A Look into the Meaning of Ijtiba in the Quran

The word ijtiba’ (to single out) has been mentioned 11 times in the Quran and it has two significant facets: embracing all the good people in the world and its meaning coverage. God uses ijtiba’ about those servants about whom He says “man yasha” (whoever He wants). As we know, this word is generally said to have meanings such as ‘to single out’ and ‘to collect’. However, both meanings are flawed in some respects, though in some other respects, they are applicable. For example, in studying the stories of Adam (a.s.) and Jonah (a.s.), we find out that ijtiba' cannot be a position bestowed by God, particularly following Jonah’s (a.s.) disobedience and anger. Rather, it refers to ‘opening a way when other routes are shut’. That is, God powerfully makes all provisions for an individual exactly when they are not expected and guides him by repentance at times and by righteousness at other times. In this paper, first, the views of the scholars of the past are presented and the meaning of ijtiba' is refined. Next, following a review of the new meanings in the respective Quranic verses, ‘the journey of majtoobin (the singled out) in time’ and ‘benefits of ijtiba'’ along with the ‘table displaying different meanings of ijtiba' are presented.