Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part IV — Page 209
Footnote Number Eleven 209 were brought into existence, and continue to be so, and everything was nourished by it and continues to be so. This grace is the very life of the entire universe. Were it cut off for even one moment, the entire universe would perish. If it had not been there, nothing of the creation would have existed. It has been named rub u biyyat [providence] in the Holy Quran and it is on its account that God has been named ن ی رب العٰلم [ Rabbul-‘ a lam i n ] as He has also mentioned in another place: 1 Part Number 8— َوَوُه ُّبَر ِّلُك ٍءْيَش Meaning that, God is the Rabb [Lord] of everything and nothing that exists in the universe is outside the sphere of His rub u biyyat. Therefore, in S u rah al-F a ti h ah, God first mentioned the attribute ن ی رب العٰلم [ Rabbul-‘ a lam i n ] out of all the attributes of grace, and said, 2 ُدْمَحْلَا ِهّٰلِل ِّبَر َنْيِمَلٰعْلا. The reason for saying this is that rub u biyyat has a nat- ural priority over all attributes of grace. In other words, it is the first grace to appear in terms of manifestation, and it is also the most uni- versal grace covering everything animate and inanimate. The second category of grace which is next in sequence is the gen- eral grace. The difference between this and the most universal grace is that the most universal grace is a universal providence by means of which the entire universe came into being and continues to be sus- tained, and the grace that is called the general grace is a special eternal favour which is applicable to the condition of the animates. In other words, the special attention of God the Maker upon all animates is called the general grace. The characteristic of this grace is that it extends to all animates according to their needs, without reference to any right or merit, and is not in recompense of any action on their part. It is because of the blessings of this very grace that every living being is seen 1. S u rah al-An‘ a m, 6:165 [Publisher] 2. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds ( S u rah al-F a ti h ah , 1:2). [Publisher]