Imam Bukhari's Astonishing Integrity as Narrated by Allama Ajluni

Allama Ajluni narrates a remarkable incident about Imam Bukhari's integrity. Once, during a river journey, Imam Bukhari had with him a thousand gold dinars (ashrafis). A fellow traveler, under the guise of affection and piety, gained his trust. Imam Bukhari informed him of the money in his possession. One day, that traveler woke up crying loudly, claiming that his one thousand ashrafis had gone missing. A search of all passengers was immediately ordered. Imam Bukhari, realizing that he had exactly the same amount and would inevitably be accused of theft — which was the schemer’s true intention — quietly threw the pouch of gold into the river. He too was searched, but no ashrafis were found, and eventually the schemer himself was rebuked by the other passengers. When the journey ended, the man asked Imam Bukhari what he had done with the money. Imam replied that he had thrown it into the sea. Shocked, the man asked how he could bear such a huge loss. Imam Bukhari responded, “The wealth of integrity that I have earned through a lifetime of dedication, and the reputation for trustworthiness that is known throughout the world — should I have risked losing all that just for the sake of this money? Should I have allowed even the slightest suspicion of theft to taint my name and trade my honesty for a handful of coins? That would never be acceptable for me.”