Biography:
Imam Bukhari
Imam Bukhari was a Mujtahid
Allama Abdul Rashid Numani (Hanafi):
Maulana Muhammad Abdul Rashid Numani Hanafi on Imam Bukhari’s Ijtihad
Maulana Muhammad Abdul Rashid Numani Hanafi writes: «قال سليمان بن إبراهيم العلوي: البخاري إمام مجتهد برأسه كأبي حنيفة والشافعي ومالك و أحمد .» [ما تمس إليه الحاجة 26]
"Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) was a top-ranking Mujtahid in his own right, just like the four Imams — Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi’i, Imam Malik, and Imam Ahmad."
