As every Tom, Dick and Harry has considered his cardinal duty to express his feelings on the phrase “Allahu Akbar” whether he knows Muslim culture or not, it has created much confusion. I would like to dispel all those rumors circling ALLAHU AKBAR and would like to make home a point or two about the actual significance of the phrase for Muslims. First of all I am no clergy or advocate of the Muslims and would just like to state facts as a student of anthropology. When a Muslim is born some elder from the family or preferably a person of high religious value speaks customary call for prayers “Adhan” in his ears. Allahu Akbar (Literal Meanings: God is the Greatest NOT GREAT) is the integral part of Adhan. It is important to understand the symbolism to understand why Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan spoke those words. By speaking these words it is SYMBOLIZED THAT THE INFANT IS BORN ON ISLAM. Allahu Akbar is not at all words of violence to be spoken before any violent act. Now every Muslim makes it his duty to recite the words before he is dying to symbolize that he lived on Islam and is dying on his faith. As Maj. Involved in the shooting was sure of his death he spoke Allahu Akbar. Neither Allahu Akbar a word specific to Jehadists nor for terrorists.
Muslims recite the words Allahu Akbar many times in a day in customary prayers, in call of prayers etc. etc. The rift between the cultures or as Samuel Huntington has called it “Clash of Civilization” must be bridged to uproot the cause of the hatred against us in the world.
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