The Collective Demand

THE CONCEPT OF RELIGION not intrinsic to the meanings of Ilah and Rabb, and are therefore inappropriate extensions of these terms, it remains a fact that acknowledging God as God necessarily entails recognizing Him as the ultimate guide and authority over one’s life. Anyone who acknowledges God as the Ilah and Rabb of the heavens and the earth is insincere in that acknowledgement if they adopt a rebellious attitude towards God in their practical life. The essential requirement of accepting God as one’s Deity and Sustainer is complete surrender before Him—placing one’s entire will and one’s whole life under His pleasure. However, there is a profound difference between establishing this surrender as the inherent meaning of the terms Ilah (Deity) and Rabb (Lord), and treating it merely as a practical consequence that follows from those meanings. What constitutes the original and direct meaning of a word is required absolutely in all circumstances; there is no escape from it in any situation. A requirement, by contrast, is demanded only in relation to a particular intermediary. Therefore, it is not obligatory in every case. If the intermediary is present, the requirement will certainly apply; otherwise, the person bears no responsibility for it at all. This difference can be better understood with a practical example. When a person believes in God and accepts