Ar Rab - The (One and Only) Master
ALLAH Almighty is the Rab alone, He is the Lord and the Master of all, excluding none. He is the Master of masters and the One Worshipped by His servants.
He owns kingdoms, kings, and all servants. The ownership of everything in existence belongs equally to Him alone.
He is their Creator and Provider. Every owner other than Him is neither a Creator nor a Provider.
ALLAH, glory be to Him, is the Managing Authority of His creation. He, Subhanahu wa ta'ala, is their Reformer and their Healer. He is the One who controls their affairs. He alone is the Sustainer of this world and the Hereafter.
The word الربّ (Ar-Rab) is related to the term "tarbiyah" (التربية), which refers to training and education. Our Rab is our nurturer and has two fundamental qualities: He is both the provider and the guardian. He provides for our physical needs and nurtures our souls by guiding us towards His straight path.
In addition, the characteristics of the word Rab include that He knows everything, He is capable of doing everything, and despite His endless power and authority, He is merciful to us.
In the hadith study, we get a deeper insight into this name :
فَاطِرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ رَبَّ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَمَلِيكَهُ
Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who knows (all) the unseen and the seen, Rab of everything and Possessor.
Sahih (Al-Albani), Sunan Abi Dawud 5067
When we say Rab ul Aalameen, we usually do not rightly estimate the grand appearance of this term. The phrase "The worlds" lead us to limit our imagination to our world; it extends only up to our earth and the skies. They appear grand to us because of our limited vision and reach. Let’s take a step back and consider a broader viewpoint.
There are countless worlds around us: The world of insects, the world of plants, the world of fishes, the world of birds, the world of outer space, the world of the below of Earth surface, the world of mountains, the world of lakes, the world of seas, all creatures have a world for them likewise every single human has a world inside, and ALLAH is the Rab of the worlds.
The name of Ar Rab brings us to the foundation of our lives. The knowledge of this name reminds us that everything in our lives comes from Him. The hard times in life come to make us closer to our Rab. He supports us the best when we accept life's challenges with an open heart and rely on ALLAH while dealing with them. Our relationship with our Rab is our greatest strength, never fails to support us.
