Allahu Akbar
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allāhu akbar
Allah is the Greatest.
The takbir
Allahu Akbar, Allah is the Greatest
Allahu Akbar means "Allah is the Greatest", greater than anything else, and greater than we can describe. It opens every prayer, fills the adhan, and is said in joy and at Eid.
The takbir of the Eid days
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, lā ilāha illallāhu wallāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar wa lillāhil-ḥamd
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest. There is no god but Allah. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Allah belongs all praise.
Reported from Ibn Masud (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah)
Quran 17:111In the Quran
وَقُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًۭا وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ شَرِيكٌۭ فِى ٱلْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ وَلِىٌّۭ مِّنَ ٱلذُّلِّ ۖ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًۢا
Wa qulil hamdu lillaahil lazee lam yattakhiz waladanw wa lam yakul lahoo shareekun fil mulki wa lam yakul lahoo waliyyum minaz zulli wa kabbirhu takbeeraa
And say, "Praise to Allah, who has not taken a son and has had no partner in [His] dominion and has no [need of a] protector out of weakness; and glorify Him with [great] glorification."
Quran 17:111, Sahih International translation
Our teachers will check the Arabic and transliteration on this page before launch.
Guide
Meaning, use and source
Allahu Akbar (اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ) means "Allah is the Greatest". Akbar is the form for "greater", left open on purpose: Allah is greater than everything you could compare Him to. Saying it is called takbir. Allah says: "and glorify Him with great glorification" (Quran 17:111).
Where Allahu Akbar is said
- Salah: the opening takbir begins every prayer, and a takbir marks each movement. See how to pray.
- The adhan and iqamah: they open with Allahu akbar.
- Eid: the takbir of the Eid days, shown above, is said on the way to the Eid prayer and, at Eid al-Adha, after the fard prayers from Fajr on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah. See Eid 2027.
- Going uphill or as a plane takes off: the Companions said Allahu akbar going up (Sahih al-Bukhari 2993).
- Dhikr: 33 times after each prayer (Sahih Muslim 597), and 34 times before sleep (Sahih Muslim 2727).
- In joy or amazement at good news, as the Companions did.
The opening takbir of salah
Hanafi position
The opening takbir (takbirat al-ihram) is a condition (shart) of the prayer, and the words "Allahu akbar" are wajib for it. Opening with another phrase that glorifies Allah, such as "Allahu a'zam", still makes the prayer valid but is makruh tahrimi for leaving the wajib wording.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- The opening takbir is a pillar (rukn) of the prayer. Only "Allahu akbar" or "Allahul-akbar" is valid.
- Maliki and Hanbali
- The opening takbir is a pillar, and only the exact words "Allahu akbar" are valid.
Spellings
Allahu Akbar, Allah hu Akbar, Allahuakbar and Allahu Akbar are all the same. Say the a of akbar short and do not stretch it into "aakbar", which changes the meaning.
- Quran 17:111, translation by Sahih International.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 2993.
- Sahih Muslim 597; Sahih Muslim 2727.
- Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Kitab as-Salawat, on the takbir of the Eid days, from Ibn Masud.
- Al-Marghinani, al-Hidayah, Bab Sifat as-Salah. The other madhhabs' positions are summarised from their standard manuals.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.
Questions
Good to know
What does Allahu Akbar mean?
Allah is the Greatest. It means Allah is greater than anything, beyond comparison.
When do Muslims say Allahu Akbar?
To start the prayer and between its positions, in the adhan, at Eid, when going uphill, and 33 times after each prayer.
Can the opening takbir be said in another language?
The opening takbir is said in Arabic. Someone who cannot yet say it should learn it, and the schools differ on what they do meanwhile.