Getting to know Allah, our Lord

We supplicate to Allah  and invoke him with "rabbana" (our Lord) and if we really know Him then certainly our words and sincerity and closeness to Him will ever increase.  Let us take a look at how our Lord describes Himself in the divine words of the Quran.

Arabic "Rabb" means lord or sustainer, cherisher and nourish-er or the one to whom all dominion belongs and created everything.  So our Lord should tell us the most essential things of this world by what He is Lord of.

Minimal explanations where needed are provided but mostly it is a great exercise to just read through the list with a God-fearing mind, and ponder and reflect for a while.  Just spend 5 minutes pondering and meditating if you can as perhaps you will see something that few or no others have.

Lord of the Worlds.  The worlds are the heavens, the earth and all that exists including man and jinn-kind.  [rabbu l-`alameen, 43 references, 1:2:3-4, 2:131:9-10, 5:28:16-17, 6:45:9-10, 6:71:40-41, 6:162:8-9, 7:54:33-34, 7:61:9-10, 7:67:9-10, 7:104:7-8, 7:121:3-4, 10:10:14-15, 10:37:21-22, 26:16:6-7, 26:23:4-5, 26:47:3-4, 26:77:5-6, 26:98:3-4, 26:109:11-12, 26:127:11-12, 26:145:11-12, 26:164:11-12, 26:180:11-12, 26:192:3-4, 27:8:13-14, 27:44:30-31, 28:30:18-19, 32:2:7-8, 37:87:3-4, 37:182:3-4, 39:75:17-18, 40:64:22-23, 40:65:14-15, 40:66:20-21, 41:9:15-16, 43:46:11-12, 43:82:2-3, 45:36:7-8, 56:80:3-4, 59:16:16-17, 69:43:3-4, 81:29:7-8 and 83:6:4-5].

Lord of Everything.  [rabbu kulli shay'in, 6:164:7-9].

Lord of Moses and Aaron.  [rabbu moosaa wahaaroon, 7:122 and 26:48].

Lord of Aaron and Moses.  [rabbu haaroon wamoosaa, 20:70:6-8].

Lord of the Throne.  [rabbu l-`arsh, 21:22:11-12 and 43:82:5-6].

Lord of the Noble Throne.  [rabbu l-`arshi l-kareem, 23:116:10-12].

Lord of the Great Throne.  [rabbu l-`arshi l-`azeem, 9:129:15-17, 23:86:6-8 and 27:26:6-8].

Lord of the Heavens and the Earth.  [rabbu s-samaawaati wal-'ard, 13:16:3-5, 17:102:8-10, 18:14:8-10, 21:56:4-6 and 51:23:1-3].

Lord of the Heavens and the Earth and what is between them.  [rabbu s-samaawaati wal-'ardi wamaa baynahumaa, 19:65:1-3, 26:24:2-4, 37:5:1-3, 38:66:1-3, 44:7:1-3 and 78:37:1-3].

Lord of your first forefathers.  The older generations who witnessed the Prophets and Messengers and bore witness to their truthfulness and believed.  [rabbu aabaa'ikumu l-awwaleen, 26:26:3-5, 37:126:3-5 and 44:8:9-11].

Lord of the East and the West.  [rabbu l-mashoriqi wal-maghrib, 26:28:2-4 and 73:9:1-3].

Lord of the Risings and the Settings.  Refering to the rising and setting of the sun.  [rabbu l-mashaariqi wal-maghaarib, 70:40:3-5].

Lord of the each point of sunrise.  [rabbu l-mashaariq, 37:5:6-7].

Lord of this city.  Referring to either Makkah or Madinah as giving the instruction to Muhammad .  [rabbu hathihi l-baldah, 27:91:5-7].

Lord of honor.  [rabbu l-`izzah, 37:180:3-4].

Lord of the Heavens.  [rabbu s-samaawaat, 45:36:3-4].

Lord of the Earth.  [rabbu l-'ard, 45:36:5-6].

Lord of Sirius.  A mighty star which the pagan Arabs used to worship.  [rabbu sh-shi`raa, 53:49:3-4].

Lord of the Two Easts.  A possible explanation is the locations of the winter and summer solstice.  [rabbu l-mashriqayn, 55:17:1-2].

Lord of the Two Wests.  As above, a possible explanation is the locations of the winter and summer solstice.  [rabbu l-maghribayn, 55:17:3-4].

Lord of This House.  The Ka`bah in Makkah.  [rabbu haathaa l-bayt, 106:3:2-4].

Lord of the daybreak.  [rabbu l-falaq, 113:1:3-4].

Lord of mankind.  [rabbu n-naas, 114:1:3-4].

Lord of the Seven Heavens.  [rabbu s-samaawaati s-sab`i, 23:86:3-5].



Our Lord is so mighty that no comparison can be drawn.  He is the Lord of all that which the polytheists have worshipped and far beyond our comprehension though his points that we can understand, we should strive to make clear so we do not deviate or fall into error.  The names mostly reflect the Oneness of Allah in His lordship which seeks to eliminate all major elements of polytheism which is why the sun, stars, seasons, directions, astronomical bodies, the Prophets, and creation are all mentioned.  Allah is far above and beyond all those things which mankind has attempted to associate with him.  The pureness of Islamic pure monotheism can be felt as Allah has expressed I in so many ways for those of understanding.  May Allah bring us close to him with a pure heart and a deep understanding.