- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singer
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Movie name
- Muhammad bin Tughluq
- Movie release year
- 1971
- Lyrics added on
- 19 Dec 2023
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
'Allaah Akbar' is a devout philosophical song from Cho Ramaswamy's iconic political satire 'Muhammad bin Tughluq' (1971), set to music and sung by M. S. Viswanathan with lyrics penned by Vaali. The song praises the omnipresence, supreme benevolence, and omnipotence of God (Allah). It uses vivid analogies from nature and spirituality to illustrate how divine wisdom purifies the human soul, comparing sacred scripture to water that cleanses the earth and aquatic life that purifies the water. The song emphasizes universal solace, noting that while the wealthy possess material possessions, the Almighty belongs equally to all—the rich, the poor, the good, and the wicked. Through poetic references to the body's physical sensory openings and the mind's endless paths, it highlights the holy mosque (Palli Vaasal) as the ultimate gateway to spiritual liberation and ultimate peace.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Nilam velukka neerthaan undu / Neer velukka meenthaan undu”
Repetition of the initial sound 'N' in words within consecutive lines.
Antithesis (Ethir-inai / Contrast)
“Irupporkku ellaam sontham / Illaarkku edhuthaan sontham”
Contrasting those who possess wealth (Irupporkku) against those who have nothing (Illaarkku), as well as the good (Nallaarkkum) vs. the wicked (Pollaarkkum).
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Manam velukka edhuthaan undu / Nabiyae un vedham undu”
Comparing sacred teachings/scripture to a cleansing agent that purifies the human mind, parallel to water purifying land.
Numerical Symbolism (Aegai / Imagery)
“Udalukku onbathu vaasal / Manathukku enbathu vaasal”
Contrasting physical sensory gates (nine openings of the body) and mental distractions (eighty gates) with the single spiritual gateway (the mosque).
Did you know?
Trivia
This famous song features in Cho Ramaswamy's iconic political satire film 'Muhammad bin Tughluq'. Composed and soulfully rendered by M. S. Viswanathan himself, lyricist Vaali seamlessly blended Islamic spiritual philosophy with classical Tamil poetic idioms, creating a timeless non-denominational devotional track widely appreciated across Tamil cinema.
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