Al-Ijazah & Its Significance in the Deen

AL-IJAZAH AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE DEEN

Introduction

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, Praise be to Him, who made the chain of transmission (السند) a beautiful attribute of the Ummah, and made the Ijazah (إجازة) a priceless feature of Muhammad followers, and through both He preserved His book and the Sunnah of His noble Prophet ﷺ, He defended the Sharia from the confusion of liars, the slander of fabricators, and the innovations of innovators.

What is Ijazah?

Linguistically (ref 1), it implies the following:

•    To cross over or cover a distance, as used by Imru’ al-Qais in his Mu’allaqa (ref 2) :
فلما أجزنا ساحة الحي وانتحى # بنا بطن خبت ذي حقاف عقنقل

•    To Implement an order or permit it, as used in the hadith:(ref 3) -لا ‌أجيز ‌اليوم على نفسي شاهدا إلا مني Today I do not permit anyone to witness against myself except a witness from me. 
 (ref 4)"reward the delegation in the same way I used to reward them". 

In the terminology of the hadith scholars: it is defined as an authorization or license to narrate verbally or in writing (ref 5). It has many types and issues related to it. Ijazahs are granted in Hadith, Fiqh, Tafseer, and other fields, and are also granted for issuing fatwas and teaching.

As for the reciters: Al-Imam Al-Suyuti described it in Al-Itqan saying: “The Ijazah is like a testimony from the sheikh to the one who is licensed (ref 6).” It is, therefore, a testimony from the sheikh who is licensing to the student who is licensed that he has read the Quran to him with a specific narration in full by heart, i.e. from memory, with intonation, mastery, differentiation between ambiguous verses, and other things that qualify the student to recite.

Safwat Salem stated in his explanation of Al-Jazariyah that the Ijazah (license) in the Holy Quran represents the oral transmission of Quranic recitation from a teacher, who learned from their teacher, in a continuous line reaching back through generations. This chain ultimately connects to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), who received it from the angel Jibril, directly from The Almighty (ref 7).

Types of ijazah

1. Presentation and Listening: This is when the Sheikh reads, and the student listens, then the student reads, and the Sheikh listens.
2. Presentation: Here the student reads a complete Quran (Khatmah) to the Sheikh.
3. Listening: The Sheikh reads a complete Khatmah to the student without repeating after him.
4. Testing: A situation whereby the Sheikh tests his student in more than one place in the Quran and then approves him.
5. License for some portions of the Quran: The student reads some verses of the Holy Qur’an, and the Sheikh approves him based on them. This type includes what is called (license by rotation), which is done by the Sheikh forming a circle in the middle of his students, and then each student reads a part in turns.
6. Correspondence: This type of Ijazah depends on the Sheikh’s confidence in the student’s eligibility, as he did not teach him, nor did he hear a single letter from him, but he is confident in his eligibility for the license.

Note: the condition regarding the last three types is that the license is only achieved by someone who has read complete Khatmahs with one of his sheikhs before.

Components of Ijazah: It has four components as thus:

1.     المجيز The one who is licensing i.e. the sheikh
2.     المجاز له The one who is licensed i.e. the student
3.    المجاز به The matter licensed to
4.    لفظ الإجازة  The wording of the license.

Required Conditions for both the "Mujiz" (Sheikh) and the "Mujaz lahu" (student): Both must be Muslim, sane, adult, trustworthy, reliable, disciplined, and free from causes of immorality and lapses of chivalry.

However, the special conditions for the Mujiz include (ref 8):

• Sharia Knowledge: Must have sufficient knowledge of Sharia to improve their religious practice.
• Tajweed Expertise: Should be well-versed in both the science and application of Tajweed.
• Stopping and Starting Knowledge: Must be proficient in the rules of stopping (waqf) and starting (ibtidaa) during recitation.
• Mastery of Quranic Sciences: Should have a strong grasp of some of the sciences of the Qur’an.
• Recitation Integrity: Only recites what they have learned from trusted sources.
• Memorization: Should have memorized a text or book that helps them preserve their accurate recitation.
• Chains of Transmission: Must be familiar with the chains of transmission (isnad) of the reciters and their narrations.

Historical Quotes related to Ijazah

It is worth mentioning firstly, that the term "الإجازة القرآنية" “Quranic authorization” – and Allah knows best – appeared simultaneously with the beginning of the classification of Quranic readings in the third century AH. This could be backed up by what was mentioned in the biography of Muhammad bin Idris bin Mundhir, known as Abu Hatim al-Razi, who died in 275 AH, that Abu Bakr bin Mujahid, who died in 324 AH, narrated the reading from him with (Ijazah) authorization (ref 9). 

                                                                                                

Quotes from the Quran:

•The Almighty said: (Do not move your tongue with it to hasten it. Indeed, upon us is its collection and its recitation. So when we have recited it, then follow its recitation. Then indeed, upon us is its clarification. ref 10 ) The verse includes the etiquette of the student when receiving knowledge from the sheikh. 

•And the Almighty said: “He taught him, one of great strength (ref 11).” This is a recommendation from Allah, the Almighty, to Jibril, peace be upon him, and it indicates the necessity of receiving from the teacher. 

Prophetic Hadiths and the Athar of the Companions: 

•The two sheikhs narrated in their Sahihs on the authority of Ibn Masoud, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ, say: "Take the Qur’an from four: Abdullah bin Masoud, Salim, Muadh, and Ubayy bin Ka’b "(ref 12). This is a clear testimony and permission from the Prophet for these four. 

•Abu Bakr and Umar, May Allah be pleased with them, relied on Zayd bn Thabit in collecting the Qur’an because he witnessed the final presentation that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, presented to Gabriel (ref 13). 

Sayings of the scholars:  

•Sufyan al-Thawri: The chain of transmission is the weapon of the believer, so if he does not have a weapon, then with what does he fight (ref 14)?  

•Al-Imam Malik interpreted the verse (And indeed, it is a reminder for you and your people) Az-Zukhruf 44: It is the saying of a man: "My father told me on the authority of my grandfather…(ref 15) " 

•Imam Al-Shafi’i: The parable of the one who seeks hadith without a chain of transmission is like a woodcutter at night, carrying a bundle of firewood with a snake in it and he does not know (ref 15). 

•Abdullah bn Mubarak: The chain of transmission is part of my religion, and if it were not for the chain of transmission, anyone would say whatever he wanted, but if it is said to him, “Who told you?” he remains silent (ref 16). 

Conclusion