This work explores the earliest extant discussions on the authority of the Hadith in Islam and compares them with contemporary debates. These lively and often polemical debates are mostly popular discussions in which Muslims from different backgrounds and cultures participate - making this topic relevant to Muslims in their daily lives, as well as a question of academic interest. What makes this book unique is that it is the first study to take into account both the earliest and most recent discussions of the oral tradition of the prophet Muhammad. The book also includes the first Western language translation of al-Shafi'i's Kitab Jima' al-'Ilm, which articulates arguments that were critical in establishing the position of the Hadith in mainstream Islam.

Aisha Y. Musa is an assistant professor of Religion and Middle Eastern Studies and Islamic Civilization.

The Issue of Authority and Its On-Going Importance The Early Controversies: Sources and Issues Umar ibn al-Khattab and the Question of Hadith The Prophet's Reported Prohibition Al-Shafii and Ibn Qutayba: Prophetic Reports as Revelation Ibn Qutayba and the Hadith Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi's Taqyid al-Ilm Karaite Parallels The Question of Authority in the Modern Period The Current Controversies: Sources and Issues A Translation of Kitab Jima al-ilm The Book of the Amalgamation of Knowledge List of Qur'anic Verses