Rabb
Rabb (رب, DMG rabb ) is an Arabic word meaning master , supporter , respected , master , which refers to Allah in the Islamic context and is one of the names used for Allah in the Koran .
According to some scholars of the Arabic language, the word comes from the verb rabba , which means to raise , educate , maintain or care for something . In addition to the resulting meanings, rabb denotes the one to whom one admires and adores ( ʿIbāda ( Arabic عبادة)) in the broader and more specific sense, but also peacemakers . In its absolute usage and without any addition, this word is an adjective exclusively related to God. However, it is also used in relative use and with an addition for a human being, e.g. B. rabb ad-Dar ( the master of the house , to designate a father or master of the house etc.). The term rabb is used in the Quran such as B. in the formulation (ربّ العالمين, DMG rabb al-ʿālamīn ), literally the rabb of the worlds . The rendering in German as Herr für Rabb is not wrong, but not sufficient to show the meaning of the word, because in Rabb in the Arabic language mercy and care are included, while Herr has nothing besides the idea of rule , power and violence contains comparable.
In pre-Islamic Arabia, this term was likely used for some or all of the gods revered there at the time. In this sense, Rabb corresponds to expressions like Ba'al , Adonis etc. in the northwestern Semitic languages, in which Rabb means more , greater .
In an older Meccan sura ( 106 : 3) Allah is called the ruler of the house . The pre-Islamic deity al-Lat was nicknamed the feminine form of Rabb : ar-Rabba.
Rabb is etymologically related to the expression רַבִּי Rabbi .
literature
- Ahmad A. Reidegeld: Handbuch Islam. The doctrine of faith and law of the Muslims. 2nd, unchanged edition. Spohr, Dali / Nicosia 2008, ISBN 978-3-927606-28-9 , pp. 39-40.
- Joseph Chelhod: Note sur l'emploi du mot rabb dans le Coran. In: Arabica. Vol. 5, No. 2, 1958, ISSN 0570-5398 , pp. 159-167, JSTOR 4054853 .