We start our صلاة with the opening تكبير - the saying of الله أكبرُ Allahu Akbar. The word أكبر comes from the root ك ب ر which alludes to being or becoming big or great, whether physically, in age, or in rank.
It is normally translated into ‘Allah is the Greatest’, but that would be الله الأكبرُ Allahu al-Akbar. As it is, without the definite article الـ al- preceding it, الله أكبرُ Allahu Akbar means ‘Allah is Greater.’ Greater than what? It has been left open-ended intentionally, for us to fill in.
The repetition of these words throughout our prayer serve as a reminder that the Creator whom we stand before is greater in everything, and greater than everything. Allah is greater than the meeting I have to get back to, Allah is greater than the food I have to cook, Allah is greater than the programme I was watching, Allah is greater than the mental to-do list I’m checking off right now….Allah is greater than whatever preoccupies me and distracts me from my prayer at the moment of uttering these words.
So let this be our focus and our intention when we start our prayer by saying الله أكبرُ Allahu Akbar, “Allah is greater…” and let us use it to refocus our mind with every instance it is repeated.