Allah is Greater than ____ الله اگبر

*These Notes are based on the Meaningful Salah class taught by Sheikh Abdul Nasir Jangda*


الله [Allah] - Not derived from any root but a unique name of divinity.
اگبر [Akbar] - Great or Greatest.


الله اگبر - Put together, it means: Allah is Greater than ____?


The common misconception is that it means 'Allah is Great'.  But the actual meaning as given above leaves the listener with the obvious question, Allah is greater that What?  The simplistic answer to this would be, Allah is Greater than Everything.  But it also holds more meaning to every individual reciting it.  If your work is distracting you from the remembrance of Allah then for you Allah is Greater than your work at that moment.

For someone who has lost there job and emotion of hopelessness takes over, for them Allah is greater than their problem because who can ultimately help the helpless.  So this simple remembrance has a powerful individual aspect to it.

Particularly in Salah we become distracted by many things at different times, and everytime we hear the Imam say الله اگبر it is a reminder for us to return to focus and realize, what ever is distracting us, Allah is greater than it.

Description of Salah

*These Notes are based on the Meaningful Salah class taught by Sheikh Abdul Nasir Jangda*

وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِيعَ إِيمَانَكُمْ

 And thus we have made you just a community that you will be witnessed over the people and the Messenger will be witness over you. And we did not make the Qiblah which you used to face except that We might make evident who would follow the Messenger and who would turn back on his heels. And indeed it is difficult except for those whom Allah has guided. And never would have Allah caused you to lose your eeman. Indeed Allah is, to the people, kind and Merciful. [2:143]

• The Qiblah (direction of prayer) was changed from Jerusalem towards Meccah (the Ka'ba).  This change made the muslims nervous.  They were wondering if this change means that their previous prayers were now nullified and not counted.  Also the people of the book made fun of them that prayers and worship were now all a waste.  They also wondered, what would happen to the prayers of the muslims who died before the change.  Allah consoled them and said their prayers will not go to waste.  Allah will not let their Salah (replaced by the word eeman) go to waste because of this change.
• Also the change in the Qiblah sent subtle but a very powerful political message to the Quraish.  The meccah is the direction to which all muslims face to pray.  It raised the question in the minds of the Quraish, "How long before the muslims come for the city which holds the Ka'ba?"

Importance of Salah

*These Notes are based on the Meaningful Salah class taught by Sheikh Abdul Nasir Jangda*

حدبث: أول ما يحاسب عليه العبد يوم القيامة الصلاة، فان صلحت صلح سائر عمله إن فسدت فسد سائر عمله'رواه الطبر اني 

Rasulullah (SAW) said, “The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is corrupted, then the rest of his deeds will be corrupted." (Recorded by al‐Tabarani)

Definition of Salah

*These Notes are based on the Meaningful Salah class taught by Sheikh Abdul Nasir Jangda*

Linguistic Definition of Salah:

• صئلا - Connection
•  Root of the word Salah
• الصلوان - Hips 
• The hips are the most important part of movement.  Just like in any sports, the most important part of the body to strengthen is the core.  For a muslim Salah is the core of our deen.
• الصلي - To burn
• When metal is heated and can be bent and shaped as if it were humbled.  A human should be humbled in salah so his personality is moulded into that of a slave of Allah.

Technical Definition of Salah: To worship Allah by means of certain known and prescribed sayings and actions at specified times.

• من الله - If the doer is Allah then it means to have mercy and grant blessings.

It is He who confers blessing upon you, and His angels [ask Him to do so] that He may bring you out from darknesses into the light. And ever is He, to the believers, Merciful. [33:43]

Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided. [2:157]

• من الملائكة - If the doers are the angels then it means to seek forgiveness.

Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [ Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [ Allah to grant him] peace. [33:56]

Those (angels) who carry the Throne and those around it exalt (Allah) with praise of their Lord and believe in Him and ask forgiveness for those who have believed, (saying), "Our Lord, You have encompassed all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who have repented and followed Your way and protect them from the punishment of Hellfire. [40:7] 

• من الانسان - If the doer is a human being, it means to worship Whether or not it is done for the sake of Allah

O you who have believed, when called for the prayer (للصلوة) on the day of Jumu'ah, then hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you, if you only knew. [62:9]

And their prayer (صلاتحم) at the House was not except whistling and handclapping. So taste the punishment for what you disbelieved. [8:35] 

• In this ayah Allah calls it Salah even though he is referring to the prayers of the disbelievers and even though it is not the Islamically prescribed salah.