Of the two types of a Shaykh presenting his transmissions to a student [al-Munāwalah], the one combined with ‘Ijāzah [authorization] is the highest form of ‘Ijāzah without exception. The ‘Ijāzah differs from al-Munāwalah in that the latter requires a verbal connection between the one granting ‘Ijāzah and the one receiving it as well as requiring his presence while the ‘Ijāzah does not require this.
And ‘Ibn aṣ-Ṣalāḥ inclined towards considering al-Munāwalah as a specific route from among those by which Hadith are conveyed and received, not a type of ‘Ijāzah.
‘Ibn aṣ-Ṣalāḥ held that a Shaykh presenting a written record of his transmissions to a student [al-Munāwalah] has two types:
1) Al-Munāwalah combined with an ‘Ijāzah
Among its examples is when a Shaykh presents to a student the source text of the traditions he has heard; or an original copy equivalent to [the source text]- and the Shaykh says: “This is what I’ve heard” or “This is my transmission from so-and-so, transmit it from me” or “I grant you authorization to transmit it from me”. Then, the Shaykh grants him ownership of [the source text or copy]. Also, he can say: “Take it, transcribe it and make it an exact one; then, give it back to me” or something similar to that. Another example is that a student goes to a Shaykh with a book, or a portion of the Shaykh’s narrations; and the student shows the book to him. Then, the Shaykh, who is knowledgeable and cautious, carefully examines the book and returns it to the student and says: “I recognize what is in it and they are my narrations from so-and-so” or “…my transmission from my Shaykh is in it. So, transmit it from me” or “I grant you authorization to transmit it from me”.
2) Al-Munāwalah without an ‘Ijāzah
This type of authorization takes place when the Shaykh hands over a book to his student and says: “This is from my narrations” or “…from what I’ve heard”; and the Shaykh does not say: “Transmit it from me” nor “I grant you authorization to transmit it from me”.
Translated from the book The Knowledge-Based ‘Ijāzah Among Muslims by Abd Allah al-Fayyāḍ, page 34
