Allahu Akbar

Children play near an American flag during the annual Muslim Day Parade in New York City.

How the everyday phrase ‘Allahu Akbar’ became a political lightning rod

Belief

Muslims use the Arabic phrase meaning “God is greatest” in prayer and when expressing gratitude, congratulations or appreciation.

Tell us about your experience accessing The World

We want to hear your feedback so we can keep improving our website, theworld.org. Please fill out this quick survey and let us know your thoughts (your answers will be anonymous). Thanks for your time!

We respect your time, attention and privacy

This is a news website, not a click casino. We do NOT employ deceptive behaviors, display annoying ads or use third party cookies and trackers to monetize your visit or help advertisers track you across the internet.

Simply, we ask that you would consider a donation to support the journalism we produce every weekday. Thank you.