What phrase validates the commencement of the prayer (Takbirat al-Ihram)?
Chapter on the Description of Prayer
Al-Mughni
Book of Prayer
Primary text
The prayer is not constituted unless it begins with the saying, 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah is the Greatest). This is the position of our Imam (presumably referring to the author's school) and Malik. Ibn Mas'ud, Tawus, Ayub, Malik, Thawri, and Al-Shafi'i also held that the commencement of prayer requires the Takbir. The general populace of scholars throughout history adhere to this. The evidence for this exclusivity is the Prophet's statement, 'Its prohibition [entering into unlawful speech] is the Takbir,' and the command given to the one praying badly, 'When you stand for prayer, say Takbir.' Additionally, in the narration of Rifa'ah, the Prophet stated, 'Allah does not accept the prayer of a man until he performs ablution correctly, then faces the Qiblah, and says, 'Allahu Akbar.'' The consistent practice of the Prophet, peace be upon him, in commencing prayer with 'Allahu Akbar' without any recorded deviation until his passing indicates that deviation from it is not permissible.
Supporting text
Al-Shafi'i held that the prayer is constituted by saying 'Allahu Al-Akbar,' arguing that the definite article 'Al' does not change the structure or meaning, but only indicates definiteness. Abu Hanifa maintained that the prayer is constituted by saying any name of Allah that denotes glorification, such as 'Allahu 'Azim' (Allah is Mighty), 'Kabeer' (Great), 'Jaleel' (Majestic), 'Subhan Allah,' 'Alhamdulillah,' or 'La ilaha illa Allah.' This view is supported by the analogy to the sermon (Khutbah), where the wording is not fixed. The position holding that 'Allahu Al-Akbar' is required invalidates the analogy to the sermon because the Prophet, peace be upon him, never specified a fixed wording for the sermon, whereas the prayer necessitates the specific wording. The argument that 'Allahu Al-Akbar' is merely specifying the indefinite form is invalid because it changes the usage from indefinite to definite, implying a missing element, whereas 'Allahu Akbar' implies 'from everything,' a structure not found in the Quran, Sunnah, or common usage of the eloquent, meaning the unqualified term 'Takbir' refers only to the specific phrase.