# Ijazah and sanad explained

- Link: https://elquranonline.com/en/ijazah-sanad/
- Published: 2026-10-10T01:40:53+03:00
- Author: Ismail

## What is the difference between an ijazah and a certificate?

A certificate shows you completed a course. An ijazah is permission from a qualified
sheikh that you recited the whole Quran to them with mastery, so you now hold a 
connected chain of transmission (sanad) and may teach and pass it on.

## How is an ijazah granted at the academy?

 1. **Level test:** We check your recitation and Tajweed are strong enough to begin.
 2. **A full khatmah:** You recite the whole Quran to the sheikh or sheikha, from memory
    or from the Mushaf depending on the ijazah type.
 3. **Final test:** A test on selected passages and rules.
 4. **The ijazah:** The sheikh writes your ijazah with the full sanad and hands it 
    to you.

## How do I check a sheikh’s sanad?

 * **Ask for a copy of the ijazah**A real teacher with ijazah will show it to you.
 * **Read the name of the granting sheikh**Then check that the names in the chain
   connect from one teacher to the next.
 * **Check the riwayah and route**For example, “Hafs ʿan ʿAsim via ash-Shatibiyyah”.
   The ijazah you receive will be in the same riwayah.
 * **Ask how many students they have granted**Experienced sheikhs can tell you, 
   and some list their students.

## Which riwayat do you grant ijazah in?

Hafs ʿan ʿAsim, Warsh and Qalun ʿan Nafiʿ, Shuʿbah ʿan ʿAsim and the other riwayat,
and the Ten Qiraʾat (minor and major), each with a sanad connected to the Prophet
ﷺ. [Our teachers’ specialties](https://elquranonline.com/en/teachers/)

## Can I learn this with a teacher?

Yes. A written guide explains the rule with examples, but correct recitation is 
learned by reading to a teacher with ijazah who hears you and corrects you in the
same class. The first class is a free trial, and packages then start at $25 a month
for two classes a week. [Book the free class](https://elquranonline.com/en/book-trial/)·
[All courses](https://elquranonline.com/en/courses/)