What Is an Ijazah in Quran? A Plain-English Explanation

An Ijazah in Quran is an authorisation given by a qualified teacher to a student who has recited the entire Quran to them correctly, stating that the student may recite and teach it as they received it. It comes with a sanad, the chain of teachers through whom that recitation was passed down, reaching back to the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. It is a personal attestation from teacher to student, built on listening, and not an ordinary course certificate.

Ijazah and sanad in simple terms

The Arabic word ijazah means permission or licence. In Quran studies it means that a teacher who is themselves authorised has listened to you recite the whole Quran, from Al-Fatiha to An-Nas, has corrected you until your recitation met the required standard, and now permits you to pass it on.

The word sanad means support, and refers to the chain of transmission. Your teacher recited to their teacher, who recited to theirs, generation after generation. A connected sanad is one with no gap: each person in it actually recited to the one before. This is how the sound of the Quran, and not only its written text, has been preserved: by one person reciting aloud in front of another who knows it.

An Ijazah document normally names the student, the teacher, what was recited and in which narration, and sets out the teacher’s chain.

Ijazah in recitation and Ijazah in memorisation

Two main kinds are commonly distinguished, and it is worth knowing which one a programme offers.

	Ijazah in recitation	Ijazah in memorisation
How you recite	Looking at the mushaf	From memory
What is attested	That you read the whole Quran with correct Tajweed	That you have memorised the whole Quran and recite it with correct Tajweed
Who it suits	Strong reciters who have not memorised the whole Quran	Those who have completed Hifz and keep it well revised
Main preparation	Fluent, accurate reading and sound knowledge of Tajweed	All of that, plus firm memorisation

In both cases the complete Quran is recited to the teacher. Teachers differ in the details of what they require, so ask at the start exactly what your Ijazah would state. Some teachers also grant Ijazah in classical Tajweed texts, which is a separate matter from the Quran itself.

Why most students begin with Hafs from Asim

The Quran has been transmitted through several authentic modes of recitation, known as the qira’at. Each is named after a leading reciter of the early generations, and each has well-known narrators who transmitted from him. Hafs ‘an ‘Asim means the narration of Hafs from his teacher ‘Asim of Kufa.

This narration is the one most widely recited across the Muslim world today, and the one in which most printed copies of the mushaf are prepared. It is therefore the narration most students have heard and read all their lives, and the natural first Ijazah. Other narrations, such as Warsh from Nafi’, are the norm in parts of North and West Africa. Students who wish to go further can study additional narrations later, each with its own Ijazah.

Who an Ijazah is for

• People who intend to teach the Quran and want to be sure that what they pass on is what they received.
• Those who have completed Hifz and wish to have their memorisation and recitation verified from beginning to end.
• Committed adult learners who want their recitation checked to the highest standard, whether or not they plan to teach.
• Imams and those who lead prayers in their communities.

An Ijazah is not a starting point. Someone still learning to read, or beginning Tajweed, has valuable work to do first, and there is no need to hurry. It is also worth saying what an Ijazah is not: it does not make the holder a scholar of Islamic law or tafsir. It attests to recitation.

What preparation is needed

Before beginning the full recitation for Ijazah, a student should be able to tick most of the following.

1. Fluent reading of any page of the mushaf, without hesitation.
2. Correct articulation of every letter, with its point of articulation and its characteristics, heavy and light.
3. Consistent application of the rules: noon sakinah and tanwin, meem sakinah, the kinds of madd and their lengths, qalqalah, and the rules of ra and lam.
4. Knowledge of stopping and starting, so that pauses do not distort the meaning.
5. Theory to match the practice. Students usually study a recognised Tajweed text; Tuhfat al-Atfal and the Jazariyyah are the best-known classical poems used for this purpose.
6. For Ijazah in memorisation: the whole Quran memorised and under regular review.
7. Stamina and regularity. Reciting the whole Quran to a teacher, with corrections, takes many sessions.

If some of these are not yet in place, a period on a dedicated Tajweed track is the usual bridge.

What the process looks like

Although teachers vary, the path generally runs as follows. The teacher first listens to a sample of your recitation and tells you frankly whether you are ready or what to correct first. Once you begin, you recite a set portion in each session, in order, from the start of the Quran. The teacher stops you at every error, however small, and may ask you to repeat a passage or explain the rule involved. Portions with repeated mistakes are recited again. When you have completed the whole Quran to the teacher’s satisfaction, the Ijazah is granted with its sanad.

How long this takes depends on your level at the outset, the length of each session, how many sessions you have each week and how much correction is needed. A responsible teacher will not promise a completion date before hearing you, and will not shorten the recitation.

Questions to ask before you enrol

• Does the teacher hold an Ijazah with a connected sanad in the narration you want?
• Will you recite the entire Quran, live, to that teacher?
• Is the Ijazah in recitation or in memorisation?
• Is there an honest assessment before you start?
• For women, is a qualified female teacher available?

At Noor Elbayan Academy, the Ijazah track is taught live and one-to-one by certified Azhari teachers with more than ten years’ experience who hold Ijazah with a connected sanad, and the academy grants Ijazah to students who complete it. Female teachers teach women and girls, and guidance can be given in Arabic, English or French.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to memorise the whole Quran to receive an Ijazah?

Not for an Ijazah in recitation, where you read from the mushaf. An Ijazah in memorisation does require complete, well-revised Hifz.

Can an Ijazah be earned online?

The essential requirement is that you recite live to the teacher, who hears and corrects you. A live one-to-one video lesson allows this; a recorded course does not.

How long does it take?

It varies widely from student to student. Your teacher can give a realistic estimate only after assessing your recitation.

Is an Ijazah the same as a university degree?

No. It is a traditional authorisation from a teacher within a chain of transmission, specific to the Quran in a given narration.

Can non-Arabic speakers obtain one?

Yes. What is assessed is the accuracy of your recitation, not your mother tongue.

Wondering whether you are ready? Book a free trial lesson and an Ijazah-holding teacher will listen to your recitation and advise you on the next step.