BOOK REVIEW: Authentication of Hadith: Redefining the Criteria

The book critically examines the thorny issue of Hadith authentication and scrutinizes, by dint of critical scholarship, the standard adopted by the major compilers of hadith for judging the validity of traditions. The author unearths an authoritative blend of facts, theory, and critical enquiry with an engaging insight. The eight-chapter book opens with an introduction that explores the relevance of hadith in Islam, assesses the present Muslims‟ approach to hadith, among others, and delves into the issue of the authentication of hadith texts. He looks at the criteria used by Muslim scholars to validate traditions and examines them in the light of the extent to which these criteria established the accuracy of the texts.