Pronouncing clearly the alif-lam of “al-salamu” and the ra’ of “Allahu akbar”

Question

Is it permissible for the imam, in the takbirs of the prayer, to say “Allahu akbar” in such a way that the [letter] ra’ is not heard at all, and to perform the salam in such a way that instead of “al-salamu” what is clearly heard is “salamu ‘alaykum” without the alif and lam?

Answer

Everyone, and the imam in particular, intends to say “al-salamu”, yet sometimes the alif-lam is not audible and the listeners think he said “salamu”. Likewise, “Allahu akbar” is what is intended, but at times the ra’ of “akbar” becomes so faint that people cannot hear it. The prayer is valid in this case too; nevertheless, one should strive to pronounce both of them fully.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.