Lord Most Gracious and Most Merciful

Lord of all worlds

(All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.) (Al-Fatihah 1:2)

The phrase rabbul `alamin, which means Lord of all worlds, has the implied meanings of Creator, Owner, Sustainer, and Provider of t he worlds. However, in Arabic, the word rabb has implications that exceed those of the word Lord in English. It refers to the one who takes care of his or her family both morally and financially.

Surat Al-Fatihah, points out the relationship between the word rabb and the verb rabba, which means to develop, to breed, to bring up, or to grow. This relationship shows the connotations of mercy in the word rabb.Allah magnificently puts life into the seeds of wheat, corn, and dates and cultivates all seeds until they become whole plants, He does the same with all kinds of creation.

The word rabb implies power and authority. Hence, Allah followed this verse with a verse mentioning the two attributes Most Gracious and Most Merciful, which imply mercy and love.The Islamic concept of Allah ,the Qur'an, starts with describing Allah as a Loving and Merciful Supreme Being, so that the readers may willingly accept His instructions in the Qur'an.

Muslims should thank Allah because He has enlightened them regarding His Being and because He has freed them from the confusing ideas about the concept of God, which dominated the world before Islam. Islam frees Muslims from the mythological and illusionary concepts of terrifying and revengeful gods that were common in the Greek and Roman cultures.

The relationship between the two attributes (Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim) is similar to the relationship between the attributes rich and generous .Muslims' understanding of the concept of the Loving and Merciful God makes them aware of Allah's subjugation of nature for the benefit of humans. Muslims do not fear natural phenomena . They love the elements of nature, as these elements were created by the same Loving God Who created humans. Muslims regard these elements as blessings from Allah. In the Qur'an, Allah declares that He has subjugated these elements for the service of man.

He says,

(Allah is He Who created the heavens and the earth and sent down water from the clouds; then [He] brought forth with it fruits as a sustenance for you, and He has made the ships subservient to you that they might run their course in the sea by His command, and He has made the rivers subservient to you. And He has made subservient to you the sun and the moon pursuing their courses, and He has made subservient to you the night and the day.) (Ibrahim 14:32–33)

The relationship between the two attributes (Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim) is similar to the relationship between the attributes rich and generous .