ABSTRACT
The ijāza is the certificate of reading or hearing which is sometimes written on manuscripts, usually near the colophon or on the title page. It confers upon the recipient the right to transmit a text, or to teach, or to issue legal opinions. It also bears witness to attendance at a reading session. The ijāzat al-sadrīs, the licence to teach, and the ijāzat al-sama’ the certificate of attendance at a reading session and hence the licence to transmit the text read, should not be confused. Our attention here will be focused on the ijāzat al-sama’ the protocols of reading sessions which were often added to a text, as these in particular provide us with ample information on the human element in the transmission of texts.
