Sahib Izaah al-Bukhari Deobandi

Sahib Izaah al-Bukhari Deobandi writes: “The truth is that merely learning or acquiring knowledge from a Shafi‘i or Hanbali scholar does not justify labeling someone as Shafi‘i or Hanbali. A deep study of Imam Bukhari’s chapter headings reveals that he was a mujtahid. Just as he disagreed with the Hanafis, his disagreements with the Shafi‘is are also not few. However, it is true that his tone against the Hanafis is harsher, and in well-known issues, his views align with those of the Shafi‘is... Considering his ijtihad and deep insight in chapter headings, he cannot be said to be bound by any particular school of jurisprudence.” [Izaah al-Bukhari, Volume 1, p. 30]