Among the abundant bounties and graces that Allah, the Exalted, conferred upon this nation are these blessed spiritual seasons; seasons of obedience and times for gaining more rewards. These are times for acts of worship, spiritual grants, spiritual insights, and gentle reminders. Blessed spiritual seasons are calling to us, 'O seekers of good, draw near! O seekers of evil, desist!’
One of these spiritual seasons consists of the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah. There are many hadiths and verses that highlight their virtues and merits. They were distinguished with certain acts of worship and acts of the Sunnah. I would like to draw the attention to an act of the Sunnah that is abandoned by many Muslims these days, namely, saying takbeer (Allahu akbar).
Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet said:
There are no days greater in the Sight of Allah nor days in which deeds are more beloved to Allah than in these ten days. So fill them with the praises of la ilaah illa Allah (none is worthy of worship but Allah), Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest), and Alhamdu lillaah (Praise is due to Allah), so do a great deal of tahleel, takbeer and tahmeed. [Ahmad]
Imam Al-Bukhari cited in his Saheeh Al-Bukhari, “Ibn ‘Umar and Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with them, used to go out in the marketplace during the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah, reciting takbeer, and the people would recite takbeer when they heard them.” [Al-Bukhari]
Despite the great care of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, to revive this act of the Sunnah, it is odd that many Muslims are rather reluctant to carry it out.
Perhaps, knowing the great educational benefits and spiritual fruits of this act of the Sunnah would contribute to its revival and rejuvenation among the Muslims.
I will do my best to underline these educational benefits and spiritual fruits, with the Help of Allah, the Exalted:
1. Worshipping Allah Almighty through carrying out this act of the Sunnah:
As the worshipper constantly recites takbeer, he should feel that he is carrying out an act of worship. The Islamic sharia encourages Muslims to engage in reciting takbeer very often. Once the worshiper feels that he is performing an act of worship, he relishes the sweetness of his deed and savors the honor of his submission and servitude to his Lord. Such worshippers are among the close slaves who are the nearest to Allah, the Exalted, about whom He says (what means): {[To whom Allah will say], "O My servants, no fear will there be concerning you this Day, nor will you grieve.} [Quran 43:68]
Allah, the Exalted, gave such people glad tidings; He says (what means): {… So give good tidings to My servants, who listen to speech and follow the best of it. Those are the ones Allah has guided, and those are people of understanding.} [Quran 39:17-18]
2. Ponder over the meaning of takbeer:
As the slave says Allahu Akbar, “Allah is the Greatest,” he is describing Allah, the Exalted, as He has described Himself. Allah, the Exalted, is the Greatest, the Supreme and the All-Sublime. He is too Great and Just to do injustice to His slaves. He is the Almighty, the Self-Subsisting Who owns Grandeur and Glory.
Savoring all these great meanings while reciting takbeer is important as it fosters faith in the heart of the slave. Reciting takbeer is an act of worship through which one celebrates the great Names of Allah and calling upon Him with His Names and Attributes as He commanded us. Allah, the Exalted, says (what means): {And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing.} [Quran 7:180]
3. Relishing the sweetness of being in the Company of Allah Almighty:
As the worshipper recites takbeer and reiterates it, it is recognition and acknowledgment that Allah is Greater than everything and everyone. Allah is Greater than arrogant tyrants; He is Greater than the oppressors who subjugate people. Therefore, Allah Almighty is capable of defending the oppressed. He is Greater than all the creatures that may harm, with His permission, man. He is Capable of protecting His slaves from any harmful creature. Allah, the Exalted, is Greater than the disbelievers who are wreaking havoc and causing mischief on earth. He is Capable of repelling their evil schemes and of turning their evil plotting against them.
As the slave repeats takbeer, it is recognition of his servitude to the Creator, the Almighty, Who relieves harm and grants victory to the oppressed. This is why the slave says, “La Ilaaha Illa Allah, wa Allahu Akbar .” (There is no god but Allah, and Allah is the Greatest.)
4. Takbeer is a manifestation of the creed of walaa’ and baraa’ (allegiance to Muslims and disassociation from non-Muslims) and implies making a clear distinction between Muslims and disbelievers:
When the person recites takbeer, he is glorifying Allah, the Exalted, and denying what the disbelievers and polytheists said about Him. Such disbelievers claimed that Allah, the Exalted, has partners. They claimed that the angels are females, although they themselves hated bearing girls. Reciting takbeer implies disassociation from those who venerate stones and idols. When they proclaimed, “Great is Hubal,” their idol, the Prophet commanded Muslims to respond to them by saying, “Allah is Greater.”
This is clear disassociation from the disbelievers and disownment of them and their idolatrous practices.
The Arab polytheists celebrated idolatrous myths, adopted corrupt beliefs, and fostered polytheism during the pilgrimage season, which all contradicts the belief in the exclusive Omnipotence of Allah as well as His glorification. They had their twisted version of talbiyah in their polytheistic pilgrimage. The processional chant of the pagans of the pre-Islamic era reads, “O Lord, here I am. You have no partners except a partner whom You own and what he owns.”
Therefore, reciting takbeer during Hajj is a clear disassociation and disownment from their shirk.
They also used to saw the meat [of the sacrificial animals] and smear themselves with blood, thinking that this was a means to draw closer to Allah, the Exalted. Therefore, Allah, the Exalted, emphasized that these hideous practices are mere myths and untruths. Allah, the Exalted, says (what means): {Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good.} [Quran 22:37]
Islam prescribed reciting tasmiyah [saying, “Bismillaah”: In the Name of Allah] and takbeer before slaughtering the sacrificial animal. This is the greatest sign of disassociating ourselves from the polytheists.
How beautiful it is for the person to feel when he recites takbeer that he is disassociating himself from the polytheists, the disbelievers, and that this is the strongest bond of faith.
5. Takbeer purifies the heart from its spiritual diseases:
When the person recites takbeer, proclaiming reverence and glorifying his Lord, with an attentive heart, he is declaring that Allah, the Exalted, is Greater than anything within his heart. He is declaring that his heart is void of anything that might preoccupy him from devoting his undivided attention and love to Allah, the Greatest.
If the heart is preoccupied with something other than Allah, the Exalted, while reciting takbeer, then this indicates that this thing is greater, in the man’s heart, than Allah, the Exalted. This is why he was preoccupied with that thing while his tongue was saying, “Allah is the Greatest.” His words are uttered with a heedless heart that is preoccupied with something other than Allah, the Exalted.
If the heart was attentive and savored the sweetness of takbeer, then this would tear the gown of arrogance that shrouded the heart and contradicted the essence of servitude to Allah to pieces. It would prevent the heart from paying attention to anything other than Allah, the Exalted. The implications of takbeer and showing one’s submission and servitude to his Lord through reciting takbeer would also safeguard him from these spiritual blights and scourges, which are the greatest screen between him and Allah Almighty.
6. Takbeer implies thanking Allah for His guidance:
Allah, the Exalted, says (what means):
• {The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey—then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.} [Quran 2:185]
• {Their meat will not reach Allah, nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good.} [Quran 22:37]
Allah, the Exalted, emphasized that He prescribed takbeer to distinguish, guide, and usher the Muslim nation to such blessed spiritual seasons and that he abandoned the people of other earthly religions and left them to what leads them astray.
Takbeer is an expression of gratitude to Allah, the Exalted, for distinguishing this nation and the honor that He bestowed upon the Muslims. He enabled them to carry out acts of worship and guided them to the path of prosperity and happiness.
7. Takbeer encourages man to do good deeds:
When man glorifies his Lord with these words, he should translate this veneration into acts and deeds, doing what Allah, the Exalted, loves and avoiding what He hates. Al-Fakhr Ar-Raazi said:
Know that the perfect takbeer is what is expressed through words and conviction and is translated into actions. Glorification of Allah through words is to acknowledge the Great Attributes and Beautiful Names of Allah and to proclaim that Allah is too Exalted for whatever is not befitting Him, such as associating partners with Him, claiming that Allah has a wife and a son, and likening Him to His creation. All of that is only valid after the soundness of the man’s conviction (that Allah is the Greatest). Glorification of Allah through action can be achieved by carrying out the prescribed acts of worship: prayer, fasting, Hajj.
8. Takbeer is a sign of venerating the Symbols of Allah Almighty:
The Muslim recites takbeer after finishing fasting the month of Ramadan, during the Hajj, during the first ten days of Thul-Hijjah, on his way to perform the Eid prayers, before slaughtering the sacrificial animal, and on the days of Tashreeq so as to honor these great rites of Islam.
Allah, the Exalted, says (what means): {That [is so]. And whoever honors the Symbols of Allah—indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.} [Quran 22:32]
Strive, O slave of Allah, to carry out this ritual as well as other acts of the Sunnah that Allah, the Exalted, urged us to do. Indeed, this implies great goodness and guarantees you success in this world and the Hereafter. Even if one is unaware of their virtues and merits, it should be sufficient for us that it is the Command of Allah, the Most Just of judges, Allah Almighty.
It was narrated that ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab and his son ‘Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with them, used to recite takbeer during the days of Mina in the mosque and in the tent and raise their voices so that the echoes of their high voices caused Mina to shake.
When will we hear takbeer in our mosques?
I supplicate Allah, the Exalted, to help us to adhere to the Sunnah of His Messenger and comply with His commands and those of His Messenger .
May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions.