Takbir Meaning
Declaring Allah’s greatness. The meaning, Arabic, when to say it, and its source in the Quran and Sunnah.
تَكْبِير · اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
- Transliteration
- Takbīr: Allāhu akbar
- Meaning
- Declaring Allah’s greatness
Takbir means declaring Allah’s greatness by saying Allāhu akbar: Allah is the Greatest.
Where the takbir is said
- In every prayer: it opens the prayer and marks each movement. See how to pray salah.
- In the adhan and iqamah.
- On Eid: “so that you complete the number and glorify Allah for having guided you” (Quran 2:185).
- Travelling uphill: Jabir said that whenever they went up a place they said “Allahu akbar”, and going down they said “SubhanAllah” (Sahih al-Bukhari 2993).
- After prayer: 33 or 34 times, in the after-prayer tasbih.
Quran and hadith references link to quran.com and sunnah.com, where you can read the full text. Reviewed 19 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Let us know.
Related Islamic phrases
Allahu AkbarAllah is the Greatest: the takbirSubhanAllahGlory be to Allah: said in wonder and remembranceShahadaThe declaration of faith: the first pillar of Islam
All Islamic phrases, dates and tools
Frequently asked questions
What does Takbir mean?
Saying “Allahu akbar”: declaring that Allah is the Greatest.
When is the Takbir said?
In every prayer, in the adhan, on Eid (Quran 2:185), when going uphill (Sahih al-Bukhari 2993), and in dhikr after prayer.