the greatest delight- knowing allah ar-rabb

The Greatest Delight – Knowing Ar Rabb 5th May 2013

The Greatest Delight- Knowing Allah Ar-Rabb

What is the greatest delight?

Knowing Allah subhana wa ta'ala !!!

The delights of the duniya/worldly matters are just material and temporary and will

eventually perish and end but the greatest delight is in knowing Allah and this is permanent

and forever. We can have all the delights of the duniya, all the money, enjoyment and the

pleasures and yet not have the greatest delight; we cannot get the real satisfaction,

enjoyment and happiness without knowing our Rabb!!!

Man Rabbuka?

When we look at the Rubbubiyaat Lillah - Rubbubiyaat of ar Rabb, it is mostly the actions of

our Rabb, how Allah is dealing with us!!!

One part of this is the rubbubiyaat for everyone and it is called Rubbubiyaat Ama – the

General Nurturing. This is how Allah deals with everyone in general, how He nurtures and

reforms them. There are different stages or reforming in this:

Stage 1 – The Creation...

The first reforming of Allah subhana wa ta'ala is when we were all created!!! Who has

created us in this form, recall the creation of the baby in the mother’s womb, the mosquito

etc. Look at the creation of Allah - the mosquitoes, the fishes in the oceans etc and think:

Who is the one who has created all the different creations in a way suiting them, who is

taking care of them? It is ar Rabb, Allah and just simply observing and thinking about this

makes us realise how Allah is reforming His creation just in the way He has created them,


which is the best way for the creation!!!

Look at the penguins, they were created in a way and place suited to them, in conditions

where they can survive, conditions other creation would not be able to survive in.

This is stage one of Allah’s reforming in how He creates!!!

Stage 2 – The Kingship

The second stage of Allah’s reforming is the kingship/lordship!!!

To understand this, consider this example: in general who is the lord of the house?

The father and mother!!! They take care of the house and the family, the children; they do

this because they OWN that house, they have a right to it and have some responsibility

towards it. In the whole universe, another form of reforming is how Allah nurtures His

creation through Al Mulk. He Nurtures whatever He owns.

What does Allah own?

Allah owns everything and everybody is under Allah’s nurturing!!!

Why are we worrying?

Allah owns us and He will take care of us, He owns our children, all the creatures in

existence and He will take care of them.

Allah owns and takes care of anyone or anything He creates!!!

Allah owns us and everything that we have, and when He owns, He takes the responsibility

and care of it....so why should we worry when our Rabb is taking care of us!!! When we

know this, it will reduce our burden and our worries. Why should we worry when Allah is

taking care of us and everything we have, children family etc!!! We cannot even take care of

ourselves.

Allah owns everything and yet why do we feel we own things?

WE do feel we own property, money etc. Why has Allah given us this feeling?

It is a test for us!!!

Everything is under Allah’s ownership and everything we "own" is a test for us. It is not that

we actually own it.

Consider money - Allah entrusted us with money, we feel we “own" it but it is an itbita - a

trust and we cannot abuse this.

How can we deal with this?

Don’t abuse whatever we have in this life, we can attribute this to everything, be it money,

children, wealth etc. We need to think about this trust in everything we own or feel is ours!!!

What about ourselves – do we own ourselves?

Can someone kill themselves? No, it is a big sin, even harming yourself is not allowed and

Allah tells us this in the Quran. This is also a trust!!!

If we understand this nurturing of Allah, we cannot say I can harm myself or I own this

house and I can burn it down, we would understand that these are all in trust to us and tests

for us. There are some people who enjoy hurting themselves and this is a sickness and

problem within them, they don't know why they are in this life!!!

We don't even have the right to hurt ourselves and this again is a test!!!


Don't feel proud, don't be arrogant!!!

If Allah gives someone something, say He gives someone beauty, they cannot think they

“own” that beauty. If they do it may make them feel proud and arrogant. Understand it is

from Allah and it can go through an accident or age or however Allah wills, so we cannot

feel proud or arrogant that we are beautiful or accomplished or anything, it is a test and we

need to attribute it to Allah subhana wa ta'ala.

The second stage of the Rubbubiyaat is the ownership/kingship and we need to recognise

this. Suppose we have some needs, money, food, job, children etc, when we know that Allah

owns us, we cannot go to anyone except our Rabb because He owns us and He alone

provides for us, so don't go to somebody else who is as poor as we ourselves are, Turn to

Him in whose hands are all treasures, all our desires and our needs!!!

Turning means our hearts and not the limbs, it means don't have hopes and expectations

from anyone, attach to Allah!!! When we have hopes from people we attach to them and we

are humiliated, Attach to Allah and He will honour you!!!

There are different needs

Material needs like money food etc and emotional needs like love, sympathy, the need that

people love us etc. Turn to Allah for all these needs, material or emotional. We turn towards

material things or people sometimes.

We turn our hearts towards money or people when, for example when we are poor and

someone is rich and we wish for the riches, or if we tie our happiness or need of love

towards someone. All our needs are in Allah’s hands. Run to Ar Rabb for any needs,

whatever it may be!!!

In Surah Fatihah we say “Alhamdulilahi rabbi al Ameen” meaning “All my Needs in

Allah’s hands”.

When we rely on people for anything we are putting ourselves down but when we rely on

Allah, Allah will honour us. This is in reference to the actions of the heart and not the limbs.

We can ask people but for your needs turn to Allah! Imagine if we are sad and want to feel

happy, we can do things to try and make ourselves happy by shopping, exercise, going out

etc but yet we will find we cannot entertain ourselves and we will find our hearts turning to

our Rabb because the happiness belongs to Him.

Go to the one who has!!!

Sometimes we are disappointed and need consolation, even for this - don't turn to anyone

or expect something from anyone. For example if someone hurts us, we want them to

apologize and console us, we create scenarios in our minds but who are we relying on?

We are relying on that person and we will find that even if that person comes and does what

we want, we will still not feel happy because he is as poor as us; he doesn’t own anything

and is reliant on Allah, same as we are. The real consolation is from our Rabb.

We can learn from children. Children always go to the mother or father for their needs and

wants. They don't have it and they go to the one who has.

We need to go to the One who has, our Rabb!!!

When we don't know Allah, we go to people like ourselves (who are poor and don’t have)


and get disappointed, but children go directly to the one who has and who will give them,

their mother. We need to do this - Go directly to Allah for anything, even the tiniest thing.

Nobody is more merciful, gentler than Allah. When we go to people, we can feel

embarrassed and ashamed or limited as to what we can ask for but with Allah there are no

boundaries!!!

So turn to Him, turn your heart to Allah!!! Whatever you want and need turn to Him. Turn to

the One who owns everything and you will never be a loser!!!

Doesn't Allah know what is in your heart?

We don't need to let any mediators in between us and our Rabb, He is very close to us and

all we need is Him, He will give us what we need very beautifully!!! We need Ar Rabb.

The first stage is the creation and the second is the kingship – turn to Allah for whatever we

need, everything we have belongs to Allah, and is trusts so don’t abuse it, but there are

further stages!!!

Stage 3 – At-Tadbeer –Allah is disposing the affairs

The first two stages were tarbiyaat – which we can see from the example of the mother and

children, children need something and will go to the one who owns. The mother

however will plan how she will give the child what he wants. For example she will decide

when, where, what and how to give. The child will not be able to do anything because the

mother is the planner and she has the means. It may be that if it is something big or

dangerous she might refuse or plan it for a later stage.

This is the third stage – at tadbir!!!

We can look at it like this:

“I need happiness, I need money - the first stage is that Allah plans that this thing you need

comes to you in the right time. For example: you need something, you are sad and you turn

to Allah because He is the Owner, He will nurture you in such a way that your need is

fulfilled. Allah will decree that someone calls you and will say such things to make you

forget, however that person who calls doesn't know the gaib and yet they have been the

means to fulfil your need. We have all experienced when we receive a message we

especially need to hear, this is how much Allah takes care of us.

If you don't know about your Rabb, about Allah, you will think that this person knows the

gaib but if you know Allah, you turn to Him, the help will come in a way you cant imagine

and you will know it is from Him.

Allah will dispose the affairs so that the thing you need comes to you.


He subhana wa ta’ala is your Rabb and He will never leave anyone so turn to Him and He will

dispose your affairs.

Consider water, we need water every day, our body is 70% water and it is a necessity. Who

is the one who makes water reach us? Ar Rabb – He owns the water!!! The whole cycle

of the rain, collection in the lakes and rivers, extraction, purification, bottling etc and finally

reaching us - this is all from our Rabb and how Allah nurtures us!!! This is how the things

we need come to us.

Does this mean we will get whatever we want?

No!!! Why?

Consider again the example of a child asking for something like a car or something

dangerous, would the parent give? No, they would refuse or give when it is good for the

child. In the same way, when Ar Rabb does not give us it is because He knows what is best

for us, when, where how!!!

Look at people who cannot have children after so many years. They can say we pray every

day, why is it not happening, worry etc but when they know Ar Rabb, they will not be

worried and will be at peace, and know it will come at the right time. It is so important to

know about Allah, we will know it is a reforming (making better for us) for us and it will

calm us and keep us at peace!!!

When we know Ar Rabb, we will know that Allah will give/not give or give at the right time

when it is best for us and we will never question or ask why did something not happen, why

did someone get married late or early, have children or not.

Actually only Allah knows when the best time is for us so we should not be hasty or say we

are making dua and Allah has not answered it.

Kun fa ya kun - be and it is!!!

Nothing is difficult for Allah, He says Be and it is!!! He will choose the right time for us. So

don't be hasty, take the time to attach to Allah and keep attached to Allah. If it is good for us,

Allah will not deprive us of it. The problem with many people is that they are hasty or

sometimes we ask and desire things which are bad for us because we don't know.

So accept Allah as your Rabb, be pleased with Ar Rabb - raaditi billahi Rabb (I am pleased

with my Rabb) and don't be hasty with the matters of the duniya because our Rabb is our

reformer and He knows what is good for us.

So to surmise:

First Allah created the creation, He is the owner and He cares for His creation, and thirdly

He disposes off the affairs of His creation. So, we ask Allah for whatever we need, and we

need to keep asking Allah, keep returning to Him - He is the disposer of affairs and knows

what is best for us!!!

In Islam, we are taught to always take care of family, the old, the young throughout, and in

the same way Allah is always caring for us, He is always showering us with the provision

and blessings, the sun, moon, stars etc till we die and it will not be discontinued as long as

we are alive. It will follow us till we die.

Look at how many creations there are of Allah and how Allah is providing for all of them as


long as they are alive.

When we look at Alhamdulilahi Raabi al Ameen – all Praises and thanks due to Allah

because He is the Lord of All mankind, the One who creates, the one who owns everything

we need, the one who plans and disposes the affairs to plan how things come to us in good

time,

the One who is showering us in abundance is with the provisions as long as we are alive!!!

When we know all of this, we should feel love for Allah. We all like it when someone take

care of us but nobody can do this full time - except Allah, He cares for us full time until we

die!!!

Conversation between Prophet Ebrahim AS and his family

Consider the ayats in Surah Shuarah where there is a conversation between Prophet

Ebrahim AS and his people. Surah 26. Ash-Shuara, Verse 75-77-:

Ebrahim AS was a messenger and his people were idol worshippers. In Surah Shuarah,

Prophet Ebrahim AS was having a conversation with his people and he wanted to ask them:

“Why are you worshipping these idols when they are not taking care of you but instead you

are taking care of these idols? How can you worship something you are taking care of?”

If we observe, people who worship messengers, people, idols etc, who is taking care of the

idol, the picture of the person or drawing the picture - they themselves who have created

the pictures or idols!!!

He said:


“Look at those whom you are worshipping except Allah, you and your forefathers are all the

same, how can you worship those that you are taking care of, all these idols are my enemies,

except Rabbi al ameen”

Then he goes on to describe Rabbi al Ameen, and how Ar Raab cares for him in the next few

ayaats:

In these ayaats, Allah, Rabbi al Ameen, tells what He does for us.

Allah creates us, provides for us, is taking care of us, if we are sick he is the one who cures

us, no one, not even our parents can cure us.

Who is the one who disposes the affairs to cure us? Who is the one who takes care of us?

Even if a person is alone and can't eat and drink, who is providing for them? Who is the One

who disposes the affairs causing us to go to the doctor, take medicines, drinks etc and

causing us to be cured?

Who is the one who causes us to die and to be resurrected after dying?

Allah, Ar Rabb, Rabbi Al ameen!!!!!!

The Prophet saw said” if a person is ill and not eating & drinking, don’t force him, Allah will

take care of him.”


A lot of people believe in the stars and idols etc but the only One who truly deserves

worship is Allah, the One who creates, who takes care of us, nurtures us, reforms us,

disposes our affairs! These ayats are telling us attach to Allah, no to worship anyone but

Allah. It is Ar Rabb so always Alhamdulilah Raabi al Ameen!!!

the greatest delight- knowing allah ar-rabb

Documents