Allah-o-Akbar: Allahﷻ is the Greater

Allah o Akbar – the Guidance of Allahﷻ, the Creator of the universe is greater than any other. Islam is the only comprehensive system. No other system can be in complete harmony with the universal laws of creation, i.e the laws of Allahﷻ, for Heﷻ is the Creator of all things.

We say Allah-o-Akbar five times in each karaka or cycle of our salat prayer.

The meaning of Allah-o-Akbar

The Arabic word ‘Akbar’ translates as both ‘greatest’ and also ‘greater’.

However, the correct translation of Allah-o-Akbar as Allah is ‘greater’ must be considered as most appropriate and consistent with the fact that Allahﷻ the Creator of the worlds has no limit. “God is greater…than any limit imposed”; ‘greatest’ imposes a limit to the creation of Allahﷻ.

Allah-o-Akbar

Allah, the Creator of all things, is greater than any of his creation and its attributes.

It stands, therefore, that Allah is infinitely greater than and beyond whatever our current understanding and knowledge of the created universe is. As an example, the latest findings in astronomy, with the use of super-telescopes, estimate that the number of stars in our galaxy exceeds the hundreds of billions. It is also known that our galaxy is only one amongst many and that there are hundreds of billions of other galaxies in the universe. The extent of creation is indeed baffling to our limited minds, and Allah-o-Akbar – and Allahﷻ is greater than all of His ﷻ creation. Knowing and reflecting on this is most humbling and makes us aware of our own true significance as part of the creation of Allahﷻ.

As soon as one has a notion of the greatness of Allahﷻ, Allah-o-Akbar, Allahﷻ is indeed greater than that or any of one’s notions. Allah is infinitely greater than that or any notion that may manifest in our minds. Our minds are limited and the true Magnificence of Allahﷻ is beyond this limited comprehension.

It is with salat, the direct two way conversation with our Lordﷻ that we become truly present to Himﷻ. To become conscious of the Creatorﷻ is to become conscious of oneself and one’s existence.

With every cycle we declare Allah-o-Akbar five times, and with contemplation the benefit of this level of consciousness will follow to us. It is Allahﷻ alone that we turn to for help and guidance, for Heﷻ alone is greater than all things and matters, whether these matters be in our understanding, health, sustenance, our family and friends, careers or business. Allah-o-Akbar. All reliance can only be on Himﷻ for He is Infinite, Sufficient.

Beautification of the spoken words in salat

The conversation with the Creatorﷻ is spoken in the most beautiful manner.

The salah prayer is the most important conversation that one can have. It is a conversation with Allahﷻ using the words given to us by Allah himself that are spoken during salat.

It is essential, therefore, that we pronounce the Arabic of salat correctly and also recite in the best manner that is available to us. The science of the correct pronunciation of Qur’anic Arabic is known as tajweed. This beautification of the recitation has a profound effect on one's contemplation during salat.

The purpose of the science of tajweed, in essence, is to make the reciter proficient in reciting the Qur’an, observing the correct pronunciation of every letter with the rulings and characteristics that apply to each letter. So if a person does not know the attributes of each letter, there is a danger that he will change the meaning of the words in Qur'an recitation. Observing the rules of tajweed in reciting protects the reciter from making mistakes in reciting the Qur’an.

Surah 73 Al-Muzzammil, Ayah 4

warattilI alQur’ana tarteelan

And recite the Qur’an (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style

This is because the Qur'an was revealed with the tajweed rules applied to it, the Prophetﷺ recited it back to Jibreel in that way, and the companions of the Prophetﷺ read it in that way, so it is an established sunnah.

AlI ibn AbuTalib (ra) said in the explanation of this aayah: “At-tarteel is tajweed of the letters and knowing where to stop (correctly).” (An-Nashr of ibn Al-Jazaree 209:1)

Surah 2 Al-Baqarah, Ayah 121

Allatheena ataynahumu alkitaba yatloonahu haqqa tilawatihI olaika yuminoona bihI waman yakfur bihI faolaika humu alkhasiroona

Those unto whom we have given the scripture, who read it with the right reading, those believe in it. And whosoever disbelieves it, those are they who are the losers.