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‘Abdullah ibn al-Shikhkhīr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “I went in the delegation of Banu ‘Āmir to the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). We said: ‘You are our master.’ He said: ‘The Master is Allah Almighty.’
We said: ‘The best of us in excellence and the greatest of us in generosity.’ He said: ‘Say what you like, or some of what you like, but do not let the devil overcome you.’” [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd; Sahīh (authentic)]
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Linguistically, “As-Sayyid” means one who surpasses others by his forbearance, wealth, status, and usefulness, and who gives his money to right causes.
It is also used to refer to a person who is not overcome by his anger. And it refers to the noble, the king, and the chief.
The master of a slave is his owner, and the master of a woman is her husband. Allah Almighty says: {...And they found her master (husband) at the door...} [Surat Yūsuf: 25]
The master of something is the best and most distinguished in it.
And none possesses perfect mastery and sovereignty but our Lord.
Our Lord, Exalted be He, is the Master with perfect mastery, glory, honor, majesty, forbearance, self-sufficiency, vanquishing power, knowledge, and wisdom. He possesses every attribute of these in a perfect and complete manner.
Allah Almighty is the Master Who possesses all perfect kinds of honor and sovereignty.
These are His attributes and none shares them with Him or competes with Him over any of them.
He is the God, the Master, the Eternal Refuge,
upon Whom all creatures rely and to Whom they submit.
He possesses perfect attributes from all aspects.
His perfection is marred by no deficiency whatsoever.
All creatures are slaves to Him and in need of Him. The angels, humans, and jinn cannot dispense with Him. They stand in need for His bounty, kindness, and care. So, it befits Him to be the Master, and it befits them to call Him as such.
Our Lord, Exalted be He, is the Master and the Disposer of the universe, and there is no partner with Him or equal to Him.
He is the Master to Whom alone obedience should be devoted and humiliation and submission should be displayed. He has no partner with Him.
He is the Master worthy of being worshiped - without any partner. {Say [O Prophet], “Should I seek a lord other than Allah, when He is the Lord of everything?”} [Surat al-An‘ām: 164]
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: “A God, a Master.”
A person may be given wealth, children, prestige, a high position, authority, or leadership. He may be surrounded by servants and soldiers and guarded by armies, with people revering him and yielding submissively to his authority and power. Thus, he attains such massive power and dominance. Yet, his dominance is still incomplete and transient.
Some are deceived by their dreams during sleep.
How deceptive their dreams are and how wrong their interpretation thereof is!
If a person believes that Allah Almighty is the real Master, his heart will get attached to Him alone, fearing and relying upon Him, seeking His help, and hoping for His mercy and reward. This is because He is the Disposer of the affairs of His creation, and we are all weak and in need of Him. {O people, it is you who are in need of Allah, whereas Allah is the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy.} [Surat Fātir: 15] So, he does not humbly submit except to Allah Almighty alone, the One, the Superb Vanquisher, the Master, the Eternal Refuge.
Sovereignty among people is based upon dignity, honor, high status, and good reputation, and these things can only be attained by obedience to our Lord. That is why the prophets and pious people prevailed and attained such a high status among people.
As for those who disbelieve in Allah and turn away from Him, for them there is no dignity or dominance; even if they attain worldly dominance, it is false and fleeting.
Hence, it is prohibited to address a hypocrite by the title: master. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Do not call a hypocrite: master, for if he is a master, you will have angered your Almighty Lord.” [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd; Sahīh (authentic)]
Calling someone “master” is permissible for Allah Almighty describes Yahya (John the Baptist) (peace be upon him) as {a master} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 39]. And the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) also said: “I am the master of the children of Adam, and I am not bragging.” [Narrated by Muslim] In another Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said about Sa‘d ibn Mu‘ādh: “Stand for your master.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
There is no contradiction between this and the Hadīth that says: “The master is Allah.” [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd; Sahīh (authentic)] The believers take “the master of people” to mean their leader and Imam.
When the Arabs say “so-and-so is our master”, they mean: He is our leader whom we respect and revere.
As for describing Allah as the Master, this means that He is the Lord of all creatures, and they are all slaves to Him.
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) forbade it when it was said to him: “You are our master.” He said: “The Master is Allah. Say what you like, or some of what you like, but do not let the devil overcome you.” [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd; Sahīh (authentic)] This points out how the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was so keen to protect monotheism and block the means to polytheism.
He also disliked that people should praise him to his face, though they would only say what is true. In a Hadīth, he (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “I am the master of the children of Adam.” [Narrated by Muslim] He feared that they might be deeply attached and submissive to any created being in a way that can only be devoted to Allah, the One God, the Superb Vanquisher.
O Allah, we implore You by Your name “As-Sayyid” to elevate our rank and remove our burdens; indeed You are Able to do all things.