Andrew Rippin, University of Victoria, Canada Claude Gilliot, Harris Birkeland, Norman Calder, Andrew Rippin, Issa J. Boullata, Edmund Beck, Ramzi Baalbaki, Manfred Gotz, Lothar Kopf, John Wansbrough, Ella Almagor, Leah Kinberg, Jan Pauliny, Wadad al-Qadi, John Burton.

'...an ideal introduction for degree level study of the Qur’an in the first three hundred years of Islam.' Centre for Islamic Studies Newsletter, 'This book should be read by all students of Qur'anic exegesis for all the valuable information it contains, the sources it open up, and the selected scholarship it offers on problems of continuing interest in the field...' Digest of Middle East Studies 'The volume's main strength rests upon it furnishing a broad overview of academic perspectives and approaches to the formative tradition of exegesis, particularly those which are current and predominant. Comprising many fascinating and thought-provoking contributions, the volume draws attention to the theoretical debates which have prefigured approaches to exegesis, focusing upon the issues of the emergence of canon, together with perceptions of authenticity, historicity and ascription.' Journal of Qur'anic Studies

• Contents: Introduction; The beginnings of the Qur’anic exegesis, Claude Gilliot; The early development of Tafsir, Nabia Abbott; Old Muslim opposition against interpretation of the Qur’an, Harris Birkeland; From Midrash to scripture: the sacrifice of Abraham in early Islamic tradition, Norman Calder; Ibn ’Abbas’s Al-lughar fi’l-Qur’an, Andrew Rippin; Ibn ’Abbas’s Gharib al-Qur’an, Andrew Rippin; Poetry citation as interpretive illustration in Qur’an exegesis: Masa’il Nafi’ ibn al-Azraq, Issa J. Boullata; The dogmatic religious stance of the grammarian Yahya ibn Ziyad al-Farra, Edmund Beck; The treatment of qira’at by the second and third century grammarians, Ramzi Baalbaki; Maturidi and his Kitab Ta’wilat al-Qur’an, Manfred Götz; Religious influences on medieval Arabic philology, Lothar Kopf; Majaz al-qur’an: periphrastic exegesis, John Wansbrough; The early meaning of majaz and the nature of Abu ’Ubayda’s exegesis, Ella Almagor; Muhkamat and mutashabihat (Koran 3/7): implications of a Koranic pair of terms in medieval exegesis, Leah Kinberg; Some remarks on the Qisas al-Anbiya’ works in Arabic literature, Ján Pauliny; The term ’Khalifa’ in early exegetical literature, Wadad al-Qadi; Those are the high-flying cranes, John Burton; Index.