Imam Al-Bukhari: A Pillar of Hadith Scholarship in Islam
When we speak of the preservation of Islamic knowledge and the immense legacy left behind by our pious predecessors, few names shine as brightly as that of Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari (rahimahullah). His name is synonymous with Sahih al-Bukhari, a monumental collection of authentic Ahadith, regarded as the most authentic book after the Holy Qur’an. Let us take a moment to reflect on the life and contributions of this extraordinary individual whose work has shaped Islamic scholarship for centuries.
Books of Imam Bukhari rahimullah
Early Life and Passion for Knowledge
Imam al-Bukhari’s full name is Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismail Al-Bukhari. He was born in the year 194 AH (810 CE)on 13th Shawwal in Bukhara, present-day Uzbekistan. Even as a child, his intellect and passion for Islamic knowledge stood out. Orphaned at a young age, he was raised by his mother, a pious woman whose trust in Allah and unwavering support played a pivotal role in his upbringing. SubhanAllah, it is a reminder to us all of the profound impact that righteous mothers have on the ummah.
From a young age, Imam Bukhari displayed an exceptional memory and a deep love for Hadith. By the age of ten, he had already begun studying under the scholars of Bukhara, committing Hadith to memory with remarkable accuracy. His journey, however, was only beginning.
His mother, recognizing his potential, ensured that he received a strong foundation in Islamic education. He began his formal education at the kuttab (elementary school) in Bukhara, where he memorized the Qur’an by the age of 10. Alongside his studies of the Qur’an, he developed a keen interest in Hadith. This early exposure to Islamic sciences laid the groundwork for his future achievements.
Exceptional Memory and Early Achievements
Imam Al-Bukhari’s extraordinary memory became evident during his childhood. It is reported that he could memorize Hadith with all their details, including the names and biographies of narrators. By the time he was 10 years old, he had memorized several compilations of Hadith. By 16, he had completed the memorization of the works of prominent scholars such as Ibn Al-Mubarak and Waki.
When Imam Saheb was 11 years old, he was once at the lesson of Imaam Daakli and Imaam Daakhli narrated the following sanad: Sufyan from Abu Zubair from Ebrahim. Imaam Saheb said that this sanad is incorrect because Abu Zubair did not narrate from Ebrahim. When it was checked up, Imaam saheb was correct. (Hadyus Saari pg.478).
Hashid bin Ismail mentions that Imam Bukhari (R.A.) in his youth use to come to the Mashaaikh of Basra but he never used to write. After 16 days, we rebuked him for not writing down the notes (Ahadith). After a while he said: “You have rebuked me enough – bring your kitaabs.” Haashid says: “We brought our kitaabs and Imam Saheb mentioned each and every hadith with their sanads and also corrected our kitaabs and said: “You think I’m wasting my time!” (At that time there were over 15 000 Ahadith taken from those Mashaaikh of Basra) (Hadyus Saari pg.478).
Once Ishaaq bin Raah-weih mentioned that I know the 70 000 Ahadith mentioned in my book like I’m looking at them. When this was mentioned to Imam Bukhari (R.A.), he replied: “You are astonished at that, perhaps in this time and age, there are such people who know 200 000 Ahadith as mentioned in the kitaab (by this Imam Saheb was referring to himself) (Hadyus Saari pg.487).
Once when Imam Bukhari went to Baghdad, the muhadditheen got together and took 100 Ahadith and mixed up their sanads (chain of narrators) and matan (text). Thereafter 10 muhadditheen were appointed to present ten of these Ahadith each to him incorrectly. When each Hadith was presented, he replied each time with these words: “I don’t know this Hadith.” After all the Ahadith were presented to him, he mentioned each Hadith as it was narrated by those ten muhadditheen and then mentioned the correct version of each one (Hadyus Saari pg.486).
Abu Azhar (R.A.) says; “Once when Imam Bukhari (R.A.) came to Samarkand, 400 muhadditheen got together and mixed up the sanads of Iraq with Yemeni sanads and the sanads of the Haram with the Yemeni sanads in trying to make Imam Saheb commit a mistake, but not one mistake was taken out by anyone of the 400 muhadditheen.
Scholarly Pursuits and Travels
Al-Bukhari’s thirst for knowledge propelled him to travel extensively. He journeyed to renowned centers of Islamic learning, including Makkah, Madinah, Baghdad, Nishapur, the Levant, and Egypt. His travels enabled him to meet and learn from over 1,000 scholars, including Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Yahya ibn Ma’in, and Makki ibn Ibrahim.
During his travels, Al-Bukhari meticulously collected Hadith, verifying their authenticity with a rigorous methodology. He would cross-check narrations by examining the reliability of narrators, ensuring the unbroken chain of transmission. His journeys not only enriched his knowledge but also earned him the respect of scholars and students alike.
By the age of 17, Al-Bukhari began teaching Hadith. He distinguished himself through his exceptional memory and critical analysis of narrations. He claimed to have memorized 100,000 authentic Hadith and 200,000 weak Hadith, enabling him to discern between reliable and unreliable narrations.
Compilation of Sahih Al-Bukhari
Imam Al-Bukhari’s most celebrated work, “Sahih Al-Bukhari,” is a testament to his dedication to the preservation of the Sunnah. This compilation, formally titled “Al-Jami’ Al-Musnad As-Sahih Al-Mukhtasar min Umuri Rasulillah wa Sunanih wa Ayyamih,” contains over 7,000 Hadiths meticulously selected from approximately 600,000 narrations.
Sahih Al-Bukhari is organized into books and chapters, covering various aspects of Islamic life, from worship to ethics and governance. Scholars across generations have unanimously agreed on its authenticity, considering it the most reliable book in Islam after the Qur’an.
Motivating factors of compiling Bukhari Shareef,
There were many books written on hadith but there were mixtures of Sahih and Daeef ahadith. Imam Bukhari felt that there should be a compilation of only Sahih ahadith. Once while sitting in the gathering of Ishaaq ibn Raahwai he (Ishaq) expressed his wish that a book of Sahih ahadith be compiled, when he heard this, his feeling of compiling such a book was strengthened and this was later consolidated with a dream wherein he (Imam Bukhari) saw a dream that he was waving away flies from Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) with a fan. The dream was interpretated as Imam Bukhari will sift out the fabricated Ahadith form the authentic Ahadith.
The dominant purpose of compiling Bukhari Shareef from the motivating factors was to compile and gather only Sahih ahadith. Apart from that, Imam Bukhari designed and brightened his book with other aspects as well, for eg., he would deduce fiqhi aspects from the hadith, he would express the authenticity of the hadith by presenting another sanad (chain of narrators). He also explains the meaning of many ahadith etc. It is due to the above factors that the hadith in Bukhari Shareef are not in a subject or topic sequence. However, Imam Muslim has arranged and compiled his book according to a topic sequence.
Specialities of Bukhari Shareef
1. It is the first book compiled only on sahih ahadith.
2. It took the author 16 years to compile his book. The tarajims (topics) were prepared at the rowda mubarak.
3. Abu Zaid Mirwazi Shafi, who was a very fond shafi was sleeping in the mataaf area when he made ziyarat of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi waallam) who asked him, why do you not make research and read my book. Abu Zaid asked: “Oh prophet of Allah which is your book?” Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) replied the book of Muhammad ibn Ismail ie. Bukhari Shareef.
5. There are 22 Sulusiyyaats in Bukhari Shareef. However Darami has more sulusiyyaats than Bukhari Shareef.
Teachers of Imam Bukhari and his students
Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari studied under numerous scholars and, in turn, taught many who became prominent figures in Islamic scholarship. Below is a list of some of his notable teachers and students:
Teachers of Imam Bukhari:
- Ali ibn al-Madini: A leading authority in Hadith sciences, he had a profound influence on Imam Bukhari’s methodology.
- Ishaq ibn Rahwayh: A distinguished scholar who encouraged Imam Bukhari to compile a concise and authentic collection of Hadith.
- Ahmad ibn Hanbal: Renowned jurist and theologian, founder of the Hanbali school of thought.
- Yahya ibn Ma’in: An eminent Hadith critic known for his expertise in evaluating narrators.
- Abu Hafs al-Kabir: One of Imam Bukhari’s early teachers in Bukhara.
- Makki ibn Ibrahim: A significant figure from whom Imam Bukhari narrated Hadith.
- Abu Asim al-Nabil: Another prominent scholar in the field of Hadith.
- Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Firabri: Not only a student but also a transmitter of Sahih al-Bukhari.
- Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Musnadi: One of his early teachers in Bukhara.
- Muhammad ibn Salam al-Baykandi: Another early teacher from his hometown.
Students of Imam Bukhari:
90 000 people have heard the Bukhari Shareef directly from Imam Bukhari (Hadyus Saari pg.491).
- Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (Imam Muslim): Compiler of Sahih Muslim, regarded as the second most authentic Hadith collection after Sahih al-Bukhari.
- Abu Isa Muhammad al-Tirmidhi (Imam al-Tirmidhi): Compiler of Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, one of the six major Hadith collections.
- Abu Abd-ur-Rahman Ahmad ibn Shu’aib al-Nasa’i (Imam al-Nasa’i): Compiler of Sunan al-Nasa’i, another of the six major Hadith collections.
- Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah: A prominent Hadith scholar and author of several works.
- Abu Hatim al-Razi: A notable Hadith scholar and critic.
- Abu Zur’a al-Razi: Renowned for his expertise in Hadith and its narrators.
- Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazi: A distinguished scholar in Hadith and Fiqh.
- Abu Bakr al-Isma’ili: Known for his contributions to Hadith literature.
- Ibn Abi Hatim al-Razi: A significant figure in the field of Hadith criticism.
- Abu Ahmad al-Hakim: A respected scholar who transmitted Hadiths from Imam Bukhari.
Contributions to Islamic Knowledge
In addition to Sahih Al-Bukhari, Imam Al-Bukhari authored several other influential works, demonstrating his expertise in diverse areas of Islamic knowledge. These include:
- Al-Adab Al-Mufrad: A compilation of Hadith on ethics, manners, and social conduct.
- At-Tarikh Al-Kabir: A biographical dictionary of Hadith narrators.
- Khalq Af’al Al-‘Ibad: A theological treatise on divine attributes.
- Raf’ Al-Yadain fi As-Salah: A book addressing the practice of raising hands during prayer.
- kitab Al-Kuna: A work discussing the nicknames and titles of narrators.
These writings reflect his comprehensive approach to Islamic scholarship, blending meticulous research with a deep understanding of Islamic principles.
Sacrifices
Imam Bukhari (rahmatullahi alaih) invested his money of inheritance from his fathers estate and he should receive 500 dirhams monthly. All this used to be spent in attaining knowledge.
When he went to Aadam ibn Abi Ayas there was a delay in receiving money – he ate grass, after 3 days somebody gave a bag of coins.
He got sick, his container of food was shown to doctors, they said this is like the Raahibs. Imam Bukhaari did not eat curry for 40 years. When people insisted, he accepted to have bread and sugar as curry.
Piety and Character
Imam Bukhari said: “From the time I knew backbiting is haraam I never spoke ill about anyone.”
The need once arose for Imam bukhari (R.A.) to travel by sea. He had with him 1000 ashrafis (gold coins). While on the ship, he met a person who became very close to Imam Saheb. One day (whhile on the ship) that person began shouting, when asked the reason for the shouting he mentioned that he had a thousand Ashrafis that were missing. While every passenger on the ship was being searched, Imam Bukhari (R.A.) threw his 1000 Ashrafis into the sea.
After all the passengers on board were searched and the money not found, the people began rebuking that person. When the journey ended that person came to Imam Bukhari (R.A.) and enquired as to what he had done with the money. Imam Bukhari (R.A.) replied that he had thrown it into the sea. That person asked why he had borne such a huge loss. He replied: “Are you not aware that my entire life has been devoted to the Ahadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and my authenticity is very renowned. I was not prepared to loose what I had earned my entire life because of a few gold coins.” (Zafrul Muhassileen – pg.103)
Whilst practising archery, the arrow hit a bridge and damaged it. He asked the owner for forgiveness and offered to repair it.
Abu Hafs Kabir sent goods to him which he promised to sell to somebody at a certain price. Others offered a higher price. He refused.
Imam Bukhari (R.A.) mentioned: “I did not write any Hadith in this book before taking a bath and performing 2 rakaats and I deduced this kitaab from 600 000 Ahadith in 16 years.
Praise from Scholars
Imam Al-Bukhari was held in the highest regard by his contemporaries and later scholars. Ibn Khuzaymah stated, “Underneath the sky, I have not seen anyone more knowledgeable in Hadith than Muhammad ibn Isma`il.” Raja’ Al-Hafiz described him as “one of Allah’s signs walking on the Earth.” An-Najm ibn Al-Fudayl dreamt of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) walking, with Al-Bukhari following closely in his footsteps.
These praises reflect the profound impact of Al-Bukhari’s scholarship on Islamic thought and practice.
Final Days and Legacy
Imam Bukhari very frequently became a victim of differences and disputes and he breathed his last in that condition. He was expelled from Bukhara 4 times.
1st – When he issued a ruling that foster relationships are effective even by drinking goat and sheep milk. This was in his early days. There is speculation whether this incident is true or not.
2nd – Many Ulama of Bukhara held the opinion that Iman is not makhlook, because of that those Ulama had to leave Bukhara. Imam Bukhari was also amongst them.
3rd – After his experience with Imam Zuhli in Nishapur, Zuhli wrote to the Ameer of Bukhara complaining about Imaam Bukhari which resulted in his expulsion.
Concerning the dispute with Imam Zuhli in Nishapur – When Imam Bukhari came to Nishapur he was very warmly welcomed and Imam zuhli, who was also the Ustaad of Imam Bukhari, encouraged the people to benefit and listen to ahadith from Imam Bukhari. Once someody asked the question whether Qalamullah is makhlook or not.
Imam tried to evade the question but upon insisting he answered that Qalamullah is not makhlook but our reciting the kalamullah is maqluk. People did not fully understand this and made an issue that Imam Bukhari says that “lafzi bilquran maklook.” Imam Zuhli said, He (Imam Bukhari) is a bid’ati and no one should go to him. People left Imam Bukhari (R.A.) except Imam Muslim and Ahmad ibn Salama. Zuhli did not allow any person who subscribe to Imam Bukhari’s view or associated with him to sit in his lesson.
Imam Muslim and Ahmad ibn Salama chose to be with Imam Bukhari. A few days later Imam Bukhari left Nishapur and went to Bukhara and was expelled from there. This was the third time he was expelled from Bukhara. There is some speculation that when Imam Bukhari began having discourses in Nishapur, Zuhli’s discourses were not largely attended hence Zuhli initiated Imam Bukhari’s removal from Bukhara. And Allah Ta’ala knows best
4th – Imam Bukhari was called to Bukhara and he received a very large reception. Ameer of Bukhara, Khalid Zuhli asked him to come to his place and teach his children Bukhari Shareef. Imam Bukhari refused and Khalid then used people to make objections on Imam Bukhari’s beliefs and thus he was finally expelled from Bukhara. Imam Bukhari cursed Khalid and within a month Khalid was dismissed and imprisoned.
After Imam Bukhari was removed for the fourth time by Khalid. He went to Khatang (today Khaja Abad) by his relatives. Abdul Quddus (R.A.) says that I heard Imam Bukhari making dua in tahajjud: “O Allah, the earth has become narrow for me despite its spaciousness, therefore call me to you.”
Gaalib ibn Jibraeel says – I was in Khartang when people of Samarqand sent a messenger to propose and invite Imam Bukhari to Samarqand. Imam Bukhari got ready to go and after walking about 20 steps he felt weak and lied down and breathed his last. This was on the night of Eid – 256 A.H.
After his death, musk scent emitted from his grave. His opponents came to the grave to make tawba. Upon his death, 2 persons saw a dream in which he made ziyarah of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and the Sahaba (radhiallahu anhum) and they were waiting for somebody. Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said that they are waiting for Imam Bukhari.
Imam Al -Bukhari ]passed away on 1 Shawwal, 256 AH (870 CE) in the village of Khartank near Samarkand at the age of 62. His death marked the end of an era, but his legacy continues to inspire generations of Muslims.
The Imam Bukhari Mausoleum in Hartang, Uzbekistan, remains a site of reverence for Muslims worldwide. His works, particularly Sahih Al-Bukhari, continue to guide Islamic scholarship and serve as a beacon of authenticity and devotion.
The Imam Bukhari Mausoleum in Hartang, Uzbekistan-location)
Lessons from Imam Bukhari’s Life
Imam Bukhari’s life teaches us several profound lessons:
- Sincerity in Seeking Knowledge: His work was purely for the sake of Allah, devoid of any desire for fame or worldly gain. This sincerity ensured the widespread acceptance of his efforts.
- Commitment to Excellence: The precision and rigor with which he approached his work are a testament to the Islamic principle of ihsan (excellence).
- Reliance on Allah: Despite facing trials, including exile and slander, Imam Bukhari remained steadfast and placed his trust in Allah. His patience and reliance on Allah are a source of inspiration for us all.
A Legacy That Lives On
Imam Bukhari passed away in the year 256 AH (870 CE) but his legacy continues to illuminate the path of countless Muslims. His life and work remind us of the immense responsibility that comes with preserving and transmitting Islamic knowledge. As we study Sahih al-Bukhari and the treasure trove of Ahadith it contains, let us remember the extraordinary individual behind it and strive to emulate his dedication and sincerity in our own lives.
May Allah grant Imam Bukhari the highest ranks in Jannah and enable us to benefit from his works. Ameen.
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