"This study provides the first extensive survey and analysis of Western debates over the authenticity of hadiths and early tafsir." "It argues that the differences between sceptical and more sanguine scholars result from their presuppositions, which then dictate their methods and conclusions. The comparison of the stylistic profile of Ibn Abbas' exegesis at various levels of transmission suggests that exegetical hadiths are no more reliable than any other genre of hadiths."--BOOK JACKET.