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Methods of narrating

Syed Fahīm al-Dīn

There are eight ways of narrating:

MethodRuling
1. Hearing the words of the teacher directly.Permissible according to all. 
2. Reading to the shaykh, either by oneself or others reading.
3. Ijāzah.[1]Permissible according to the majority.[2]
4. Munāwalah, where the shaykh hands over his book to the students, either to make him the owner, or temporarily, even if he reclaims it immediately. Permission to narrate is required according to the majority.[3]
5. Mukātabah, where the shaykh writes some aḥādīth to the student, or sends his book to the student. Permission to narrate is not required according to the majority. 
6. Wijādah, where the student finds writing in which the shaykh’s writing is recognised, such that he can say “I found the writing of so and so”.This is considered munqaṭi’ where there is no ittiṣāl found, and words such as حدثناand أخبرنا are not allowed to be used. Allowed if permission to narrate is given.
7. Waṣṣiyah, where the shaykh bequests at the time of his death or travel, to a specific person. Permission to narrate must be found according to the majority.  
8. I’lām, where the shaykh is informed by a student “I have permission to narrate the book of so and so”.

[1] Permission to narrate the ḥadīth 

[2] Not permitted according to Abū Ṭāhir al-Dabbās

[3] Ibn Ḥājar and others hold that permission to narrate is not required for munāwalah, similar to mukātabah.

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