Saying ‘allāhu akbar’ at the beginning of every prayer is obligatory and an elementary part of the prayer. The letters in ‘allāh’ and ‘akbar’, as well as the two words ‘allāh’ and ‘akbar’, must be said in succession. Furthermore, these two words must be pronounced in correct Arabic; if someone pronounces them in incorrect Arabic or, for example, says their translation in English, it is not correct.