Understanding ‘Rabb’ () رب

THE CONCEPT OF RELIGION This passage illustrates an example of the initial deviation in the interpretation of “Rabb” ( ) رب within this book, where it is argued that the political meaning of “Rabb” is not merely an implied aspect but is in fact one of its direct meanings, holding the same status as any other interpretation of the term. The book then provides an in-depth examination of the misguidance of various nations mentioned in the Quran, and after analysing each one, the author summarises the findings under the title “The Call of the Quran” as follows: “The investigation into the misconceptions of misguided nations, as outlined in previous pages, fully reveals that from ancient times until the period of the Quran’s revelation, none of the nations described in the Quran as tyrannical, corrupt in belief, and wayward denied the existence of God. Nor did any of them reject Allah’s absolute lordship (rububiyyah) and divinity (uluhiyyah). Their fundamental and common misguidance lay in the division of the five aspects of rububiyyah which we initially identified through linguistic and Quranic evidence into two separate categories. “This aspect of Rabb—that He is supernatural, nurturing, provides, fulfils needs, and oversees