is one of the most pleasing of all occupations. The depth and wisdom of his words can never be fully grasped, because his knowledge was divinely inspired. But occasionally, delicate rays of understanding cast their light through our conscious minds. Each hadith compilation one ever has the chance to study invariably becomes one's favourite... at least until they discover the next. Alhamdulillah, this year, we're studying Riyadh-us-Saaliheen, the famous compilation of authentic prophetic narrations as collected and recorded by Imam Abu Zakariyya Yahya bin Sharaf An-Nawawi Ad-Damashqi.
In the Book of Travel, we learn that the Prophet
and his companions would pronounce takbeer on ascending any elevation in the land and pronounce tasbeeh upon descent into any decline or valley. 
Pondering on this brought to mind the image of a person on a mountain peak, arms outstretched in celebration of his achievement; an expression of his sense of grandeur... common on motivational posters in executive offices !
And then the childish rhyme which would be chanted from atop every climbing frame and tower in the playground back in my days: "I'm the king of the castle, get down you dirty rascal"
The instinctive mental response of a person, young or old, when they ascend a height is that it heightens within them a sense of superiority.
And how best to quell this but to remember that Allah is the Greatest, and pronounce takbeer !
Remember this well, and earn the true and honoured status of a humble slave of the Almighty Allah.
The scholars say that we can practice this sunnah of takbeer and tasbeeh within our homes every time we ascend or descend the stairs.
The remembrance of Allah is what measures the worth and success of our day.
A takbeer or tasbeeh pronounced with presence of heart is invaluable! Only on the Day that our deeds are weighed will we appreciate its true worth!