Allahu Akbar (anthem)

Allahu Akbar
English: God Is the Greatest
الله أكبر
Sheet music

Former military anthem of the Egypt Egyptian Armed Forces
Former national anthem of  Libya
LyricsMahmoud El-Sherif, 1955
MusicAbdalla Shams El-Din, 1954
Adopted1 September 1969
Relinquished20 October 2011
Preceded by"Walla Zaman Ya Selahy" (Egypt)
Succeeded by"Libya, Libya, Libya" (Libya)
Audio sample
Allahu Akbar

"Allahu Akbar" (Arabic: الله أكبر, lit.'God Is the Greatest') is an Egyptian pro-military patriotic song composed by songwriter Abdalla Shams El-Din in 1954 and written by poet Mahmoud El-Sherif in 1955. It was first used by the Egyptian Armed Forces as a marching song during the Suez Crisis in 1956. The song was also used as the national anthem of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi from 1969 to 2011.

History

Egyptian origins

"Allahu Akbar" was originally an Egyptian military marching song which became popular in Egypt and Syria during the Suez Crisis.[1] The lyrics were written by Mahmoud El-Sherif, and the music was composed by Abdalla Shams El-Din. The song continues to be popular among the Arab world.

Use in Libya

"Allahu Akbar" was adopted as the official national anthem of the Libyan Arab Republic on 1 September 1969, by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, showing his hopes of uniting the Arab world. "Allahu Akbar" replaced the previous national anthem "Libya, Libya, Libya", which had been used by the Kingdom of Libya since its independence in 1951.

When the Libyan Arab Republic became the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya on 2 March 1977, "Allahu Akbar" remained the national anthem of Libya. However, when Libya and Egypt broke off diplomatic relations following the latter's 1979 peace treaty with Israel, the Egyptian origins of the national anthem were no longer mentioned by official government sources.[2]

In 2011, the National Transitional Council again adopted "Libya, Libya, Libya" as the national anthem of Libya, following the civil war and killing of Muammar Gaddafi. Gaddafi loyalists continued to use the anthem.

Lyrics

Arabic Transliteration IPA transcription English translation

الله أكبر الله اكبر
𝄇 الله أكبر فوق كيد المعتدي
والله للمظلوم خير مؤيدي 𝄆
أنا باليقين وبالسلاح سأفتدي
بلدي ونور الحق يسطع في يدي
قولوا معي قولوا معي
الله الله الله أكبر
الله فوق المعتدي

Allāhu akbar! Allāhu akbar!
𝄆 Allāhu akbar fawqa kaydi l-muʿtadī
Wa-llāhu li-l-maẓlūmi xayru muʾayyidī 𝄇
Anā bi-l-yaqīni wa-bi-s-silāḥi saʾaftadī
Baladī wa-nūru l-ḥaqqi yasṭaʿu fī yadī
Qūlū maʿī, qūlū maʿī
Allāh, Allāh, Allāhu akbar!
Allāhu fawqa l-muʿtadī

ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ æk.bɑr ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ æk.bɑr
𝄆 ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ æk.bɑr fɑw.qɑ kæj.dɪ‿l.mʊʕ.tæ.diː
wɑlˀ.lˀɑː.hʊ lɪl‿mɑzˤ.luː.mɪ xɑj.rʊ mʊ.ʔæj.jɪ.diː 𝄇
æ.næː bɪl‿jæ.qiː.nɪ wɑ.bɪs‿sɪ.læː.ħɪ sæ.ʔæf.tæ.diː
bæ.læ.diː wɑ.nuː.rʊ‿l.ħɑq.qɪ jæs.tˤɑ.ʕʊ fiː jæ.diː
quː.luː mæ.ʕiː quː.luː mæ.ʕiː
ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.h ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.h ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ æk.bɑr
ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ fɑw.qɑ‿l.mʊʕ.tæ.diː

God is the greatest! God is the greatest!
𝄆 God is greatest above plots of the aggressors!
And God is the best helper of the oppressed! 𝄇
With faith and with weapons I shall defend my country,
And the light of truth will shine in my hand.
Say with me, say with me:
God, God, God is the greatest!
God is above any attacker!

الله أكبر الله اكبر
𝄇 يا هذه الدنيا أطلي واسمعي
جيش الأعادي جاء يبغي مصرعي 𝄆
بالحق سوف أرده وبمدفعي
وإذا فنيت فسوف أفنيه معي
قولوا معي قولوا معي
الله الله الله اكبر
الله فوق المعتدي

Allāhu Akbar! Allāhu Akbar!
𝄆 Yā hađihi d-dunyā aṭillī w-asmaʿī
Jayšu l-aʿādī jāʾ yabğī maṣraʿī 𝄇
Bi-l-ḥaqqi sawfa ʾurduhu wa-bumadfaʿī
Wa-iđā finīt fasawfa ʾufnīhi maʿī
Qūlū maʿī, qūlū maʿī
Allāh, Allāh, Allāhu akbar!
Allāhu fawqa l-muʿtadī

ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ æk.bɑr ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ æk.bɑr
𝄆 jæː hæ.ðɪ.hɪd‿dʊn.jæː æ.tˤɪl.liː wɑs.mæ.ʕiː
d͡ʒæj.ʃʊ læ.ʕɑː.diː d͡ʒæːʔ jæb.ɣiː mɑsˁ.rɑ.ʕiː 𝄇
bɪl‿ħɑq.qɪ sɑw.fæ ʔʊr.dʊ.hʊ wɑ.bʊ.mæd.fæ.ʕiː
wɑ.ɪ.ðæː fɪ.niːt fæ.sɑw.fɑ ʔʊf.niː.hɪ mæ.ʕiː
quː.luː mæ.ʕiː quː.luː mæ.ʕiː
ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.h ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.h ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ æk.bɑr
ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ fɑw.qɑl‿mʊʕ.tæ.diː

God is the greatest! God is the greatest!
𝄆 Oh this world, watch and listen:
The enemy came coveting my demise, 𝄇
I shall fight with truth and defences,
And if I die, I'll take her with me!
Say with me, say with me:
God, God, God is the greatest!
God is above any attacker!

الله أكبر الله أكبر
𝄇 قولوا معي الويل للمستعمر
وﷲ فوق الغادر المتجبر 𝄆
الله أكبر يا بلادي كبري
وخذي بناصية المغير ودمري
قولوا معي قولوا معي
الله الله الله أكبر
الله فوق المعتدي

Allāhu akbar! Allāhu akbar!
𝄆 Qūlū maʿī: al-waylu li-l-mustaʿmiri
Wa-llāhu fawqa l-ğādiri l-mutakabbiri 𝄇
Allāhu akbaru yā bilādī kabbirī
Wa-xuđī bi-nāṣiyati l-muğīri wa-dammirī
Qūlū maʿī, qūlū maʿī
Allāh, Allāh, Allāhu akbar!
Allāhu fawqa l-muʿtadī

ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ æk.bɑr ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ æk.bɑr
𝄆 quː.luː mæ.ʕiː ɑl‿wɑj.lʊ lɪl‿mʊs.tɑʕ.mɪ.rɪ
wɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ fɑw.qɑl‿ɣɑː.dɪ.rɪl‿mʊ.tæ.kæb.bɪ.rɪ 𝄇
ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ æk.bɑ.rʊ jæː bɪ.læː.diː kæb.bɪ.riː
wɑ.xʊ.ðiː bɪ.næː.sˤɪ.jæ.tɪl‿mʊ.ɣiː.rɪ wɑ.dam.mɪ.riː
quː.luː mæ.ʕiː quː.luː mæ.ʕiː
ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.h ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.h ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ æk.bɑr
ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ fɑw.qɑl‿mʊʕ.tæ.diː

God is the greatest! God is the greatest!
𝄆 Say with me, down to the colonialists!
And God is over the invader egotist. 𝄇
God is the greatest, my country, say with me:
And behold of enemies forelock and destroy it.
Say with me, say with me:
God, God, God is the Greatest!
God is above any attacker!

الله أكبر
الله أكبر
الله أكبر
الله أكبر

Allāhu akbar!
Allāhu akbar!
Allāhu akbar!
Allāhu akbar!

ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ æk.bɑr
ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ æk.bɑr
ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ æk.bɑr
ɑlˁ.lˁɑː.hʊ æk.bɑr

God is the greatest!
God is the greatest!
God is the greatest!
God is the greatest!

See also

References

  1. ^ "Allahu Akbar: The Call to Jihad, Religious War, and Acts of Terrorism". sutori.com. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Libya 1969-2011". nationalanthems.info. Retrieved 30 January 2012.