THE TERM RABB Lexicography
Rabbun: "It signifies not only the Sovereign but (also) the Sustainer, the Nourisher, (the Nurturer, the Developer, the Evolver, the Provider, the Lord, the Master, the Owner and) the Regulator. His relationship to all His creation is that of Righteous, Benign Ruler and not that of father . It means the Universal Patron, the All-in-All Guardian. Not a tribal deity, not the national god of any specially favoured race or people, nor any narrow "lord of the hosts" or the anthropomorphic "father in heaven". (Vocabulary of the Holy Quran, Abdullah Abbas Nadvi). The word `rabb’ is usually translated into English as lord, master, sovereign, or sustainer. But these are poor translations of the original, simply because there is no equivalent word to convey the depth of its meaning.

"The word 'rabb' is derived from the trilateral Arabic root r-b-b, whose meaning can only be summarized as:
"To have a legitimate claim to the possession of anything and consequently to have complete authority over it, as well as to nurture, to sustain, to foster and to develop a thing from its inception to its final completion." "fosterer of a thing, who develops it from one state into another until it attains completion according to a pre-plan."

“He is not just `Rabb’ of the righteous people. He is also `Rabb’ of evil people, idol worshipers, disbelievers..He gives them the opportunity to grow, to prosper.. even though they do not deserve a single blessing from God, even though they deserve to be destroyed immediately.” (Hossein Kowsari, Universalunity.net, “In Praise of God, Lord of the Universe”.)

Rabb: Be lord and master, exercise dominion over, own, possess, gather, increase, abide, put into good order, arrange, improve, ameliorate, complete, feed, nourish, bring up, educate. (F.Steingass)

The term includes following also: To collect, To possess a thing to Rule, To have authority over, To increase a thing, To complete (a benefit), To perfume (an ointment), To bring up a child.” (J.G.Hava)
Rubuubiyatun: Power, Authority, Sovereignty, Divinity, Lordship. (Wortabet's).

Since nurturing and nourishing, livens up and brings freshness, the ever-green (fresh) plants are called 'Arribbatu'. (Ta’leemul Quran- Mushtaq Ahmed Khan)

Ar-Rabb is the owner who has full authority over his property. Ar-Rabb linguistically means, the master or the one who has the authority to lead. It also means the supporter.

"..When it is alone, the word Rabb is used only for Allah. As for other than Allah, it can be used to say `Rabb ad-daar’, the master of such and such object. Further, it was reported that Ar-Rabb is Allah’s Greatest Name” (Ism-ul- A’azam). (Vol-I Tafsir Ibn Kathir).

"Lexically, the word, Rabb signifies `one who nurtures’. And `nurture’ implies developing a thing by gradual stages in a manner which is conducive to its own good till it attains perfection. The word Rabb is exclusive to the Sacred Being of Allah, and can not be employed in the case of any created being without adding some qualification..” (Ma’ariful Quran, M.M.M.Shafi).

"From its frequent occurrence in the Quran, it would seem to occupy the place of Hebrew Jehovah…the Dominus of the Vulgate and the Lord of the English Bible.. Al-Baizawi, the commentator (p-6 line 10, of Flugel's edition), says `Rabb' in its literal meaning is ` to bring up’, that is, to bring or educate anything upto its perfect standard, by slow degrees, and in as much as the Almighty is He (Allah) Who can bring anything to perfection. Ar-Rabb is specially applied to God. It is the Hebrew Rabb which enters into the composition of many Names of Dignity and Office in the Bible. In the Muslim works of theology the word occurs in the following combinations:

Rabbul-Izzah : The Lord of Glory
Rabbul-Aalamiin: The Lord of the universes
Rabbul-Arbaab: The Lord of lords
Rabbul-Ibaad: The Lord of (His) servants
"The word is also used for a master or owner, e.g:
-Rabb-ud-daar: Master of the house
-Rabbul-Ardz: A landowner
-Rabbul-Maal: A possessor of property
-Rabbus-Salaf: A person who pays in advance for an article."
(A Dictionary of Islam-Thomas Patrick Hughes)

The basic meaning is to bring up. Connotations of wider meaning and derivatives of the root word are:
i.One who brings up, rears, fosters, nourishes or is responsible for doing one or more or all of these;
ii.Guardian, patron, one who supervises or is responsible for carrying out improvements;
iii.One who occupies a central or focal position, who himself gathers people around himself or people gather themselves around him;
iv.Leader, head, chief, lord, one whose word is obeyed and whose supremacy or lordship acknowledged and who has authority to dispose of men, things and affairs;
v.Owner, Master.
In the Quran, at different places, this word has been used in one, more or all these senses.
In Verses 9-31 and 3-64 the term `Arbaab' (plural of `Rabb'), has been used for religious leaders of the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) who exercised authority over these people in social and other matters.
In Verse No. 12-50, the word `Rabb' implies that the Egyptians took the king as the absolute sovereign and the law setter.
The Quran has used the term "Rabb" in different phrases, e.g:
-Rabbul-Aalamiin :
-Rabbus-Samaawaat Wal Ardz :
-Rabbul -Mashriqain Wa Rabbul- Maghribain:
-Rabb Kariim :
-Rabbuk-Al Akram:

"Read! And your Lord-Master-Sustainer is The Ever All-Generous."

"We (Allah ) have honoured all human beings."

-Zaalikumullaahu Rabbukum:
- Rabbul-Mashaariq wal Maghaarib

In some religions there is a concept of so-called ‘sky god’, which may apparently point towards the concept of `Rabbus-Samaawaat’, since He is associated with the heavens, but it is totally different from the concept of the Scripture. `Rabbus-Samaawaat’ is the Lord-Master-Owner-Sustainer-Cherisher, Who is also the Creator Himself of all the universes (megaverse) and everything in and between them. Deuteronomy makes categorical and confirmatory statement about `Rabbus-Samaawaat wal Ardz’ as follows:

“Know therefore, this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord He is God, in the heavens above and upon the earth.
There is none else.” Deuteronomy 4-39

The word Rabb is usually translated as Lord . But this rendering is inadequate. In fact the term Rabb implies cherishing, guarding from harm, sustaining, granting all means and opportunities of development and progression. Rabb (Allah Alone) is the Lord-Master-Sustainer-Cherisher-Nurturer-Owner of all universes-all creation. In all these senses, Allah kindly cares with consideration for worlds-all creation, He has created. For shortness, perhaps, some translators translate it as Guardian Lord. In view of its expansive connotations, it has not been possible to suggest an exact equivalent to it in English, the original term ‘Rubuubiyat’ in Arabic has been retained.

Kazi Muhammad Suleman Salman, in ‘Sharah Al- Asmaaul Husnaa’, says that the word ‘Rabb’, in different forms has been used 806 times in the Quran. For further reference and details see, e.g.: Al-Munjid and Lughatul Quran. For comparison with synonyms see Rabbaa, Abnata, Nasha-A, Rabb, and Kaffala. (Pages 279-280, Mutaradifatul Quran, Maulana Abdur-Rahman Kailani.) and ( Pages 362 to 380– Al-Muajimul Mufaharis – Muhammad Fawad Abdul Baqi.).

"The term `Rabb' .. is an oft quoted common root for several words in the Semitic languages. In Hebrew, Syriac and Arabic, it means Providence and Nourisher. Since the need for nourishment is one of the basic needs of human life, the meaning given to the term Rabb as Providence or Nourisher may be regarded as but a natural first approach to God which the early Semitic mind could conceive of. The term was similarly applied to the teacher and master or lord who in their respective spheres discharge the function of the Nourisher. For instance, the term `Rabbi ' and `Rabbah' were used in Hebrew and Armaic for the Nourisher, the teacher and the master. A version of the term `Rabu' conveyed the same sense in the Coptic and Chaldaean languages, demonstrating incidentally the cultural affinity subsisting among the Semitic peoples of early times."

(A.K.Azad, Tarjumanul Quran, p.19).