Divine Attribute of Rabb (Lord)

Summary of Friday Sermon

delivered by the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community

November 24^th, 2006

Huzur continued with the subject of the Divine attribute of Rabb (Lord) in his Friday Sermon.

Huzur began by summarising an extract from the writings of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) that Huzur had read in his last Sermon. Huzur said Lord of all the worlds is that Being which has all known [to man] and unknown [to man] attributes and these attributes have reached the point of supreme excellence in Him. Our Lord is free from all flaws and His pure beauty has reached superlative fineness. His beauty and His favours are evident from His attributes. Let alone reciprocate His favours, man cannot even encompass them.

The quality to bestow favours is explained by the expression of ‘Lord of all the worlds’ for all known and unknown (to us) creation is benefiting from the quality of Rubbubiyyat. Huzur said many write to him relating extraordinary events in their lives, like miraculous escape in road accidents etc. which draw attention to a Lord Who ever looks out for His creation. Huzur said during his time in Ghana he personally experienced many such episodes when with adverse circumstances necessary items would not be available but God sustained and nurtured Huzur and his family in astonishing ways. Huzur said this happens to everyone and that it is the Divine attribute of Rabb that protects one from many things that man is indebted to. Lord of all the worlds simply does not take one out of trouble, rather through this attribute favours are showered upon as well.

The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that it is the requisite of this treatment of favour by Allah that has reached the point of excellence that a believer focuses on the Divine Being and worships Him in a way that is borne out of fervency and ardency of the very soul. Such ought to be the expression of gratefulness to Rubbubiyyat.

Among the earlier commentators Allama Razi wrote that Allah is Lord of all the worlds because it is Him Who grants life to everything. He said there are two kinds of murrabi (one who fosters, nurtures) those who nurture and foster to benefit themselves and the other kind is when the nurturing and fostering is done only to benefit the recipient. All creation comes in the first category and it is only Allah Subhan Ta’ala that belongs to the second category. Apart from Allah all benefactors are annoyed when the asker is insistent whereas the treatment and approach of Allah is quite the opposite; He loves one whose prayers are made with compassion and are repetitive. Apart from Allah benefactors are those who give only when they are asked whereas Allah gives without asking. Save Allah the favours of benefactors are terminated due to circumstances or death whereas Allah’s favours never end. Except Allah favours of benefactors reach a nation, or people in general and it is not possible that they grant it to the whole universe, whereas Allah’s favours reach everything. In the last two Surahs of the Holy Qur’an the mention of the Divine attribute of Rabb informs us that Allah is a Being Whose Rubbubiyyat and favour and grace would never cease and terminate for man.

Huzur added the last point also signifies that Divine communication is still open and that Allah can still send prophets.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that just as Allah has always provided for man in the physical world, similarly He send reformers in all ages. Those people or religions that consider that they are the chosen ones in the sense that prophets of God could only be raised among them do not recognise Allah as Lord of all the worlds. The God of Islam is the Lord of all the worlds and that is why the Holy Qur’an mentions this in its very beginning and repeats it through out that God has never overlooked any nation or people (35:25) - Surah Fatir, verse 25 - so that no one may have the grievance that they were not sent a Book of guidance or a prophet.

Huzur said we Ahmadis are fortunate in that in the current age we have the beneficence of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) which of course puts great responsibilities on us. On numerous occasions in the Holy Qur’an Allah declares that He is our Lord and enjoins us to be inclined to Him, to turn to Him and that He would fulfil our needs, as He states in Surah Al Mu’min verse 61 (40:61).

Next Huzur cited the following five verses of the same Surah (40:62, 63, 64, 65 and 66) and explained that Allah draws our attention to gratefulness; that all the innumerable arrangements that He has provided for us demand that we are His grateful servants. He also enjoins us that His favours are incalculable and that we need not look out for another god and should steer clear of Satan’s incitement and should not to be disobedient. He reminds us yet again that He alone is the Living God and that all else will perish and that our physical and spiritual survival is in turning to Him. Our Lord, Who is most Loving thus shows us the ways to our positive and good ending. He is not in need of anything, and although He is happy when we turn to Him, He is certainly not in need of our devotion, yet when man turns to Him with sincerity the measure of His happiness is far greater than that of a mother who has found her long lost child.

In a Hadith the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) admonished that the alms of a mere date given from out of pure earning is accepted by Allah with the right hand and He continues to enlarge it until it reaches the size of a mountain.

Huzur said such are the standards of favours of our Lord. Would man want to leave such a Lord and go elsewhere? However, sometimes we inadvertently slip up, we should thus always seek His forgiveness. It is He Who has taught us the ways and means to seek forgiveness – He says, continue to engage in Istaghfar and I shall shower you with favours.

Huzur said in this day and age shirk (associating partners with Allah) has reached its extreme, by rejecting the Imam of the age, the Muslims themselves have confined and restricted the Divine attribute of Rabb with no concept that a reformer or a prophet can still be raised and for this erroneous thinking they are suffering the consequences. In this situation it is an Ahmadi who has the correct perception and comprehension of Rubbubiyyat and so it should be.

If we do not value and cherish the favour upon us - which is in the form of the Promised Messiah – and if we do not abide by his teachings then our claims that we have recognised our Lord are empty claims and Allah does not grant further favour on mere claims. Huzur concluded on the prayer that may we be those who truly recognise our Lord so that we may inform others of His beauty so that a great number of those who worship One God come to be and peace is established.