Ala علا...

Ala علا: rose, ascended; علا على: prevailed, overrode, predominated, triuphed over. It also means soared or indulged in pride, acted arrogantly, thought too much of himself. Other meanins: mounted, towered over. `Alim عالم: scholar, theologian, a highly knowledgeable person Allahu Akbar or Allaho Akbar, Allahu Akber, Allahoo Akber, Or Allah Akbar الله أكبر: This statement is said by Muslims quite often and on various occasions.

During the call for prayers, during prayers, when they are happy, when they wish to express their approval of what they hear, when they slaughter an animal, and when they want to praise a speaker…, Muslims utter this expression.

Its means: "Allah is the Greatest." Almani علماني” secular, multi-confessional A`mal أعمال: highly recommended acts of adoration Amin or Ameen أمين: custodian or guardian, someone who is loyal, faithful, trustworthy, secretary Amir or Ameer أمير: leader or commander, prince, one in charge Amir al-Mumineen or Ameerul-Mu'mineen أمير المؤمنين: Commander of the Faithful: title of the caliphs, Islamic rulers.

Followers of (ع), the Prophet's Prgeny, apply it particularly to Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (ع) on account of the "Ghadeer Khumm Declaration". This Declaration took place on the 18th of Thul-Hijja of the year 11 A.H. which then coincided, according to the Gregorian Christian calendar, with the 9th of March (or the 6th of March according to the Julian Christian calendar) of the year 633 A.D.

The Ghadeer, swamp or small lake of shallow water formed mostly by rainfall, is located in the Juhfa desert between Mecca and Medina on the pilgrims' route to Mecca. It is there and then that the Prophet (ص) articulated his famous statement: "To whom I have been a mawla, master, this Ali is his master! Lord befriend whoever befriends him and be the enemy of whoever antagonizes him!" It is there and then that Ali was called "Amir al-Mu'mineen", commander of the faithful.

Numerous classic books (mostly in Arabic) detail this incident. One of them is al-Bukhari's book titled At-Tarikh Al-Kabir where the author details the incident in Vol. 1, Part 1, p. 375 (Hayderabad, India, edition). Alhamdu-Lillah, I have written an entire book about this incident which I titled Ghadeer Khumm: Where Islam was Perfected. Ansar or Ansar أنصار: helpers, supporters.

These were the people of Medina who responded to the Prophet's call to Islam and helped establish Islam's first city-state power.