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1. Allah as Sovereign ( rabb):revelation 167(He is) Lord [rabb] of the two Easts and Lord of the two Wests.( Al-RaÈm§n 55:17)The term rabb in Arabic denotes a form of supremacy as it conveysthe notion of a master or lord, even ruler or king, who possesseshigh status and prestige. We say in Arabic that someone is the‘master of the house’, which signifies a position of power over thedependents of his family. Applied to the term rabb or lord in theBook, we infer that this stands for the concept of Allah’s sovereignty( al-rubåbiyya), that is, His lordship over the objective reality of existenceoutside human consciousness. It connotes a relationship ofAllah with all of His creation, which is a relationship of dominance,power, and possession. This relationship is objective, absolute, andunalterable. In studying the laws of nature, the cosmos, and historywe become aware of the realm of Allah’s sovereignty which governsthe universe independent of the human mind. In this capacity,Allah is the Lord of all creatures, be they believers or unbelievers,Arabs or non-Arabs, learned or ignorant, humans or animals.Allah transferred this sovereignty to humanity when he installedAdam as His vicegerent on earth, 48 indicating that a thoroughstudy of His sovereignty, of objective reality, will enable humankindto rule over His creation, the earth and the skies, the plantsand the animals—in His manner. When, for example, humankindlearned how to master the force of gravitation they took possessionof the moon and Mars, fulfilling His word:Do you not see that God [All§h] has made subject to you (men)all that is on the earth, and the ships that sail through the sea byHis command? He withholds the sky (rain) from falling on theearth except by His leave: for God [All§h] is most kind and mostmerciful to man. ( Al-\ajj 22:65)Do you not see that God [All§h] has subjected to your (use) allthings in the heavens and on earth, and has made his bountiesflow to you in exceeding measure, (both) seen and unseen? Yetthere are among men those who dispute about God [All§h], withoutknowledge and without guidance, and without a book toenlighten them! (Luqm§n 31:20)48‘I will create a vicegerent on earth’ ( Al-Baqara 2:30).