Say (O Muslim): Allahu Akbar
Bismillahi ‘rahmani ‘raheem
I continue to learn two things about the way we humans are designed. One, say what is within us and two, we can say what we want to have within us. Let me elaborate.
Saying what is within you means that you use your speech ability to express existing feelings and thoughts. Being a life coach, one of three things I look out for to gauge a client’s transformation or the lack of it is her language. It’s pretty obvious that whatever you say is a reflection of your inner world. We all have moments of sadness, pain, confusion and disappointment. The need to express these verbally goes without saying, especially in a du’a.
SubhanAlllah we serve a Lord that hears us and meets our every need. My favourite name of Allah (swt) is Al-Mujeeb: The One Who Responds and The Answerer of Prayers. By His great mercy we are confident in expressing our struggles and fears to our loving God. However there comes a point where this beautiful opportunity becomes a means for us to complain. When our issues become bigger in our minds than the greatness of Allah, we complain. This is sinful because we give Allah’s deserving prominence to something other than Him.
This can be reversed by intentionally saying things that match the state we desire to be in. As Muslims, this state is the remembrance of Allah.
Saying Allahu Akbar gives me peace when I feel worried about something or when I pay excessive attention to a problem. It reminds me that no matter how big my issue is, Allah is greater. No matter how much I anticipate the fulfillment of my desires, Allah is my ultimate reward. No matter how pleased I would feel by having what I want, only Allah truly satisfies me. Even if all my desires were fulfilled by Allah in His everlasting mercy, none of them would be a worthy substitute for Allah’s presence in this life and eternity with Him in Paradise Inshallah.
Allahu Akbar is the ultimate reminder that whatever you think is great, real or imagined, Allah is greater. This is not just in negative times. When Allah performs a miracle for you, it may sometimes seem so great that it seems unmatched. But Lo! Allah is greater! Allah’s ability to answer the prayers of His servants never ceases. Allah can do greater miracles today that what we’ve seen in the past, and can do greater things tomorrow than what we witness today! Who can limit Allah’s power? Who can stop what He decrees?
When you have made every du’a you can think of and have nothing left to say, say Allahu Akbar. When you experience more wonder for Allah than you know how to express, say Allahu Akbar. Worship your Lord, for only He is deserving of it. Nothing, good or bad, compares to Allah. May we be like the honorable messengers of Allah (peace be upon them all) that always strived to maintain their state of Islam… their state of surrender to Allah. We have been designed as creatures of surrender. Make the wise choice and surrender to Allah, because Allahu Akbar.
May Allah be glorified through this post. Ameen.