Understanding ‘Rabb’ () رب

should be placed in Him alone, and supplication should be directed only to Him. (Quran, 7:55-56) This interpretation is shared by commentators, one of whose references I will include here: “And the sun, the moon, and the stars are all subject to His command,” meaning He created them in such a way that His decision alone governs them, and He alone causes them to revolve. “The creation is His, and the command is also His,” for He alone brought everything into existence and has absolute control over all. (Tafsir Abi al-Su’ud, Vol. 3, p. 232) Another verse is: “Praise, then, be to God, Lord of the heavens, and Lord of the earth, the Lord of all the worlds. All greatness belongs to Him in the heavens and earth. He is the Almighty, the All Wise.” (Quran, 45:36,37) It appears that from the phrase “Lord of the heavens and the earth,” the meaning of both types of Rububiyyah (Lordship) has been inferred—that is, it is understood to imply that He holds supernatural authority over the heavens and legal and political authority over the earth. However, this interpretation lacks evidence, as there is no contextual indication to support this meaning, and