Hadith Literature: Its Origin, Development & Special Features (Islamic Texts Society) (Paperback)

by Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"'A well-informed and commendable thesis . . . a valuable contribution to Hadith scholarship." -- Islamic Culture

"An excellent introduction to the subject, presenting it with considerable detail." -- The Muslim World

"Professor Siddiqi is to be congratulated on this richly documented and highly readable book." -- Journal of the American Oriental Society

Product Description
The hadith, the sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, form a sacred literature which for the Muslims ranks second in importance only to the Qur'an itself. As a source of law, ethics and doctrine, the vast corpus of hadith continue to exercise decisive influence. Islamic scholarship has hence devoted immense efforts to gathering and classifying the hadith, and ensuring their authenticity. This book is the only introduction in English which presents all the aspects of the subject. It explains the origin of the literature, the evolution of the isnad system, the troubled relationship between scholars and the state, the problem of falsification, and the gradual development of a systematic approach to the material. This edition is a fully revised and updated version of the original, which was first published in 1961 to considerable scholarly acclaim. Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi was Professor of Islamic Culture in the University of Calcutta.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Islamic Texts Society; Revised edition (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0946621381
• ISBN-13: 978-0946621385
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #975,826 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book!, July 9, 2005

By	Bay Rich (California) - See all my reviews

This is my favorite book on the science of hadith, and is a great companion to books by Mustafa Azami. Edited by T.J. Winter, it even includes an appendix on women scholars. Sure it doesn't cover Shia matters, but they a small minority sect outside the centers of the faith. In any case, there's hardly anything in English that covers matter in more depth from a Muslim perspective.

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Story of Hadith, May 16, 2001

By	Muzaffer Muctehitzade "hacibey" (Boston, Ma USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book is mainly about the development of Hadith. Author also tries to prove that the science of Hadith has started before or at least with the Islam and not like some Orientalists think after 2-300 years of Islam. Author explains the classifications of the Hadiths, Isnads and Hadith writers, their life, how they were teaching and spreading. A lot of references are given to each claim so I suppose the descriptions given are real and not fantasy. Each major Hadith writer is briefly described with littel autobiography. Overall it is more like Historical text rather than techinal or philosophical explanations. There is no mention of hadits from Shia sources so it is stricly Sunni origin. Shia sources are as though non-existent so from this perspectiv I did not find it very objective. There is a nice Appendix at the end as a response to Goldziher or Schacht or people in their opinion.