All of this means that the imam pronounced “Allāhu akbar” aloud. For this reason, they called it pronouncing “Allāhu akbar” in full, since that entailed raising one’s voice and pronouncing it at every lowering and rising.

This is demonstrated by the following. In the chapter on pronouncing “Allāhu akbar” when rising after the first two units, al-Bukhārī stated: “Ibn al-Zubayr would pronounce ‘Allāhu akbar’ as he rose.” Al-Bukhārī then narrated from Fulayh ibn Sulaymān, from Saīd ibn al-Hārith, who said: “Abū Saīd led us in prayer and pronounced ‘Allāhu akbar’ aloud when he raised his head from prostration, when he prostrated, when he rose, and when he stood after the first two units. He said, ‘This is how I saw Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) pray.’” Al-Bukhārī followed this with the hadith of Mutarrif, who said: “Imrān ibn Husayn and I prayed behind Alī ibn Abī Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him). Whenever he prostrated, he pronounced ‘Allāhu akbar’; whenever he rose, he pronounced ‘Allāhu akbar’; and when he stood after the first two units, he pronounced ‘Allāhu akbar.’ When he concluded the prayer with the salām, Imrān ibn Husayn took me by the hand and said, ‘This man has indeed led us in a prayer like that of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him),’ or he said, ‘This man has indeed reminded me of Muhammad’s prayer (peace and blessings be upon him).’”

This makes clear that the discussion concerns only pronouncing “Allāhu akbar” aloud. As for the basic practice of pronouncing it, that was not unknown to anyone. Moreover, uncertainty as to whether an imam had done so could not justify categorically denying it. Thus, they could not validly deny that the imams did so, any more than one could validly deny recitation in a prayer in which the recitation is silent, the glorification of Allah while bowing and prostrating, recitation in the final two units, or similar acts. For this reason, some of those who did not pronounce “Allāhu akbar” at every transition or say it aloud cited the report transmitted from Saīd ibn Abd al-Rahmān ibn Abzā, from his father: “He prayed with Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), who did not pronounce ‘Allāhu akbar’ at every transition.” It was narrated by Abū Dāwūd and by al-Bukhārī in al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr (The Major History). It was also related by—