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.

"This book treats the debate among Muslims over the authority of hadith, which by the ninth century had been raised to the level of scripture. The author's main purpose is to show that modern Muslim thinkers who question its status as a source of law are not the first ones to do so and thus cannot be dismissed as inauthentic aberrations or the results of a western, colonialist plot to undermine Islam . . . Hadith as Scripture provides an intriguing introduction to these debates." - Devin J. Stewart, The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences

"The name of this little book is in itself a lesson. Quite early in Islamic history, the hadith, which had originally been used to fill gaps in the Muslim narrative, came to be seen as an element of Muslim faith. Many of today's Muslims view the hadith almost as sacrosanct and thus grant it the treatment of revealed scripture. This book, written in language suitable for the interested layperson or the academic ought to be a must-read for any person wanting to know more about or specialize in Islam." - Khaleel Mohammed, San Diego State University, USA

"The twin claims of Musa's historical argument are unimpeachable: the acceptance of hadith as a second source of scripture alongside the Qur'an was not a foregone conclusion and Shafi'i's role in making it so was significant" - Kecia Ali, Imam Shafi'i Scholar and Saint

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

Inhalt
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