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Lyrics Mahmoud El-Sherif, 1955 Music Abdalla Shams El-Din, 1978 Adopted September 1, 1969 (Libyan Arab Republic)
March 2, 1977 (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) Relinquished March 2, 1977 (Libyan Arab Republic)
October 20, 2011 (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) | ||
"Allahu Akbar" (Arabic: الله أكبر; meaning "Allah is [the] Greatest," or "Allah is Greater") was the national anthem of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from March 2, 1977 to October 20, 2011. Originally an Egyptian military marching song during the Suez Canal War of 1956, it was previously the national anthem of the Libyan Arab Republic beforehand, in use from September 1, 1969 to March 2, 1977.
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Egyptian origins
"Allahu Akbar" was originally an Egyptian military marching song which became popular in Egypt and Syria during the Suez Canal War of 1956 . The lyrics were written by Mahmoud El-Sherif, and the music was composed by Abdalla Shams El-Din.
Use in Libya
"Allahu Akbar" was adopted as the official national anthem of the Libyan Arab Republic on 1 September 1969, by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, showing his hopes of uniting the Arab world. "Allahu Akbar" replaced the previous national anthem "Libya, Libya, Libya", which had been used by the Kingdom of Libya since its independence in 1951.
When the Libyan Arab Republic became the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya on 2 March 1977, "Allahu Akbar" remained the national anthem of Libya. However, when Libya and Egypt broke off diplomatic relations following the latter's peace treaty with the State of Israel in 1979, the Egyptian origins of the national anthem were no longer mentioned by official government sources.
When the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya was dissolved on 20 October 2011, following the Libyan Civil War and the death of Muammar Gaddafi, "Libya, Libya, Libya" was once again adopted as the new national anthem of Libya, by the National Transitional Council.
Latinate transliteration of Arabic
1. Allāhu Akbar! Allāhu Akbar!
Allāhu Akbar fawqa kaydi l-muʿtadī
Allāhu li-l-maẓlūmi ḫayru muʾaydi
(Repeat first two lines)
Anā bi-l-yaqīni wa-bi-s-silāḥi saʾaftadī
Baladī wa-nūru l-ḥaqqi yasṭaʿu fī yadī
CHORUS:
Qūlū maʿī Qūlū maʿī
Allāhu Allāhu Allāhu Akbar!
Allāhu fawqa l-muʿtadī
2. Allāhu Akbar! Allāhu Akbar!
Yā haḏihi d-dunyā aṭillī w-asmaʿī
Gayšu l-aʿādī ǧāʾ yabġī maṣraʿī
(Repeat first two lines)
Bi-l-ḥaqqi sawfa arduhu wa-bumadfaʿī
Wa-iḏā finīt fusūf afnīhi maʿī
Chorus
3. Allāhu akbar! Allāhu akbar!
Qūlū maʿī l-waylu li-l-mustaʿmiri
Wa-llāhu fawqa l-ġāṣibi l-mutakabbiri
(Repeat first two lines)
Allāhu akbaru yā bilādī kabbirī
Wa-ḫuḏī bin-aṣīyâti l-muġīri wa-dammirī
Chorus