[Ramzan, 4] Welcome to Day 4 of the Ramzan Writing Series.

Today’s topic is about that one, the only surviving relationship: of Allah and us.

Surah Fateha starts with mentioning Allah as ‘Rabb’ (meaning Master) and later as the surah progresses, mentions us as ‘Abd’ (meaning slave). Can you appreciate the wonderful thought behind using these two words in the very first surah of the Quran?

When you approach the Quran, come to it like a slave, accepting Allah as your Master. A Master which is unlike any other. Who is kind and all merciful and who looks out for you like 70 mothers would. Allah is the only Master for which a slave’s love knows no bound because the slaves themselves want to be in this relationship of slavery. Have you ever heard of any other Master like that? For whom everyone and everything wants to be a slave?

For us, words like “slave” or “slavery” do not have positive connotations. However, once we start knowing Allah, we appreciate that no other words fit us in relation to Him.

When we accept this status, religion flows easily in us. We realize nothing that we have in life was our right, but rather a gift, a rehmat from Allah. When we are faced with trials, we are more likely to be thankful than to complain, when we are asked to give to the poor, we will know what we have is not really ours in the first place.

The beautiful relation of Rabb and abd sets the roles straight when you start learning the Quran. You are more accepting of the commands in the Book, you appreciate all the places Allah mentions His Rehmat, and you appreciate with humility all true duas Allah narrates for us.

This is my most favorite topic of all that I discuss: Rabb and abd. That is the place where our true transformation starts.

Tell me your thoughts on this.

Happy Writing!