Understanding ‘Rabb’ () رب

THE CONCEPT OF RELIGION of “Ummah Wahidah” (one community) suggests that the division referred to is within the concept of “Ummah Wahidah” itself, rather than in any other notion. Before this verse, the reference is made to “Men of Revelation” (Quran, 21:92), and in this context, over a dozen prophets are mentioned, characterised as forming one “single community”—a group fundamentally united in promoting and upholding one faith. Nevertheless, their followers did not sustain this unity. Allah had bestowed upon everyone a singular foundational faith, but individuals themselves introduced discord, fragmented it, and created separate religious sects, battling against one another and forsaking the original faith. Al-Shawkani writes: “Indeed, this community of yours is one single community.” Here, the word Ummah (community) refers to religion, as if to say, “This religion of yours is one religion; there is no difference in Tawheed (monotheism) among the different nations.” “And I am your Lord, so worship Me alone,” meaning, make your worship sincere and exclusive for Me, and do not worship anything else. The phrase “they have divided their matter among themselves” means that they split religion into factions