The Prophecy from the Zabur
Dawud said in the Zabur: “Praise Allah with a new praise, and let the one rejoice in the Creator who Allah chose his nation for him, and gave him victory, and supported the righteous among them with honour.
They glorify Him on their beds, and they magnify Allah with loud voices, with in their hands swords that have two edges, so that He may take vengeance through them against the nations that do not worship Him.”
Ibn Taymiyyah explains that these words only match the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his Ummah, not any other nation.
Takbir with Loud Voices
He connects “they magnify Allah with loud voices” to the Adhan of Muslims for the five daily prayers and to their practice of saying Takbir when ascending high places.
- Jabir ibn Abdullah said that when they ascended with the Prophet ﷺ they said Takbir, and when they descended they said Tasbih, and from this the prayer was legislated.
- Ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet ﷺ used to say Takbir on ascents during expeditions, Hajj, or Umrah, and then recite Dhikr.
- Other narrations confirm that the Prophet ﷺ advised companions to say Takbir on high places when travelling.
- In battle, the Prophet ﷺ and his army also said Takbir on ascents and Tasbih on descents.
Takbir in Festivals and Rituals
The Muslims loudly say Takbir in many acts of worship:
- During Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, both in prayer and Khutbah,
- In Mina after prayers during Hajj,
- When slaughtering animals for Udhiyah and Hajj,
- When throwing the Jamarat,
- On al-Safa and al-Marwah,
- In Tawaf at the corner.
Reports show Umar ibn al-Khattab’s loud Takbir in Mina echoed across the markets, and Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas would go out to the market to spread Takbir.
The Quran confirms this:
- “وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ”
“And so that you complete the number, and that you magnify Allah for what He guided you to, and that you may be grateful” (al-Baqara 185). - “لِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ”
“That you may magnify Allah for what He guided you to” (al-Hajj 36-37).
Even Christians called the Muslim Eid “The Eid of Allahu Akbar” because of the open Takbir.
Ibn Taymiyyah says no other nation had this, since Jews used the trumpet and Christians the bell, but loud Takbir is unique to Muslims.
He also links this to the Prophet’s command to refrain from attacking a town if the Adhan was heard, since the Adhan is the clear symbol of Islam.
Swords with Two Edges
The prophecy mentions “Swords with two edges.”
Ibn Taymiyyah explains these are the Arab swords used by the Companions and their followers in opening the lands through Jihad.
This again points directly to Muhammad ﷺ and his nation, not to the Christians who never fought with the sword but rather submitted to nations around them.
Glorifying on Their Beds
The words “They glorify Him on their Beds” describe believers remembering Allah in all states: standing, sitting, or lying on their sides. Unlike the People of the Book, Muslims even pray on their beds if unable to stand.
Prayer itself is the greatest Tasbih, supported by the following verses:
- “فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ حِينَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُونَ”
“So glorify Allah when you enter the evening and when you enter the morning” (al-Rum 17). - “وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَعَشِيًّا وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ”
“And to Him belongs praise in the heavens and the earth, and at evening and when you enter noon” (al-Rum 18). - “وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا”
“And glorify with the praise of your Lord before sunrise and before sunset” (Qaf 39). - “وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا وَمِنْ آنَاءِ اللَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْ وَأَطْرَافَ النَّهَارِ لَعَلَّكَ تَرْضَى”
“And glorify with the praise of your Lord before sunrise and before sunset, and from the hours of the night glorify Him, and at the ends of the day, that you may be pleased” (Taha 130).
The Prophet ﷺ confirmed these times of prayer when Jibril established them for him, saying: “This is your time, and the time of the prophets before you.”
The earlier Prophets prayed at these times, but the “new praise” in the Zabur refers to the five daily prayers, newly legislated for the Muslims, after the Night Journey (Israa Wal Mi’raaj)
These attributes only apply to the attributes of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and his nation. They are the ones who magnify Allah with loud voices in their adhan for the five prayers, and upon high places.
Ibn Umar, he said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when he returned from the armies or the expeditions, or hajj, or umrah, when he ascended upon a rise or elevated place, he would say takbir three times, then say: “There is no god but Allah, alone with no partner, to Him belongs the kingdom and to Him belongs all praise, and He has power over all things, returning, repenting, worshipping, prostrating to our Lord, praising. Allah has fulfilled His promise, given victory to His servant, and defeated the confederates alone” (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 950, Muwatta Imam Malik Book 20 Hadith 252)
And from Abu Hurayrah, that a man said: O Messenger of Allah, I want to travel so advise me. He said: “Have taqwa of Allah, and say takbir upon every high place.” Then when the man turned away, he said: “O Allah, make the distance short for him, and make the travel easy upon him.”
This was narrated by Imam Ahmad, al Tirmidhi, and al Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah narrated from it: “I advise you to have taqwa of Allah, and to say takbir upon every high place” (Musnad Ahmad, Sunan al Tirmidhi 3445, Sunan al Nasa’i, Sunan Ibn Majah 2771).
And they say takbir loudly in their festivals, the Eid of Fitr and the Eid of Nahr, in the prayer and the sermon, and when going to prayer, and in the days of Mina the pilgrims and the rest of the people in the lands say takbir after the prayers, so the imam is recommended to say takbir aloud. Al Bukhari mentioned from Umar ibn al Khattab that he used to say takbir in his tent in Mina, and the people in the masjid heard him so they said takbir, and the people in the markets heard them so they said takbir, until Mina trembled with takbir.
And Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas used to go out to the market in the ten days and say takbir, and the people said takbir with their takbir. And they say takbir over their sacrifices and their animals for hajj and their udhiyah, as their Prophet used to say when slaughtering: “In the name of Allah, and Allah is greater.” And they say takbir when throwing the jamarat, and they say takbir upon al Safa and al Marwah, and they say takbir in tawaf when passing the corner, and in all this they say takbir aloud, apart from what they say silently.
Allah said when He mentioned fasting Ramadan for which they have Eid al Fitr: “وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ” “And so that you complete the number, and that you magnify Allah for what He guided you to, and that you may be grateful” (al Baqara 185). And when He mentioned the sacrificial animals on Eid al Nahr, which is the day of the greater hajj,
He said: “وَالْبُدْنَ جَعَلْنَاهَا لَكُم مِّن شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ فَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا صَوَافَّ فَإِذَا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُهَا فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا الْقَانِعَ وَالْمُعْتَرَّ كَذَلِكَ سَخَّرْنَاهَا لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ لَن يَنَالَ اللَّهَ لُحُومُهَا وَلَا دِمَاؤُهَا وَلَكِن يَنَالُهُ التَّقْوَى مِنكُمْ كَذَلِكَ سَخَّرْنَاهَا لَكُمْ لِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُحْسِنِينَ”
“And the camels, We made them for you from the symbols of Allah, for you in them is good. So mention the name of Allah upon them while standing, then when they fall on their sides, eat from them and feed the poor and needy. In this way We subjected them to you, that you may be grateful. Their meat does not reach Allah nor their blood, but your taqwa reaches Him. In this way We subjected them to you that you may magnify Allah for what He guided you to, and give glad tidings to the doers of good” (al Hajj 36-37).
And the Christians call the Eid of the Muslims the Eid of Allahu Akbar because of the apparent magnification in it.
This is not for any other nation, neither the People of the Book nor others apart from the Muslims. Musa used to gather the Children of Israel with the trumpet, and the Christians have the bell. As for magnifying Allah with loud voices, then it is from the symbols of the Muslims, for the adhan is the symbol of the Muslims. By this it becomes clear the shortcoming of the one who explained that verse as the talbiyah of the pilgrims.
And likewise his words: “With in their hands swords with two edges.” These are the Arab swords with which the companions and their followers opened the lands.
And his words: “They glorify Him on their beds” is a description of the believers, who remember Allah standing, sitting, and upon their sides, and one of them prays standing, and if he cannot, then sitting, and if he cannot, then upon his side.
They do not leave the remembrance of Allah in any state, but they remember Him even in this state, and they pray in the houses upon their beds, unlike the People of the Book.
And prayer is the greatest tasbih, as in His saying:
“فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ حِينَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُونَ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَعَشِيًّا وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ”
“So glorify Allah when you enter the evening and when you enter the morning, and to Him belongs praise in the heavens and the earth, and at evening and when you enter noon” (al Rum 17-18).
And His saying: “وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا”
“And glorify with the praise of your Lord before sunrise and before sunset” (Qaf 39).
Then he recited His saying: “وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا وَمِنْ آنَاءِ اللَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْ وَأَطْرَافَ النَّهَارِ لَعَلَّكَ تَرْضَى”
“And glorify with the praise of your Lord before sunrise and before sunset, and from the hours of the night glorify Him, and at the ends of the day, that you may be pleased” (Taha 130).
And this is the meaning of the words of Dawud: “Praise Allah with a new praise,” and the tasbih that Allah legislated new is the five prayers which He legislated for the Muslims new.
And when Jibril established them for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, he said: “This is your time, and the time of the prophets before you.”
So the prophets used to glorify in these times, as the earlier tasbih indicates, and the new tasbih as the rest of the words indicate.
And it cannot be for the Christians, because they do not magnify Allah with loud voices, nor with in their hands swords with two edges that Allah may take vengeance through them against the nations.
Rather, their reports show that they were subdued with the nations, they did not fight them with the sword. Rather, the Christians even blame those who fight the disbelievers with the sword.
And among them are those who make this a fault of Muhammad ﷺ, and his nation, and they neglect what is with them that Allah commanded Musa to fight the disbelievers, so the Children of Israel fought them by His command, and Yusha fought them, and Dawud and others of the prophets, and Ibrahim the Friend fought, to repel oppression from his companions.
Jawab Al Sahih By Ibn Taymiyyah (5/226-236)
