Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (5/170)

The first view is that it is to be recited in pairs, as the author states: “Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great; there is no god worthy of worship except Allah; Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great; and to Allah belongs all praise.”

They reasoned that the first phrase is concluded on an odd number by “There is no god worthy of worship except Allah,” and likewise the second by saying, “And to Allah belongs all praise.”

The second view is that it is to be recited in odd numbers: “Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great; there is no god worthy of worship except Allah; Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great; and to Allah belongs all praise.”

They reasoned that the takbir itself should be recited an odd number of times: thus, it is said an odd number of times in both the first and second phrases, on the basis that each phrase is distinct from the other. It cannot rightly be said that the odd number is achieved by the words, “There is no god worthy of worship except Allah,” or by, “And to Allah belongs all praise,” because these are not of the same kind as the takbir; or it may be said that they are of a different category.

The third view is that the first phrase is recited an odd number of times and the second in pairs: “Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great; there is no god worthy of worship except Allah; Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great; and to Allah belongs all praise.”

They reasoned that the takbir is a single category, and that the two phrases are equivalent to one phrase. Thus, when he says the takbir three times and then twice, it amounts to five—an odd number. In this case, the takbir is made odd on the basis that the two phrases constitute one.

This view, as well as the preceding one, is stronger in terms of its reasoning than the view which holds that the takbir should be said twice each time. For if we regard each phrase as separate from the other, then making both phrases odd is more appropriate. But if we regard the two phrases as one, then making the first odd and the second even is what concludes the takbir on an odd number.

الأول: أنه شفع كما قال المؤلف: «الله أكبر، الله أكبر، لا إله إلا الله، والله أكبر، الله أكبر، ولله الحمد». وعللوا ذلك أنه بـ «لا إله إلا الله» يختم بوتر، وكذلك إذا قال: «ولله الحمد». الثاني: أنه وتر، «الله أكبر، الله أكبر، الله أكبر، لا إله إلا الله، والله أكبر، الله أكبر، الله أكبر، ولله الحمد». وعللوا ذلك بأن يكون تكبيره وتراً، فيوتر التكبير في المرة الأولى والثانية بناء على أن كل جملة منفردة عن الأخرى، ولا يصح أن يقال: إن الوتر حصل بقوله: «لا إله إلا الله» أو بقوله: «ولله الحمد»؛ لأنه من غير جنس التكبير، أو يقال: إن النوع مختلف. الثالث: أنه وتر في الأولى، شفع في الثانية، «الله أكبر، الله أكبر، الله أكبر، لا إله إلا الله، والله أكبر، الله أكبر، ولله الحمد». وعللوا أن التكبير جنس واحد، والجملتان بمنزلة جملة واحدة، فإذا كبّر ثلاثاً واثنتين صارت خمساً وتراً، فيكون الإيتار بالتكبير بناء على أن الجملتين واحدة. وهذا القول والذي قبله من حيث التعليل أقوى من قول من يقول: إنه يكبر مرتين مرتين؛ لأننا إذا اعتبرنا أن كل جملة منفصلة عن الأخرى صار الإيتار في الثنتين أولى، وإن اعتبرنا أن الجملتين واحدة صار الإيتار في الأولى والشفع في الثانية هو الذي ينقطع به التكبير على وتر.