Libya
"Allahu Akbar" (God Is Greatest!)

Words by: Mahmoud El-Sherif
Music by: Abdalla Shams El-Din
Adopted: 1969

"Allahu Akbar" is not only the title of the anthem of this Islamic north African state, but also the Muslim call to prayer. Originally, the text and the melody were written as a battle song of the Egyptian Army during the Suez War in 1956. When Muammar Qadafi transformed Libya into a republic in 1969, he adopted this Egyptian marching song as the Libyan national anthem, as part of his ultimate goal of unity of all Arab nations. When Qadafi broke off the relations with Egypt after Egypt's peace treaty with Israel in 1979, the anthem was retained, but the Egyptian origin of the song is no longer mentioned by the Libyan authorities.

Special thanks to: Josh Lim for providing the Arabic text lyrics and Jan Scotland for providing some of the information.

See also: Libya (1951-1969).