islamic world, instead of applause, often someone will shout "takbir" and the crowd will respond "Allahu Akbar" in response.

In prayer[link]

The phrase is said during each stage of both obligatory prayers (performed five times a day), and supererogatory prayers (performed at will). The Muslim call to prayer (adhan) by the muezzin and to commence prayer (iqama) also contains the phrase.

In times of distress[link]

This phrase is also used in times of distress.

Just before a Garuda Airbus A300B-4 crashed into the jungle near Medan, Indonesia, the pilot screamed "Aaaaaah! Allahu Akbar!" into his radio. According to a radio communication transcript, the pilot's conversation with the air controller had been in English, but his last words were this Arabic phrase as the plane crashed on September 26, 1997, killing all 235 people aboard in Indonesia's deadliest crash. It was suspected that the crash may have been due to either disorientation or engine failure caused by local dense smog resulting from forest fires.^[2][3]

After a failed attempt to climb the world's second highest peak, K2, according to Greg Mortenson's book, he was greeted by his porter with the phrase, "Allah Akbar! Blessings to Allah you're alive!"^[4]

Islamic extremism usage[link]

The phrase is well known in the west for its ubiquitous use in Islamist protests, Islamic extremism and Islamic terrorism.

After 9/11, the FBI released a letter reportedly handwritten by the hijackers and found in three separate copies on 9/11—at Dulles, at the Pennsylvania crash site, and in Mohamed Atta's suitcase. It included a checklist of final reminders for the 9/11 hijackers. An excerpt reads: "When the confrontation begins, strike like champions who do not want to go back to this world. Shout, 'Allahu Akbar,' because this strikes fear in the hearts of the non-believers." Also, in the cockpit voice recorders found at the crash site of Flight 93, the hijackers are heard to be reciting the Takbir as the plane plummeted toward the ground.^[5][6][7][8]

When in March 2002 Maryam Mohammad Yousif Farhat of Hamas, popularized as "Umm Nidal" (and subsequently elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council),^[9] learned that her 17-year-old son had been killed on a suicide mission in which he killed five teenagers, she celebrated by proclaiming "Allahu Akbar!" and giving out boxes of halva and chocolates.^[10][11][12] In 2003, when Imam Samudra became the second Bali bomber from a violent Islamist group to be sentenced to death for his role in the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, Samudra greeted his sentence with chants of "Allahu Akbar".^{[13][14][15][16][17]}

In 2004, in an execution video of Nick Berg being beheaded in Iraq, as one man sawed off Berg's head the other captors shouted: "Allahu Akbar!".^[18] And in the 2007 Fort Dix attack plot, a group of radical Islamists who were convicted of plotting an attack on the Fort Dix military base in New Jersey had videotaped themselves shooting weapons and shouting Allahu Akbar.^[19][20][21] In 2008, Aafia Siddiqui yelled "Allah Akbar" as she fired at U.S. interrogators.^{[22][23][24][25]}

During the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, witnesses reported that gunman Nidal Malik Hasan shouted "Allahu Akbar" before opening fire, killing 13 people and wounding 30 others.^[26] And Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad smiled and said "Allahu Akbar" after receiving a life sentence in 2010 for his attempted bombing.^[27][28]

During the incident aboard American Airlines Flight 1561, the person attempting to bash his way into the cockpit was heard shouting "Allahu Akbar".^[29] Mohammed Merah recorded himself shouting Allahu Akbar as he killed three French paratroopers in the 2012 Midi-Pyrénées shootings.[2]

In warfare and politics[link]

In history[link]

It has been used historically as a battle cry during war.^[30]

Iranian usage[link]

During the Iranian revolution of 1979, it was shouted from rooftops in Iran during the evenings as a form of protest. This practice returned in the aftermath of the 2009 Iranian presidential election,^[31][32] to protest the election results.^[33] Many people shouted it from 22:00–22:30 every night, after the 2009 Iranian election to protest the result.

On flags[link]

The phrase "Allahu Akbar" is written on the center of the flag of Iraq, 22 times along the borders of the central white stripe on the flag of Iran, and beneath the Shahadah in the flag of Afghanistan in white script on the central red background as determined by the 2004 draft constitution.

Iraq

During the Persian Gulf war in January 1991, Saddam Hussein held a meeting with top military commanders, where it was decided to add the words Allahu Akbar (described as the Islamic battle cry)^[34] to Iraq's flag to boost his secular regime's religious credentials, casting himself as the leader of an Islamic army.^[35][36] Henceforth, he said, the flag would literally be "the banner of jihad and monotheism".^[37]

In 2004, Iraq's U.S.-picked Governing Council approved a new flag for Iraq that abandoned symbols of Hussein's regime, such as the words Allahu Akbar.^[35][38] In January 2008, however, Iraq's parliament passed a law to change the flag by leaving in the phrase, but changing the calligraphy of the words Allahu Akbar, which had been a copy of Saddam's handwriting, to a Kufic script.^[39][40]

Iran

The phrase Allahu Akbar is written on the Iranian flag, as called for by Article 18 of Iran's constitution.^[41] The phrase appears 22 times on the flag.^[42]

Afghanistan

The Afghan constitution that came into force on January 4, 2004, required that Allahu Akbar be inscribed on Afghanistan's national flag.^[43]

1930s Waziristan (Pakistan) resistance movement

A resistance movement in Waziristan, Pakistan, that fought the British during the 1930s had a red flag, with Allahu Akbar written on it in white letters.^[44]

• 

  Flag of Afghanistan, with the phrase beneath the Shahadah

• 

  Flag of Iraq, with stylized Kufic script

• 

  Flag of Iran, introduced in 1980

• 

  Flag of 1930s Waziristan (Pakistan) resistance movement

See also[link]

Islam portal

• Dhikr
• Hallel
• Hallelujah
• List of Arabic phrases
• Ṣabr
• Quran

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Dr. Rohi Baalbaki (1995). Al-Mawrid (7th ed.). Dar El-Ilm Lilmalayin, Beirut. ISBN 9953-9023-1-3. 
• F. Steingass PhD, University of Munich (1870). Persian-English Dictionary, Including the Arabic words and phrases to be met with in literature. Librairie Du Liban, Beirut. 

http://www.elmolok.com/vb http://www.elmolok.com

External links[link]

• Slate.com essay on takbir
• Audio clip (Real Audio)