1. Creatorship ≠ Lordship
“And if you ask them, ‘Who created the heavens and the earth?’ they will surely say, ‘Allah.'” (Qur’an 31:25)
Acknowledging God as the Creator is common; however, such acknowledgment does not necessarily lead to existential submission. This is precisely what the Alid teachings describe as verbal or merely conceptual knowledge.

2. Lordship as Continuous Existential Guidance
“He said, ‘Our Lord is He who gave everything its creation, then guided it.'” (Qur’an 20:50)
The phrase “then guided it” (thumma hadā) demonstrates that Lordship (Rubūbiyyah) is the continuous and gradual guidance of existence itself. This corresponds closely to Mullā Ṣadrā’s understanding of Rubūbiyyah as the perpetual bestowal and guidance of being.

3. The Rejection of Human Self-Sufficiency
(Parallel to the Alid statement: “You were not created for yourself.”)
“O mankind! You are utterly dependent upon Allah, whereas Allah alone is the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy.” (Qur’an 35:15)
The “poverty” (faqr) referred to in this verse is ontological poverty—dependence in one’s existence, continuity, perfection, and recognition of one’s ultimate end. This verse provides a direct Qur’anic foundation for the Alid assertion that the human being was not created for himself.

4. The Relationship Between Knowing the Lord and the Orientation of Action
“Say: Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (Qur’an 6:162)
The axis of existential orientation is “the Lord of the worlds” (Rabb al-‘Ālamīn). The verse embraces not only acts of worship but one’s entire life, death, and way of being. This is precisely what the Alid teachings refer to as the soundness of action.

5. Practical Absence of Lordship = Futility of Worship
“So woe to those who pray, those who are heedless of their prayer.” (Qur’an 107:4–5)
Prayer and bodily movement may exist, yet Lordship is absent from the act. Consequently, worship devoid of Rubūbiyyah remains incomplete and may even become spiritually harmful.

6. Lordship and the Purification of the Soul

(Beyond Mere Psychological Improvement)

“Successful indeed is the one who purifies it, and failed indeed is the one who corrupts it.” (Qur’an 91:9–10)

Purification (tazkiyah) is not merely psychological refinement. Rather, it is the existential reorientation of the soul: liberation from self-centeredness and entrance into the orbit of Divine Lordship.

7. The Qur’anic Culmination and the Sadrian Perspective

“And indeed, to your Lord is the final destination.” (Qur’an 53:42)

Every movement—including the soul’s substantial motion (al-ḥarakah al-jawhariyyah)—ultimately terminates in the Lord. If this ultimate destination is absent from human awareness, movement continues, yet it results in wandering rather than perfection.

A God acknowledged merely as Creator produces an unstable religiosity. A God lived and experienced as Lord transforms the human being.

Alid Evidences
1.
“Know that you were not created for yourself, but for Allah. Therefore, draw near to Him through righteous action and sincerity.”
(Tuḥaf al-‘Uqūl, Chapter: Admonitions of Imam ‘Alī)

2.
“Whoever truly realizes his Lord realizes the highest good and the felicity of the soul.”
(Ghurar al-Ḥikam, no. 8632)

3.
“Whoever comes to know his Lord, his deeds become sound and his intention becomes pure.”
(Ghurar al-Ḥikam, no. 9214)

Analysis
A. The Central Theme of the Alid Teachings

Lordship is presented as an existential relationship, not merely a theological concept.

Three key expressions recur systematically in the Alid corpus:
Creation (Khuliqta)
Lord (Rabb)
Action / Intention (‘Amal / Niyyah)
Together they establish an ontological chain:
Creation → Lordship → Orientation of Action → Soundness of Intention

Knowledge of God is never treated as an isolated intellectual achievement. It is always evaluated by its existential effect upon action. If knowledge produces no transformation in conduct, it remains only a conceptual understanding.

B. Analysis of the Statement: “You Were Not Created for Yourself”

This statement negates the human being’s existential self-sufficiency.

The human person:

is not the owner of his own ultimate end;
is not the final criterion for determining good and evil;
is not the supreme authority over his own decisions.

The “self” (nafs) here represents the center of existential autonomy. Every action grounded solely in “I want” departs from the logic of creation, even if it outwardly assumes the form of worship.

C. The Relationship Between Knowing the Lord and the Felicity of the Soul

To “know the Lord” is not merely to possess information about Him. It is an existential realization.

The felicity of the soul is neither psychological comfort nor social success. Rather, it arises from the soul’s placement within the order of Divine Lordship.

D. The Soundness of Action and the Purification of Intention

First, action is rescued from aimlessness.

Then, intention is purified from vanity and self-centeredness.

Existential orientation precedes psychological purification.

Philosophical Analysis

Lordship (Rubūbiyyah): Continuous existential guidance rather than external administration or command.
The Soul’s Substantial Motion (al-Ḥarakah al-Jawhariyyah): Every decision and every intention constitutes an ontological transformation. Without knowledge of Divine Lordship, the soul moves toward fragmentation and existential weakness.
Theoretical and Practical Intellect: The theoretical intellect apprehends truth; the practical intellect directs action. Purely theoretical knowledge leaves conduct vulnerable to desire and illusion.
Worship Without Lordship: Bodily movement and imagination may remain, but the existential becoming of servanthood (‘ubūdiyyah) does not occur.

Practical Protocol
1. Reorient the Intention Before Every Action
Ask:

“Is this action an extension of God’s Lordship in my life, or is it reinforcing my self-centeredness?”

(Ghurar al-Ḥikam, no. 9214)

2. Maintain Awareness of Divine Lordship During the Action
Shift your attention from personal outcomes to faithful fulfillment of your responsibility.

(Tuḥaf al-‘Uqūl, Admonitions of Imam ‘Alī*)

3. Self-Examination After the Action
Evaluate the action by asking:

“Did this action diminish my self-centeredness, or did it strengthen it?”

4. Perseverance in the Remembrance of the Lord
Continually recall the Lord’s place in everyday decisions so that awareness of Divine Lordship becomes a lived reality.

(Ghurar al-Ḥikam, no. 8632)