2:21

Salam all,

This is 2:21

2:21 يأيها الناس اعبدوا ربكم الذي خلقكم والذين من قبلكم لعلكم تتقون

2:21]
Ya ayyuha alnnasuoAAbudoo rabbakumu allathee khalaqakum waallatheenamin qablikum laAAallakum tattaqoo
Ya ayyuha: This is difficult to translate. It is a call as in O so and so
Alnnasu: The people
Note: so this and the previous are a call to the people as in O ye people
oAAbudoo: This is an order to Worship/enslave one self/put oneself in the service of
Note:
The word AAa-B-D means slave or servant. The order here is mostly understood as to worship. Worship here means that we make ourselves (voluntarily) the Slaves or servants of GOD. This means obey, serve and refuse to be a slave of anyone or anything else. OAABUDOO is an order form addressed to a plural
Rabbakumu: Your nurturer/your sustainer
Note: This is another very interesting word. RABB in Arabic is used most often to mean GOD. However it can also mean Raiser (the one that helps us grow in any sense of the word). This meaning is very consistent with the concept of GOD in Islam. It is also consistent with the Hebrew meaning of Rabbi as teacher (He/she helps us grow). Therefore I used the word nurturer/sustainer. It is not exactly the same but it comes close.
Allathee: That
Khalaqakum: Created you/Cut you into the shape that you are in/pieced you together
Note:
The meaning of the word KHALAQ is understood as create something or someone and perfecting it. A concrete word that is related to it is KHILAQ which means portion or piece of something. The relationship between creation and piece or portion is the fact that in both situations there is cutting and shaping as well as piecing together. This is consistent with the Hebrew meaning of the word KHLQ which means to divide. Another word KHULUQ which means behavior and this relates to the creation of our inner Self, or in the Qur’anic term NAFS. This is the part of us that deals with our behaviors, manners and thinking.
Waallatheena: and those
min qablikum: from in front of you/from before you
Note: The root here is Q-B-L and it means front of something. The word QABL means before here. The most concrete word that is related to it is QUBUL which means front of something. There are three main derivatives and meanings that are used in the Qur’an. QABL as in before because they come in front of. QABEL as in accept because the things/people that you receive with your front are the ones that you accept. One important word that will come later is the word QIBLA and is understood as the direction that people face during prayer. In my opinion, it means the place that you front to receive acceptance from GOD (Qubool).
laAAallakum: May you
tattaqoon: Guard
Note:
Guard is the meaning of the word. As I said before, the best way to Guard is through consciousness and mainly GOD consciousness.

My note:
This Ayah is a call on humanity to enslave itself to GOD (Serve and obey and refusal to enslave itself to other things). It is also a reminder that GOD created and cut us in the shapes that we are in, that he is our nurturer. In enslaving ourselves to GOD/serving GOD, we may be able to guard through becoming GOD conscious.

Another personal note:

Through enslaving ourselves to GOD, we gain freedom from all else.

Salam and have a good day

Hussein