الرَّبُّ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Ar-Rabb
The Lord
Ar-Rabb is the educator, owner, master and provider of blessings, and nearest to us as al-Murabbi, the One who brings us up. Al-Sa'di reads Lord of all worlds (1:2) the same way, as their Murabbi, and divides that care into the general and the special.
Key verse
﴿ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ﴾All praise is for Allah: Lord of all worlds,
The scholar's text
Ar-Rabb linguistically is the educator, the owner, the master and the provider of blessings. The closest meaning to man is Al-Murabbi (educator), since the word rabb is derived from tarbiyah (education).
Allah the Almighty is Murabbi of His creations and Mudabbir (the Manager) of their affairs. Al-Murabbi has two main traits:
- He provides His creations with their needs
- He takes care of them.
The One Who provides us with our needs is our Lord, and the One Who disciplines us, guides us to His Straight Path, and makes us turn to Him is also our Lord.
When we say, "Allah is the Lord of the Worlds", we mean that He is the One Who creates us, provides us with sustenance, and guides us to Him. Based on these facts, man has three blessings:
1- The blessing of existence
2- The blessing of sustenance
3- The blessing of guidance
Allah the Almighty has created you and before that you were nothing, He provided you and He guided you to Him. Allah the Almighty says:
(Say: "Shall I seek a lord other than Allah, while He is the Lord of all things? No person earns any (sin) except against himself (only), and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another. Then unto your Lord is your return, so He will tell you that wherein you have been differing.") Al-An'am 6:164
Allah the Almighty says:
(Indeed your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days, and then He Istawa (rose over) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty). He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the stars subjected to His Command. Surely, His is the Creation and Commandment. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)!) Al-A'raf 7:54
This Ayah refers to the meaning of Lordship. If a man manufactures a certain device and sells it, he has nothing to do with it anymore, since it does not belong to him. On the other hand, the Commandment of everything Allah the Almighty creates is His. Allah the Almighty says:
(Surely, His is the Creation and Commandment. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns, and all that exists)!)
Furthermore, Allah the Almighty knows what makes man pleased and on the Right Path, and He guides him to his happiness.
(Surely, His is the Creation and Commandment.)
I would like to highlight the two meanings of the abovementioned part of the Ayah:
The 1st meaning: The creation and the commandment of the creation are Allah's.
The 2nd meaning: Whoever is created cannot be upright and steadfast unless he acts upon the Order of the Creator.
(His is the Creation and Commandment. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)!)
الرب في اللغة: المربي، والمالك، والسيد، والمنعم. وأقرب المعاني إلى الإنسان المربي، لأن كلمة الرب مشتقة من التربية.
الله سبحانه وتعالى مربي خلقه ومدبر أمورهم. وللمربي صفتان أساسيتان:
- يعطي خلقه حاجاتهم
- ويرعاهم.
الذي يعطينا حاجاتنا هو ربنا، والذي يؤدبنا ويهدينا إلى صراطه المستقيم ويردنا إليه هو ربنا أيضا.
وحين نقول: «الله رب العالمين» نعني أنه الذي يخلقنا ويرزقنا ويهدينا إليه. وبناء على ذلك للإنسان ثلاث نعم:
1- نعمة الإيجاد
2- نعمة الإمداد
3- نعمة الهداية
خلقك الله سبحانه وتعالى ولم تك شيئا، ورزقك، وهداك إليه. يقول الله تعالى:
(قُلْ أَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَبْغِى رَبًّا وَهُوَ رَبُّ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ ۚ وَلَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ إِلَّا عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُم مَّرْجِعُكُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ) الأنعام 6: 164
ويقول الله تعالى:
(إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ يُغْشِى ٱلَّيْلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُۥ حَثِيثًا وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ وَٱلنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَٰتٍۭ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ ۗ أَلَا لَهُ ٱلْخَلْقُ وَٱلْأَمْرُ ۗ تَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ) الأعراف 7: 54
تشير هذه الآية إلى معنى الربوبية. فلو صنع إنسان جهازا ثم باعه لم تعد له به صلة، لأنه لم يعد ملكه. أما الله سبحانه وتعالى فكل ما خلقه فأمره له. يقول الله تعالى:
(أَلَا لَهُ ٱلْخَلْقُ وَٱلْأَمْرُ ۗ تَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ)
والله سبحانه وتعالى يعلم ما يرضي الإنسان ويقيمه على الصراط المستقيم، ويهديه إلى سعادته.
(أَلَا لَهُ ٱلْخَلْقُ وَٱلْأَمْرُ)
أود أن أبين معنيين لهذا الجزء من الآية:
المعنى الأول: الخلق والأمر في الخلق لله.
المعنى الثاني: المخلوق لا يستقيم ولا يثبت إلا إذا عمل بأمر خالقه.
(أَلَا لَهُ ٱلْخَلْقُ وَٱلْأَمْرُ ۗ تَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ)
Lord of All Worlds
All praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds (1:2). The Lord, al-Sa'di says, is the One who brings up all the worlds, everything other than Allah: He creates them, equips them, and grants them the great blessings without which they could not last. His care is of two kinds. The general kind is creating, providing and guiding to what keeps them in this world; the special kind is for His friends, raising them in faith and keeping obstacles from them. That, he suggests, is why most of the prophets' prayers begin with Rabbi, my Lord.
Arabic: رب العالمين
﴿ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ﴾، قال السعدي: «الرب، هو المربي جميع العالمين -وهم من سوى الله- بخلقه إياهم، وإعداده لهم الآلات، وإنعامه عليهم بالنعم العظيمة، التي لو فقدوها، لم يمكن لهم البقاء»، و«وتربيته تعالى لخلقه نوعان: عامة وخاصة. فالعامة: هي خلقه للمخلوقين، ورزقهم، وهدايتهم لما فيه مصالحهم، التي فيها بقاؤهم في الدنيا. والخاصة: تربيته لأوليائه، فيربيهم بالإيمان، ويوفقهم له، ويكمله لهم، ويدفع عنهم الصوارف، والعوائق الحائلة بينهم وبينه، وحقيقتها: تربية التوفيق لكل خير، والعصمة عن كل شر»، و«ولعل هذا [المعنى] هو السر في كون أكثر أدعية الأنبياء بلفظ الرب. فإن مطالبهم كلها داخلة تحت ربوبيته الخاصة».
Should I Seek Another Lord?
﴿قُلْ أَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَبْغِى رَبًّا وَهُوَ رَبُّ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ ۚ وَلَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ إِلَّا عَلَيْهَا ۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُم مَّرْجِعُكُمْ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ﴾Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Should I seek a lord other than Allah while He is the Lord of everything?” No one will reap except what they sow. No soul burdened with sin will bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, and He will inform you of your differences.
6:164 asks: should I seek a lord other than Allah while He is the Lord of everything? Is it right for me, al-Sa'di paraphrases, to take anyone else as my Murabbi and manager, when all creation is under His lordship and obeys His command? So it falls on me and on everyone to take Allah as Lord, to be pleased with Him, and not to hang on any of those who are themselves cared for, poor and helpless.
Arabic: أغير الله أبغي ربا
قال تعالى: ﴿قُلْ أَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَبْغِى رَبًّا وَهُوَ رَبُّ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: يحسن ذلك ويليق بي، أن أتخذ غيره، مربيا ومدبرا والله رب كل شيء، فالخلق كلهم داخلون تحت ربوبيته، منقادون لأمره؟. فتعين علي وعلى غيري، أن يتخذ الله ربا، ويرضى به، وألا يتعلق بأحد من المربوبين الفقراء العاجزين».
His Is the Creation and the Command
﴿إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ يُغْشِى ٱلَّيْلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُۥ حَثِيثًا وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ وَٱلنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَٰتٍۭ بِأَمْرِهِۦٓ ۗ أَلَا لَهُ ٱلْخَلْقُ وَٱلْأَمْرُ ۗ تَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ﴾Indeed your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then established Himself on the Throne. He makes the day and night overlap in rapid succession. He created the sun, the moon, and the stars: all subjected by His command. The creation and the command belong to Him ˹alone˺. Blessed is Allah: Lord of all worlds!
7:54 ends: His is the creation and the command; blessed is Allah, Lord of all worlds. Creation, al-Sa'di explains, is everything that comes from Him, high and low, their beings, qualities and acts, and covers His decrees in the world; the command carries the laws and prophethood, His decrees of religion. Blessed is Allah: blessed in Himself for the greatness of His attributes, and blessing others, so that every blessing in the universe is a trace of His mercy.
Arabic: ألا له الخلق والأمر
وتختم آية الأعراف: ﴿أَلَا لَهُ ٱلْخَلْقُ وَٱلْأَمْرُ ۗ تَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: له الخلق الذي صدرت عنه جميع المخلوقات علويها وسفليها، أعيانها وأوصافها وأفعالها والأمر المتضمن للشرائع والنبوات، فالخلق: يتضمن أحكامه الكونية القدرية، والأمر: يتضمن أحكامه الدينية الشرعية»، وقال: «فتبارك في نفسه لعظمة أوصافه وكمالها، وبارك في غيره بإحلال الخير الجزيل والبر الكثير، فكل بركة في الكون، فمن آثار رحمته».
Worship Your Lord Who Created You
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ﴾O humanity! Worship your Lord, Who created you and those before you, so that you may become mindful ˹of Him˺.
2:21 speaks to everyone through this Name: O humanity, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you (2:21). A command to all people, al-Sa'di says, to the worship that gathers everything: doing what Allah commands, leaving what He forbids, and believing what He tells, the very thing they were created for. Ibn Kathir reads the verse as the start of the case for His sole right to worship, made from His favours: He brought His servants out of nothing into being and showered them with blessings, outward and hidden.
Arabic: اعبدوا ربكم الذي خلقكم
يخاطب القرآن الناس جميعا بهذا الاسم: ﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ﴾، قال السعدي: «هذا أمر عام لكل الناس، بأمر عام، وهو العبادة الجامعة، لامتثال أوامر الله، واجتناب نواهيه، وتصديق خبره، فأمرهم تعالى بما خلقهم له»، وقال ابن كثير: «شرع تبارك وتعالى في بيان وحدانية ألوهيته، بأنه تعالى هو المنعم على عبيده، بإخراجهم من العدم إلى الوجود وإسباغه عليهم النعم الظاهرة والباطنة».
And What Is the Lord of All Worlds?
﴿قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَآ ۖ إِن كُنتُم مُّوقِنِينَ﴾Moses replied, “˹He is˺ the Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between, if only you had sure faith.”
Pharaoh asked Musa: and what is the Lord of all worlds (26:23)? Musa answered: the Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything in between, if only you had sure faith (26:24). The One, al-Sa'di explains, who created the upper and lower worlds, manages them in every way and brings them up with every kind of care, you among them; so how can you deny the Creator of all creatures? The Prophet ﷺ taught what a believer says of his Lord: “If anyone says on hearing the Mu'adhdhin: I testify that there is no god but Allah alone. Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, (and that) I am satisfied with Allah as my Lord, with Muhammad as Messenger. and with Islam as din (code of life), his sins would be forgiven.” (Sahih Muslim 386).
Arabic: وما رب العالمين
سأل فرعون موسى: ﴿قَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ وَمَا رَبُّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ﴾، فأجاب: ﴿قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَآ ۖ إِن كُنتُم مُّوقِنِينَ﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: الذي خلق العالم العلوي والسفلي، ودبره بأنواع التدبير، ورباه بأنواع التربية. ومن جملة ذلك، أنتم أيها المخاطبون، فكيف تنكرون خالق المخلوقات، وفاطر الأرض والسماوات». وعلم النبي ﷺ ما يقوله المؤمن: «مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ يَسْمَعُ الْمُؤَذِّنَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولاً وَبِالإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا، غُفِرَ لَهُ ذَنْبُهُ» (صحيح مسلم 386).
From the Sunnah
If anyone says on hearing the Mu'adhdhin: I testify that there is no god but Allah alone. Who has no partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, (and that) I am satisfied with Allah as my Lord, with Muhammad as Messenger. and with Islam as din (code of life), his sins would be forgiven.
مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ يَسْمَعُ الْمُؤَذِّنَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولاً وَبِالإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا . غُفِرَ لَهُ ذَنْبُهُ
A du'a with this Name
رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولاً
I am pleased with Allah as Lord, with Islam as religion and with Muhammad (ﷺ) as Apostle
Sunan Abi Dawud 1529, graded sahih by al-Albani: words the Prophet ﷺ said bring Paradise to the one who says them, as Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported
Related Names
Questions about Ar-Rabb
What does Ar-Rabb mean?
Ar-Rabb is the Lord: linguistically the educator, the owner, the master and the provider of blessings; nearest to us is al-Murabbi, who provides for us and takes care of us.
What are the three blessings of Ar-Rabb?
Existence, sustenance and guidance: Allah created you when you were nothing, provided for you and guided you to Him.
Why do the prophets pray with Rabbi, my Lord?
Because what they ask for falls under His special care for His friends, al-Sa'di suggests on 1:2.
What does it mean to be pleased with Allah as Lord?
To take Him as your Lord and hang on no one else, al-Sa'di says on 6:164. The Prophet ﷺ promised forgiveness to whoever, on hearing the adhan, testifies that there is no god but Allah alone and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, and says he is satisfied with Allah as his Lord, Muhammad as Messenger and Islam as his religion (Sahih Muslim 386).