بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Shaikh Salih al Fawzaan حفظه الله comments regarding His [i.e. Allaah’s] Statement

“وَلَا يَأۡمُرَكُمۡ أَن تَتَّخِذُواْ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ أَرۡبَابًاۚ أَيَأۡمُرُكُم بِٱلۡكُفۡرِ بَعۡدَ إِذۡ أَنتُم مُّسۡلِمُونَ”

“Nor would he order you to take angels and Prophets for lords (gods). Would he order you to disbelieve after you have submitted to Allah’s Will?” [Surah Aal-Imraan, Aayah 80]

What can be taken from this verse is that Ar-Rabb (Lord) can be used and intended to mean Al-Ilaah [The only deity who has the right to be worshipped],  just like Al-Ilaah can also be used and intended to mean Ar-Rabb. And due to this reason, Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhaab رحمه الله said that when Ar-Rabb and Al-Ilaah are mentioned together they have different meanings; so the meaning of Ar-Rabb would be Al-Khaaliq (The Creator), Ar-Raaziq (The Provider), Al-Muhyee (The One who gives life) and Al-Mumeet (The one who causes death), and the meaning of Al-Ilaah would be Al-Ma’bood (The One who is worshipped). And when one of them is mentioned on their own, the meaning of the other is included; so if Ar-Rabb is mentioned only then it includes the meaning of Al-Ilaah and when Al-Ilaah is mentioned only then it includes the meaning of Ar-Rabb. An example of this is His [i.e. Allaah’s] statement:

” و لَا يَأۡمُرَكُمۡ أَن تَتَّخِذُواْ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ أَرۡبَابًاۚ أَيَأۡمُرُكُم بِٱلۡكُفۡرِ بَعۡدَ إِذۡ أَنتُم مُّسۡلِمُونَ”

“Nor would he order you to take angels and Prophets for lords (gods). Would he order you to disbelieve after you have submitted to Allah’s Will?

Meaning “as objects of worship besides Allah سبحانه وتعالى”.

Source: Min Ahkhaam Al-Qur’aan by Shaikh Salih al Fawzaan حفظه الله  vol.1 pg 32