Topic summary

Takbir

Takbir

The takbīr (Arabic: تَكْبِير, lit.'magnification [of God]') is the name for the Arabic phrase Allāhu ʾAkbar (Arabic: اللّٰهُ أَكْبَر, lit.'God is the greatest [of everything]').

It is a common Arabic expression, used in various contexts by Muslims around the world: in formal salah (prayer), in the adhan (Islamic call to prayer), in Hajj, as an informal expression of faith, in times of distress or joy, or to express resolute determination or defiance. The phrase is the official motto of Iran and Iraq. It is also used by Orthodox Arab Christians as an expression of faith.