Review of Muslim Scholars’ Viewpoints on the Meaning and Derivation of “Rabb”

Authors

Assistant Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Studies, Kharazmi University

Abstract

With regard to the importance and central function of the Name “Rabb” in the semantic system of the Holy Qur’ān, this study reviews the viewpoints of Muslim scholars - including lexicographers, Qur’an commentators and interpreters of the Names of Allāh - on the word “Rabb” and its meaning and derivation from a historical-critical perspective to gain a clear picture of the methods used by Muslim scholars in the meaning of the Qur’ānic lexicon and its results, and also to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the methods so that the updated methods can be used to eliminate the existing flaws. From the statements and evidences cited by the earlier lexicographers, it is concluded that the word “Rabb” - derived from the doubled root r-b-b - has been meant mālik (owner) since the pre-Islamic era.
However, the basic verb form of the root r-b-b (rabba yarubbu) or augmented verb forms has not been used in the sense of malaka yamliku (to own) and even sometimes tarbīah (to bring up) - from the third-weak root r-b-w - has been known as “Rabb” as a solid word, since neither the semantic relationship between the word “Rabb” as a noun and verbal usages of the root r-b-b nor the relationship between the roots r-b-b and r-b-w was clear

Keywords

Quran and Hadith Studies‎
Volume 8, Issue 1 - Serial Number 15
February 2015
Pages 33-68

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