Evaluating 'Rububiyyah': The Philosophy of Lordship in Islamic Tradition

Abstract

The idea of "Rububiyyah," which means Lordship in Arabic, is at the core of Islamic theology and philosophy; it refers to the supremacy and wisdom of God who is the sovereign and provider over the creations. This article shows the theological matrix of Rububiyyah in the context of the Islamic tradition by addressing its evolution, cardinal precepts and significance to theological discussion. Based on Ijtihad (interpretation of classical Islamic sources), Modern Scholarship, and rational thinking (philosophy), the article is intended to present a holistic analysis of Rububiyyah's essence and implications. The article is opened with Quranic and Hadith footing of Rububiyyah taking the audience into a historical journey back to the foundations of Islamic cosmology and last day. Next, it proceeds to the striking philosophical facets of Rububiyyah and put them in relation to those which intersect Tawhid (Oneness), divine attributes, and human free will. Through Ibn Rushd's lens, meticulous emphasis is placed on the notion of Jabariyyah, the tension between divine sovereignty and human agency, the idea of Khilafat, and that rational inquiry and science can go hand in hand with Rububiyyah without being compromised.  It specifically deals with determinism versus free will dilemma, theodicy, and the nature of the supernatural and its intervention in the world. It also wonders how Akhlaq encompasses Fiqh, Governance, and the beholden responsibility of human under God’s directorship. Critically examined studying classic and modern sources will augment in learning Rububiyyah as a philosophical dimension of Islam and establish its position in the contemporary Islamic thinking. The purpose of this paper is structuring the notion as to its theological, philosophical and practical dimensions in hopes of enriching theological discussions and to contribute a little to the comprehension of which God or Allah is in Islamic theology.

Keywords: Rububiyyah, Philosophical Dimensions, Theological, Lordship, Islamic Tradition