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done the readers a great service by providing the Arabic script whilst comparing different versions of a hadith, as it is a daunting task to follow slight orthographical changes whilst reading the transliteration. The author of chapter 7 has a wonderful introduction to historiography in general in the introduction to his article. For this reviewer, the most original and interesting contribution in this book is chapter 2. Over the years, G.H.A. Juynboll had developed, expanded and polished Schachts common-link theory to the extent that, for him, it has become the only worthy methodology (Usul al-Hadith) for studying Hadith. Juynboll used this methodology to study the six canonical Hadith collections. However elaborate the theory is, in this chapter, Motzki proves that it nevertheless suffers from many methodological and epistemological flaws. This is the most rigorous critique of Juynbolls common-link theory and a must read for the serious students of Hadith. Motzki shows that in order for the common-link theory to work, every strand of the chain of narrators for a particular hadith text needs to be scrutinised. Without doing so, the common-link theory will not yield accurate results. He proves that Juynbolls over reliance on the chains of narrators found in al-Mizzis (d. 742/1341) Tuhfat al-Ashraf (which is only restricted to collecting the chains of narrators found in the six canonical collections and a few other books) is what led Juynboll to making erroneous conclusions such as denying the historical existence of Nafi[, the client of Ibn [Umar (d. 117/735). In the absence of any early writings, the orientalists try to make an objective and honest attempt to understand what really happened in the early period of Islam. However, the problem that Muslims have with the orientalists in general is that some of them hold on to their methods religiously even when their approach has been proven to be wrong. Motzki has obviated all of Juynbolls arguments and yet Juynboll makes no attempt to modify his theory as can be seen in his latest work The Encyclopaedia of Canonical Collections. Motzkis works are highly valued amongst Muslim circles as it comes close to the findings of their own scholarship. However, accepting or rejecting Motzkis thesis will depend on how much reliance one is willing to place on the chain of narrators. At a cost of 149.15 the book under review is not an average coffee table book nor is it an easy read. However, if one can patiently wade through the welter of names and dates, the results are rewarding. Finally, few orthographical mistakes do not detract from the excellent scholarship displayed in the book: Annahu sami[ituhu yaqul (p.3) should read annahu sami[ahu yaqul; first quarter second century (p.10) should read first quarter of the second century, any of theses types (p.23) should be these types. Cardiff University, Wales M. Mansur Ali