Du`a – Essence of `Ibadat Part One - Rububiyyat (Divine Providence)

Rububiyyat (Divine Providence)

Rububiyyat, which is the attribute of Rabb, means Divine Providence. For rabb means Nourisher and Lord and thus rububiyyat means His nourishing or providence and lordship. Rabb is an attributive name, which in Arabic is used both in a special sense as well as in an ordinary sense, i.e. it is used for God as well as for human beings. However, in the Fatihah, it is used in the special sense, because here it is mentioned as that attribute of God according to which He nourishes the existents and the creatures. The nourishment of creatures by God is in three stages: Firstly, nourishment of the intellect by which the needs of rational beings are fulfilled; secondly, spiritual nourishment by which the needs of animate or living beings are fulfilled; and thirdly, physical nourishment by which the bodies of minerals, vegetables and animals are created and completed. In these three stages of nourishment, there are numerous sub-stages, in which all the different kinds of existents and creatures are nourished.

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