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O Lord, we ask You by Your honor and our humiliation, by Your power and our weakness, and by Your lack of need for us and our need for You. We stand before You as wrongful servants. You have lots of servants apart from us, but we have no Lord except You. There is no refuge or escape from You but to You.
We supplicate and implore You as Your needy, humble, and fearful servants.
We stand before You in total submission and with tearful eyes and humble hearts. We implore You to forgive us and all Muslims and to admit us into Your mercy, O the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!
A servant has none but his Lord to seek help from.
He is the only One Who helps us at times of distress and hardship.
He is the Owner of the whole world and all that inhabits it.
Who can remove afflictions, near or distant?
Who can prevent disasters just before they strike?
It is only You, our Lord, Who does this.
In the lines to come, we are honored to speak about one of the beautiful names of Allah, namely “Ar-Rabb” (the Lord), Blessed and Exalted.
Allah Almighty says: {(He is) the Lord of the two easts and the Lord of the two wests.} [Al-Rahmān: 17] He also says: {“Peace”, a word from a Most Merciful Lord.} [Yasīn: 58]
Our Lord is the Creator, the Owner, the Manager, and the Disposer of affairs. He is the Lord of lords and the deity of worshipers. He possesses the kingdoms, the kings, and all creation. He manages the affairs and interests of His servants, human and jinn, and He is the Sustainer in the worldly life and in the Hereafter.
General Lordship: This comprises all beings, pious and wicked, believers and disbelievers, and even inanimate objects.
It means that He creates them, provides for them, manages their affairs, and bestows favors upon them.
Special Lordship: It means that He raises and educates His close and chosen servants through faith and guidance, and He reforms their hearts, souls, and morals and brings them out of darkness into light.
He guides them to every good and protects them from every evil.
Allah Almighty praises Himself as the Lord of the worlds: {All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.} [Al-Fātihah: 2]
He also praises Himself as the Lord of the Throne, saying: {Glory be to the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of the Throne! Exalted be He above all that they ascribe (to Him).} [Al-Zukhruf: 82] {Allah - there is no god but Him; He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.} [Al-Naml: 26]
And He praises Himself as the Lord of the heavens and the earth; He says: {Glory be to the Lord of the heavens and earth, the Lord of the Throne! Exalted be He above all that they ascribe (to Him).} [Al-Zukhruf: 82]
Hence, all creatures extend praise to their Almighty Lord: {...And it will be said: “Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.”} [Al-Zumar: 75] So, He is praised in this life and in the Hereafter. {Their call therein will be: “Glory be to You, O Allah,” and their greeting therein will be: “Peace.” And the last of their call will be: “Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds!”} [Yūnus: 10]
As the prophets and righteous people knew that this name is the key to answering supplications, they supplicated Allah therewith.
Nūh (Noah) (peace be upon him) used it in his supplication: {My Lord, forgive me and my parents and whoever enters my house a believer and the believing men and believing women...} [Nūh: 28]
Ibrāhim (Abraham) (peace be upon him) used it as he supplicated: {Our Lord, accept from us. Indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing!} [Al-Baqarah: 127]
And Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used it in his supplication: {And say: “My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the incitements of the devils, And I seek refuge with You, My Lord, lest they should come near me.”} [Al-Mu’minūn: 97-98]
Whenever anything distressed the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), he would say: “La ilāha illallāh al-‘azhīm al-halīm, la ilāha illallāh rabbu al-‘arsh al-‘azhīm, la ilāha illallāh rabbu as-samāwāt wa rabbu al-ard wa rabbu al-‘arsh al-karīm (There is no god but Allah, the Most Great, the Forbearing. There is no god but Allah, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. There is no god but Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and the Lord of the Honorable Throne).” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
If anyone does not supplicate using the Lord’s names willingly, he will certainly use it by way of necessity. A person lying very ill in his bed would call out: “O Lord, O Lord!” And behold! Cure and recovery come to him from the Almighty Lord.
A person in abject poverty and misery would call out: “O Lord, O Lord!” And behold! He fulfills his needs and removes his poverty.
A starving person, in real suffering, would call out: “O Lord, O Lord!” And behold! Sustenance comes to him in abundance.
A wronged person, wiping off his tears and hiding his pain, would call out: “O Lord, O Lord!” And behold! He gets support and a good outcome for his suffering.
Al-Hāfizh ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “Persistently supplicating Allah by mentioning His Lordship is one of the best means for getting the supplication answered.”
O Lord, relieve the distress of Your servant and put an end to his suffering.
He is the Most Great, His dominion is so grand, His status is so high, and He is very close to His servants and so gentle with them.
His Lordship is that of greatness and majesty. {Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High.} [Al-A‘la: 1]
His Lordship is about blessing, increase, and giving. {...Blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.} [Al-A‘rāf: 54]
His Lordship involves concealment and forgiveness. {... A good land, and a forgiving Lord.} [Saba’: 15]
His Lordship brings honor, strength, dominance, and invincibility. {The Lord of the heavens and earth and what is between them, the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving.} [Sād: 66]
His Lordship is mercy. {The Lord of the heavens and earth and what is between them, the Most Compassionate...} [Al-Naba’: 37]
His Lordship is generosity. {O man, what has deceived you concerning your Lord, the Generous One?} [Al-Infitār: 6]
There is no god except Allah, the One and Only God. We have not worshiped You properly as You deserve.
He who knows that Allah is the Lord of lords would not be pleased with other than Him as a Lord, and when he gets this pleasure, he tastes the sweetness of faith. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) is authentically reported to have said: “Whoever is pleased with Allah as a Lord, with Islam as a religion, and with Muhammad as a Messenger, has indeed tasted the sweetness of faith.” [Narrated by Muslim]
{And say: “My Lord, forgive and have mercy, and You are the best of those who are merciful.”} [Al-Mu’minūn: 118]
Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “Persistently supplicating Allah by mentioning His Lordship is one of the best means for getting the supplication answered.”
Our Lord, we hope for Your mercy. Do not leave us to our own devices, even for the blink of an eye, and admit us into Your mercy.
Our Lord, forgive and have mercy, for You are the best of those who show mercy.