Muḥammad Zubayr Ṣiddīqī, Ḥadīth Literature: Its Origin, Development, Special Features and Criticism (Calcutta: Calcutta University Press, 1961).“Reliable and clear survey by an Indian scholar. A mine of quickly accessible details, but somewhat difficult to obtain.”—R. Marston Speight, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World, ii, 87  “At the end, I may add that there is enough material available for the compilation of a standard collection of completely authentic traditions out of the already generally accepted compilations of them, after examining each tradition contained in them, according to the principles already laid down by the Muslim traditionists, as well as according to those which may be prescribed by the modern literary critics. It is, of course, a tremendous task; but, certainly, it can be achieved with the combined efforts of such Muslims scholars and modern Orientalists as may be interested in the subject.” [pages 203–4]The book was later edited by Abdal Hakim Murad (Timothy J. Winter) and published under the title Ḥadīth Literature: Its Origin, Development and Special Features by Islamic Texts Society. The edition by Islamic Texts Society no longer reflects the original work of the author, since many significant changes have been made to the text and the concluding paragraph by the author at the end has been left out of the book also.

Hadith Literature: Its Origin, Development, Special Features and Criticism (Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi) (1961) [original] PDF

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