Discover the meaning of the term Al-iyjab (إيجاب) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 2 min readIt is the effecting of the attribution.
Obligation and the effecting of the attribution; what the jurists mean by ijab is the first utterance of one of the two contractors, whether the marrying one or the one married, the seller or the buyer; and the qabul is the utterance spoken second; it was named ijab since by it the answer becomes obligatory upon the other. What the sages mean by ijab in their saying that burning issues from fire by ijab is that burning is necessary to it, issuing from it without intent and will. And what the sages do not mean by ijab in their saying that the First Intellect issues from Him, glorified be He, by ijab is this meaning, for it would be a deficiency in the loftiness of His station, the Most High; rather what is meant is what will come under 'qudra' (power), Allah the Most High willing.
In language: the masdar of awjaba; one says: 'awjaba al-amra 'ala al-nas ijaban': meaning he bound them by it bindingly; and one says: 'wajaba al-bay' yajibu wujuban': it became binding and fixed; 'awjabahu ijaban': he bound him bindingly. In technical usage: the ijab is 'the obligatory' requiring an act not separable, a categorical requiring.
The effecting of the attribution.
The establishing of whatever it may be. With the Hanafis: what is mentioned first of the speech of one of the contracting parties. In the Majalla (art.
101): speech issuing from one of the contractors for the sake of creating the disposition, by which the disposition is obligated and established.