TARBIYYAH - تربيه

Literally: A rearing. A nursing. Training or educating. Maintenance. Hence, culture, good manners, good breeding. A correcting or chastising; admonition, chastisement. A regulating or improving by the use of chemical or other agents; treatment. To bring up and train. To correct or punish. To treat with what will improve, or preserve. Working on reaching the point of perfection, obeying commands and order.

 

“Rabb  رَبِّ

That is, He who raises and tarbiyyah al-‘âlam with all its component parts, each of which is an ‘âlam like the greater ‘âlam, with all its atoms, like its stars dispersed, in motion, in order.

Know that Allah ‘azza wa jalla appointed for everything a point of perfection and deposited in each an inclination towards it, as though commanding it in a ma’nawî manner through this inclination to set out for the point of perfection. In its journey, each thing stands in need of what will help it and what will repulse the things that hinder it, and this is the tarbiyyah of ‘Azza wa jalla. If you study the universe, you will see that it resembles human groups and nations, with each individually and collectively employed in the duties its Sâni’ has appointed for it, striving diligently, obeying the laws of its Khâliq. How surprising therefore is man, in his being an exception!”  Signs of Miraculousness ( 24 )

 

“اَلرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ Their positioning: they point to the two fundamentals in tarbiyyah. For in its meaning of Ar-Razzâq, Ar-Rahmân infers the attraction of benefits, while in its meaning of Al-Ghaffâr, Ar-Rahîm is conformable with the repulsion of harm, and these are the two basic principles of tarbiyyah.” Signs of Miraculousness ( 25 )