In iʿlām, a teacher tells the student that a particular hadith, book, or collection belongs to his own transmission. If he separately authorizes narration, permission clarifies the case. If he only provides information about attribution, the majority do not regard that statement alone as ijāzah.
Example: The teacher says, “This manuscript is among the reports I received from my teacher.” The student learns its provenance but has not necessarily been told, “Transmit it from me.” Equating those statements claims more authority than the evidence establishes.
To distinguish iʿlām from handover, writing, and discovery, ask: Was narration permitted, was the text directly delivered, or was only its attribution identified?