Have you ever thought about the Takbeer we do in our Salah?
We start our Salah with Allahu-Akbar : Allah is the greatest! What a great statement this is!
He is the greatest? Greater than what?
Why is it so big that we begin our prayers with it? We make every change, Going from standing to bowing in ruku to going down to sujood with this great statement! A small phrase with such a powerful force…
Why do we say Allahu-Akbar? What is Allah greater than? It’s almost like there are ellipses left there for us to contemplate and reflect upon; Allah is the greatest(greater than…). Purposeful open-ended, logistically and linguistically incomplete phrase.
Take a moment to reflect: Allah is greatest than…
Let me start the train of reflection. He SWT is greater than everything you can imagine. Put all your knowledge, your understanding, your imagination all together! Allah SWT is greater than all of it put together!
Put your burdens, your sins, Your hardships, Your worries, Your anxieties, your past, your present, and your future together and then reflect that Allah is greater than all of that! He can take all of that away… he can give you the ease you need.
اَلَاۤ اِنَّ نَصۡرَ اللّٰهِ قَرِيۡبٌ
Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.’
If only you turn to him!
The takbeer, or the declaration of “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest), in prayer is considered important in Islam for several reasons. Firstly, it signifies the start of the prayer and creates a mental and physical transition from daily life to a state of worship. Secondly, it serves as a declaration of monotheism and a reminder of the absolute greatness of God. Thirdly, it helps to focus the mind on the purpose of prayer and attunes the heart to the presence of God. The takbeer sets the tone for the rest of the prayer and is seen as an integral part of the act of worship in Islam.
He SWT is greater than all that you are struggling with, nothing is impossible for him! He will give you help from places where you can’t imagine. Remember Allah is greater than anything you can imagine!
So next time you stand up in Salah…Remember that although you are just a dot barely visible in the universe, literally invisible like an atom, ALLAH SWT is there for you. And he never leaves you.
He is near you and he will always be near you.
Allah says :
فَاِنِّىۡ قَرِيۡبٌؕ
… Indeed I am near…2:186
May we find the beauty in the fact that when we turn to Allah, we find him closer to us than we can imagine.
