59:24
He is Allah, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms (or Colours). To Him belong the Most
Beautiful Names: whatever is in the heavens and on earth, doth declare His Praises and Glory: and He is
the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
The following excerpt is taken from “Islamic Theory of Evolution” pg. 131-132:
The first command revealed to the Prophet was: “Read in the name of thy Sustainer (Rabb), who has created man from a germ cell” (96:1-2). The common translation of the word Rabb as “Sustainer” does not fully capture its comprehensive meaning. The noun Rabb is derived from the Arabic word Rubūbīyah, which cannot be entirely translated into English with a single term. According to Abul Kalam Azad, a prominent Muslim Quranic scholar from the Indian subcontinent, Rabb refers to the process of developing something progressively, in line with its inherent potential and needs, allowing it to evolve through various stages to reach its full form. Similarly, Imam Al-Qasim ar-Raghib (11th century), in his work Al-Mufradāt fi Gharib al-Qur’ān (The Vocabulary of the Qur’an), defines Rabb as the nurturing of something in such a way that it progresses step by step until it achieves its final state of perfection. Therefore, the essential components of Rubūbīyah include: (a) development by an external agent, (b) a gradual process, and (c) the freedom for the object to attain its full potential. Thus, Rabb, derived from Rubūbīyah, can be understood as “the Evolver.” The use of Rabb as an attribute of God implies that God allows living beings to evolve, granting them the freedom to attain their ultimate perfection within the natural laws He has established (Ali).
References:
Shanavas, T.O. (2005). Islamic Theory of Evolution: The Missing Link between Darwin and theOrigin
of Species. (p. 131-132).