the takbīr holds immense significance and a lofty place within it. The takbīr is prescribed in the call to prayer and the iqāmah, and it marks one’s entry into the prayer’s inviolable state. Indeed, the opening takbīr is one of the pillars of prayer. It then accompanies the Muslim in every lowering and rising movement of the prayer. Al-Bukhārī and Muslim narrated in their Sahīhs from Abū Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—who said: “When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, stood to pray, he proclaimed Allah’s greatness as he stood. He then proclaimed His greatness as he bowed, and when he rose from bowing and straightened his back, he said, ‘Allah hears whoever praises Him.’ He then said, ‘Our Lord, to You belongs all praise.’ He proclaimed Allah’s greatness as he went down, then as he raised his head, then as he prostrated, and then as he raised his head. He did this throughout the prayer until he completed it, and he proclaimed Allah’s greatness when rising after sitting at the end of the first two rak‘ahs.” 1

Thus, the takbīr is repeated many times by the Muslim during his prayer. A four-rak‘ah prayer contains twenty-two takbīrs, a two-rak‘ah prayer contains eleven, and each rak‘ah contains five. Accordingly, in the five prescribed prayers alone, the Muslim proclaims Allah’s greatness ninety-four times every day and night. How much more often will he do so if he also regularly performs the established sunnah prayers and other voluntary prayers? And how much more if he regularly recites the remembrances prescribed after the prayers, which include proclaiming Allah’s greatness thirty-three times? Therefore, if a Muslim regularly observes the five prayers together with the twelve rak‘ahs of established sunnah prayers, the three rak‘ahs of the shaf‘ and witr prayers, and the prescribed thirty-three proclamations of Allah’s greatness after the prayers, then the number of times he proclaims Allah’s greatness throughout