Quran Universe
7:121

قَالُوٓاْ ءَامَنَّا بِرَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

Qaloo amanna birabbi alAAalameena

They said, "We have believed in the Lord of the worlds,

Word by word
  1. قَالُوٓاْThey said
  2. ءَامَنَّاWe believe
  3. بِرَبِّin (the) Lord
  4. ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ(of) the worlds
Al-A'raf · 7:121Makkah

We believe in the Lord of all the worlds.

The magicians name the One above every throne

What they declared
the magiciansstill on the ground
say
Lord of the worldsnot Fir'awn, not a fee
Who they served
Fir'awnlord of one country
AllahLord of all that exists

The magicians fell in prostration and proclaimed their belief in the Lord of all that exists. Ibn Kathir reports from Al-Qasim bin Abi Bazzah that they did not raise their heads before being shown Paradise and the Fire. In front of the man who claimed to be their lord, they named a greater one.

You have worked for years to please one person: a parent, a boss, an audience. Their approval was your whole world. Then one day you see it clearly. They are one small part of a world Allah owns. The weight shifts off your chest.

The person I answer to most is the biggest power in my life.

Allah is Lord of all the worlds, including everyone I fear or try to please.

Try this

In your next prayer, slow down at Rabbil alamin and think of the one person whose approval you chase.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 7:117)

And We revealed to Musa (saying): "Throw your stick," and behold! It swallowed up straight away all the falsehood which they showed (117)Thus truth was confirmed, and all that they did was made of no effect (118)So they were defeated there and returned disgraced (119)And the sorcerers fell down prostrate (120)They said: "We believe in the Lord of all that exists (121)"The Lord of Musa and Harun. (122)

Musa defeats the Magicians, Who believe in Him

Allah states that at that tremendous moment, in which Allah differentiated between Truth and Falsehood, He sent a revelation to His servant and Messenger Musa, peace be upon him, ordering him to throw the stick that he held in his right hand,

فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ

(It swallowed straight away) and devoured,

مَا يَأْفِكُونَ

(all the falsehood which they showed.) the magic that they caused the illusion with, of magic with which they caused making it appear real, whereas it was not real at all. Ibn 'Abbas said that Musa's stick swallowed all the ropes and sticks that the magicians threw. The magicians realized that this was from heaven and was by no means magic. They fell in prostration and proclaimed,

آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ - رَبِّ مُوسَىٰ وَهَارُونَ

("We believe in the Lord of all that exists. The Lord of Musa and Harun ).

Muhammad bin Ishaq commented, "It followed the ropes and sticks one after another, until nothing that the sorcerers threw remained. Musa then held it in his hand, and it became a stick again just as it was before. The magicians fell in prostration and proclaimed, 'We believe in the Lord of all that exists, the Lord of Musa and Harun. Had Musa been a magician, he would not have prevailed over us.'" Al-Qasim bin Abi Bazzah commented, "Allah revealed to Musa to throw his stick. When he threw his stick, it became a huge, manifest snake that opened its mouth and swallowed the magicians' ropes and sticks. On that, the magicians fell in prostration. They did not raise their heads before seeing the Paradise, the Fire, and the recompense of their inhabitants."