Quite often I see some incessant comments in this game about what the term "Allahu Akbar" means, what is the English equivalent to it, why do Muslims in the videos constantly shout it out, and the occasional racist fueled rant about "Snackbars".
Allahu Akbar/Allah Akbar/Allahu Achber is most commonly known among Muslims as the “Takbir”. The term itself literally translates to “God is greater”, but is sometimes used as "God is the Greatest"
Most people in the West are aware of the Takbir through the videos you see online where a soldier or a fighter will shout “Allahu Akbar!” while firing his weapon against an enemy. It is most often mistakenly identified as a “war cry”. The term itself is well ingrained in Muslim culture and society. It is one of the most commonly used phrases among Muslims and is uttered primarily during the Salah or ritualistic prayer where Muslims face the Kaaba in Makkah.
Theologically, Islam is strictly monotheistic in belief. The oneness of God is the core central tenet of Islam, in it’s creed “La Ilaaha Ilallah”, which roughly translates to “there is no god (or divinity), except for God”. Islam prohibits attributing divine qualities to anyone or anything else aside from God. Even when praising someone, most Muslims will always attribute greatness to God in their speech.
The term itself serves as a reminder for a Muslim, that no matter the situation or emotion that one experiences, that God is always greater. If you’re happy, then it serves as a reminder that God is greater than everything and that your success and source of happiness comes from God. If you’re scared, then you say it as a reminder that God is indeed greater and that the only fear a Muslim should have is towards God. When a Muslim is angry, he says Allahu Akbar as a way of calming himself down, reminding that God is greater than anything that makes you angry, and turn to God for your solace.
While in the West, many people clap their hands as a show of approval and praise, traditionally, most Muslims would shout the Takbir in unison as a way of showing approval and praise to a speaker. Though, many Muslims have adopted the tradition of clapping their hands, many will still shout the Takbir while clapping.
Examples: “Allahu Akbar! Nick is a great speaker!” “SubhanAllah (Glorious is God)! This scenery looks amazing!” “Alhamdulillah (Praises to God)! I studied hard and I passed my exams!” “InshAllah (God willing) we will catch the train on time”
These terms (and a few more) are collectively called Dhikr (Remembrance). Dhikr is an extremely important aspect of Islam.
Mu’adh ibn Jabal said, that he heard the Prophet Muhammad say, “There is nothing that is a greater cause of salvation from the punishment of Allah than the remembrance of Allah.”
-Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Book of Supplications, Number 3377, Hasan.
Muslims incorporate Dhikr in their prayer as well as in their daily life, which is why you’ll hear these terms quite often in Muslim speech. A personal example I often use to explain this is when my elderly grandmother was trying to get up off her chair. While holding on to her cane, she always utters “Allahu Akbar!” When a friend of mine had his surgery and was in a lot of pain, he kept whispering “Allahu Akbar” to himself.
The Takbir isn’t necessarily confined to Islam. Allah is the Arabic word for God. Many Arab Christians refer to God as “Allah”, and it is not at all uncommon to find Christian priests in the Middle East and Muslim world that would say “Allahu Akbar!” to their congregation. In fact, there were reports and videos where Maronite Christians in Lebanon would shout “Allahu Akbar!” while fighting during the Lebanese Civil War. The Maltese languages also uses the word Allah for God, despite the majority of the inhabitants of Malta are Catholic and European.
One of the most famous singers in the Middle East, Fairuz, a Lebanese Christian, had her hit song, “Ya oum Allah!” which is a Christian hymn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjsvoCoXszQ
Videos of Muslims chanting the Takbir in Makkah during the Eid prayer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoMB8RFd818
Additional Information:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2006/09/god_is_still_great.html
