Meaning of "Allaahu Akbar".

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله ، وبـعـد

Were the Sufees to contemplate on the meaning of "Allaahu Akbar", they would have rejected all the false concepts of "Wahdatul-wujood", "Hulool" and "Allaah is everywhere".

Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله in Sharh al-Mumti`u said:

Question: What is the meaning of “Allaahu Akbar”?

Answer: It means that Allaah تعالى is the Most Great - greater than everything - in His Self, His Names and Attributes, and everything that is understood from the meaning of this word. Allaah تعالى says:

{وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ وَالأَرْضُ جَمِيعًا قَبْضَتُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَالسَّمَاوَاتُ مَطْوِيَّاتٌ بِيَمِينِهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ}

{They made not a just estimate of Allaah such as is due to Him. And on the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand. Glorified is He, and High is He above all that they associate as partners with Him!} [Surah al-Zumar (39):67]

Allaah تعالى also says:

{يَوْمَ نَطْوِي السَّمَاءَ كَطَيِّ السِّجِلِّ لِلْكُتُبِ كَمَا بَدَأْنَا أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُعِيدُهُ وَعْدًا عَلَيْنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ}

{And (remember) the Day when We shall roll up the heavens like a scroll rolled up for books, as We began the first creation, We shall repeat it, (it is) a promise binding upon Us. Truly, We shall do it. } [Surah al-Anbiyaa’ (21): 104]

And from (this it is understood that) this Greatness is Greater than everything.

Allaah تعالى says:

{وَلَهُ الْكِبْرِيَاءُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ}

{And His (Alone) is the Majesty in the heavens and the earth, and He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. } [Surah al-Jaathiyah (45):37]

So every meaning of this word (“Allaahu Akbar”) with the absolute meaning of Majesty - then it is affirmed for Allaah عز وجل.

[Sharh al-Mumti`u of Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen (3/22-24)]