The Litany of Glorification of God

The season of pilgrimage and the Eid of Sacrifice have specific practices associated with them. One of the main practices and rituals for the first 13 days of 12^th lunar Islamic month is the litany of glorification of God “Takbir” that is said.  Good deeds during these days are beloved to Allah as the Messenger Muhammad said: “There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to God than these ten days.” The litany of glorification, “Takbir,” is a type of prayer that has no petition or request, rather it is a statement of glorification of God. It is a form of mentioning God and often mistranslated as remembrance. Muslims say this prayer all the time, especially during the call to Salah, and during the prescribed ritual devotion when moving from one posture to the next. 

The wording used for this specific litany during the pilgrimage month and the Eid of Sacrifice is, “Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar la ilaha illa-Allah, wa Allahu akbar, Allah akbar, wa Lillah il-hamd (God is Most Great, God is Most Great, there is no deity worthy of worship but God. God is Most Great, God is Most Great, and to God be all praise.)” We glorify God to thank and praise Him for His many blessings which we can never enumerate. Examples of the many blessings we have are: the ability to worship Him, the food we have, the money we can spend and the family and friends that surround us. This litany is recommended for all to say throughout this special time period.