Takbeer

Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar,
Allaahu Akbar, La ilaaha illallaah,
Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, wa
lillaahil-Hamd
(Allaah is the Greatest, Allaah is
the Greatest, Allaah is the
Greatest. There is no deity worthy
of worship but Allaah. Allaah is
the Greatest, Allaah is the
Greatest, to Him belongs all
praise!)
Takbeer is one of the rituals of ‘Eed in Islam. It
is a confirmed act of the Sunnah (Prophetic
tradition) to be done on ‘Eed Al-Fitr and ‘Eed Al-
Adh-ha , and it is more obvious on ‘Eed Al-Adh-
ha because it continues in the first ten days of
Thul-Hijjah along with the days of At-Tashreeq
(11 th , 12 th , and 13 th of Thul-Hijjah ) in which
saying Takbeer is prescribed in general, whereas
it is prescribed on the day of ‘Arafah and the
days of ‘Eed in particular.
Some formulas of Takbeer were authentically
reported – most of them are close in structure,
so it is preferable to reflect upon one formula to
derive some actions that should take place in the
heart of the Muslim when uttering this beautiful
form of Thikr and glorification of Allaah The
Almighty.
Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar, La
ilaaha illallaah, Allaahu Akbar, Allaahu Akbar,
wa lillaahil-Hamd
( Allaah is the Greatest, Allaah is the Greatest,
Allaah is the Greatest. There is no deity worthy of
worship but Allaah. Allaah is the Greatest, Allaah
is the Greatest, to Him belongs all praise!)
Look at these words again and again, and you
will find letters of light written with tranquility.
They are three consecutive Takbeers like pearls
in a necklace chosen from the noblest words and
phrases. It is the word of monotheism and
dedication followed by another Takbeer
celebrating The One True God and by a third
Takbeer mingled with gratitude and praise. They
trip on the tongue sweeter than honey! When a
Muslim sees the letters decorated in such a way,
he feels comfortable, happy, and is exhausted no
more. He hears a voice that motivates him to
work. So, what about the content and meaning
with which these letters address the heart? Does
this inspire the soul to seek these meanings?
Does this require the religious people to ardently
strive for the good things and gifts reflected by
these phrases?
Below are brief reflections on some of the
meanings of Takbeer that Allaah The Almighty
guided us to know by His favor, wishing they go
deep in the hearts to awaken the ones overtaken
by somnolence and activate the ones who have
fallen prey to lethargy Thus, the heart travels by
this Takbeer to Allaah The Almighty to obtain its
share of love for Him and what He loves and
enjoy drawing close to Him.
First reflection
Takbeer signifies worshiping Allaah The Almighty
by celebrating His Name Al-Kabeer (The
Grandest) and the implication of His being
Grand. Allaah The Almighty loves His being and
His perfect Attributes. He loves to be worshiped
and mentioned by these Attributes and testify to
the fact that their impacts and influences do
exist. To do so, Allaah The Almighty ordained for
His slaves to do all that helps to magnify these
sublime attributes and glorify these beautiful
Names although He is in no need for that.
Indeed, nobody can praise Allaah The Almighty
as He should be praised, but He alone can duly
praise Himself. It is the mercy of Allaah The
Almighty to His slaves that He showed them how
they could draw close to Him by remembering
Him and granted them knowledge whereby they
could recognize Him. As a result, Allaah The
Almighty will bless them, show them mercy, and
purify them. Otherwise, they will be like animals,
or even worse. The fact that Allaah The Almighty
is Grand necessitates drawing close to Him by
means of this Name, which includes saying
Takbeer . Allaah The Almighty Says (what
means): { And glorify Him with [grand]
glorification."} [Quran 17:111]
Allaah The Almighty is described as being Grand
and Superior, and this pertains to the nuances of
grandness. So, Takbeer should be a means
whereby the slave seeks to understand the Name
of Allaah Al-Kabeer and realize the impact of
this beautiful Name in terms of worshiping
Allaah, believing in His Oneness, and loving
Him.
The Name of Allaah The Almighty Al-Kabeer is
always associated with His Name Al-‘Aliyy (the
Most High) in the Quran. Highness and
supremeness necessitate smallness in the
perception of human senses. In other words, the
higher a thing goes, the smaller it looks. Thus, it
is more befitting that Highness of Allaah is
associated with His Grandness. This denotes that
Allaah possesses absolute Highness and
absolute grandness, and therefore, this negates
any possibility of comprehending His being and it
cuts off all the means that lead to it. What
belongs to Allaah The Almighty cannot be
measured by the human perception, nor can His
unique features be judged by the criteria of their
features. He is Al-‘Aliyy (the Most High) in a
way that is never subject to physical
requirements, and He is Al-Kabeer (the Grandest)
whose Grandness does not contradict the
perfection of highness.
There is another beautiful point in the association
of the two sublime Names, that is, grandness
describes beings more frequently than highness.
Highness may reflect the loftiness of being, of
attributes, or the highness of actions; grandness,
however, usually modifies the being. Thus, their
association indicates the highness of being in
His name Al-‘Aliyy , which is supported and
highlighted by the description of grandness.
Allaah The Almighty possesses absolute
Highness of being over all His Creatures by virtue
of this association.
Also, ponder on the context of the verses where
this honorable Name ( Al-Kabeer ) is mentioned,
and you will find that it occurs in the context of
exalting Allaah The Almighty above every fault or
imperfection committed by people regarding the
right of Tawheed and worshiping Him without
partner. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
{ [They will be told], "That is because, when
Allaah was called upon alone, you disbelieved;
but if others were associated with Him, you
believed. So the judgment is with Allaah,
Al-‘Aliyy Al-Kabeer (the Most High and the
Grand)." } [Quran 40:12] Allaah The Almighty is
Al-Kabeer (The Grand), and none is grander than
Him. His absolute grandness is evidence that He
must be worshipped Alone, which is implied in
saying Takbeer . Anything else is more entitled to
belittlement or smallness. How does the heart
become attached to such small things?
(To be continued)

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