Is it valid to issue an ijazah (permission to transmit) for al-ahadith al-musalsalah (hadith chains with specific characteristics) with a continuous sanad (chain of transmission) back to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, after a single sitting for hearing the hadith? And do we still need a continuous sanad at this time?

The purpose of ijazat (licenses/authorizations) in our time is not to prove the authenticity or weakness of a chain of transmission (sanad), but rather to hear and transmit hadith, to preserve the unique characteristic of this Ummah regarding isnad (chains of transmission), and to attain the honor of narrating and being connected to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Ibn Jama'ah and Sheikh Dr. Dhiyab Al-Ghamdi have clarified that these ijazat affirm the methodology of the Salaf in preserving the continuity of the isnad and affiliation with its narrators. They also maintain isnad as an ongoing Sunnah across generations, especially after the collections of Sunnah have relieved us of the burden of authentication and weakening. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that seeking ijazah today is not part of Islam or the methodology of the Salaf.