Eid Takbīrāt: What Are the Authentic Words? Sharʿī Guidance
Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil, Kitāb al-Ṣalāh, Vol. 1, p. 252
Question:
In al-Dāraqutnī, the words of the Eid Takbīr are reported as:
«اﷲ أكبر اﷲ أكبر لا إله إلا اﷲ واﷲ أكبر اﷲ أكبر وﷲ الحمد»
Imām al-Dhahabī رحمه الله declared this narration very weak, even fabricated.
Ḥāfiẓ Ṣāḥib, we have always recited these exact words in Takbīrāt. Are these words truly proven from the Prophet ﷺ or not?
What words should be recited for the Takbīrāt of Eid?
Please clarify, as Eid is near and I am confused about this matter.
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an:
﴿وَلِتُكَبِّرُواْ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمۡ﴾
– al-Baqarah 185
“…that you should magnify Allah for having guided you.”
✅ This verse teaches us that proclaiming the greatness of Allah (takbīr) is legislated. The essence of Eid Takbīrāt is to glorify and magnify Allah, regardless of minor variations in wording.
- The specific narration from al-Dāraqutnī:
«اﷲ أكبر اﷲ أكبر لا إله إلا اﷲ واﷲ أكبر اﷲ أكبر وﷲ الحمد»
—has been graded weak and fabricated by Imām al-Dhahabī رحمه الله. - However, these words contain no theological or Sharʿī problem, as they include tawḥīd, magnification of Allah, and praise for Him.
- Since no single, fixed formula of Eid Takbīrāt is authentically proven from the Prophet ﷺ with a ṣaḥīḥ chain, there is flexibility in the wording.
Key Points:
✿ Saying Takbīr is legislated on Eid.
✿ The exact wording is not fixed by any ṣaḥīḥ narration.
✿ The essence is proclaiming the greatness and praise of Allah.
✅ Therefore, one may say:
الله أكبر، الله أكبر، لا إله إلا الله، والله أكبر، الله أكبر، ولله الحمد
or other similar forms of glorification — as all fulfill the command of Allah to magnify Him.
