Biography: Imam Bukhari
Imam Bukhari was a Mujtahid
Noor al-Haq (Hanafi):

Statement by Noor al-Haq Hanafi:

“In his time, he had no equal in memorizing hadith, its precision, understanding the meanings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, sharp intellect, excellent memory, abundant fiqh, complete asceticism, utmost piety, extensive knowledge of hadith chains and their defects, depth of insight, and the strength of ijtihad — as well as deriving branches from foundational principles.”