Takbīr in Elevated Places
(14) The takbīr is prescribed when one is on high ground, while the tasbīḥ is to be said when descending.
(15) As recorded in the Sunan (1), Jābir said, “We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; whenever we ascended we proclaimed the takbīr, and whenever we descended we said subḥānallāh.”
(16) The formal prayer was patterned on this rule: while bowing and prostrating the worshipper glorifies Allah, and he pronounces the takbīr when lowering himself and when rising—exactly as the authentic hadiths from the Prophet ﷺ have stated.
(17) Among the occasions where the tahlīl is paired with the takbīr is the Prophet’s address to ʿAdiyy ibn Ḥātim: “O ʿAdiyy, what makes you recoil? Does it disturb you that it be said, ‘lā ilāha illā Allāh’? Do you know of any god besides Allah? What unsettles you? Does it disturb you that it be said, ‘Allāhu akbar’? Is there anything greater than Allah?” Reported by Aḥmad, al-Tirmidhī, and others (2).
Ibn Masud used to say: “Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, la ilaha illa Allah; Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, wa lillahi l-hamd” (Allah is the Most Great, Allah is the Most Great; there is no deity but Allah; Allah is the Most Great, Allah is the Most Great, and to Allah belongs all praise). Reported by al-Darqutni and Ibn Abi Shayba; see al-Albani, Irwa al-ghalil, no. 650.
Ibn Abbas used to say: “Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar, wa lillahi l-hamd; Allahu akbar wa ajall; Allahu akbar ‘ala ma hadana” (Allah is the Most Great, Allah is the Most Great, Allah is the Most Great, and to Allah belongs all praise; Allah is the Most Great and Most Majestic; Allah is the Most Great for having guided us). Reported by al-Bayhaqi, 3/315.
(1) Al-Bukhari, no. 2993, from the hadith of Jabir b. Abd Allah: “Whenever we climbed we said ‘Allahu akbar’, and whenever we descended we said ‘subhana Allah’ (Glory be to Allah).” Also narrated by al-Nasa’i in al-Kubra, no. 10376, and by Ahmad, 3/333.
(2) Ahmad, 4/378; al-Tirmidhi, no. 2953; and al-Tabarani, al-Kabir, 17/236-237.