Author: Hazrat Mawlana Mufti Muhammad Abdat al-Falah (Hafizahullah)
Hazrat Mawlana Mufti Muhammad Abdat al-Falah is a well-known personality in scholarly circles and needs no introduction. He is among the distinguished scholars. For nearly half a century, he honored several major Islamic institutions and madaris in Pakistan with his teaching services. His writings and compilations have also made significant contributions to the academic heritage of the Muslim Ummah. Across Pakistan, many scholars who have benefited from his guidance are engaged in religious service.
In the field of teaching, he is unparalleled. During his teaching career, a unique quality has been his ability to simplify the most difficult texts and complex issues for his students. He served as Shaykh al-Hadith in several renowned madaris for many years. Alongside teaching, he actively contributed to authorship and research. His scholarly reflections in the field of writing have provided clarity to those passionate about knowledge and research.
Among his major works are the Urdu translation with footnotes of Imam Raghib’s Al-Mufradat and a Tafsir of the Qur’an titled Bashraf al-Hawashi. In his book Ahkam al-Jana'iz, he has discussed funeral-related rulings in great detail. He has a particular fondness for the science of Hadith, and his writing is always marked by a scholarly and investigative style. His valuable contributions to the field of Hadith include editing and authenticating the Marasil Abi Dawud by converting it into a musnad format.
In today's time, the enthusiasm for Hadith studies is declining, making the writings of a teacher-scholar like him an unexpected blessing for students and scholars alike. The article presented here is a lengthy research paper by him that explores the scholarly life of Amir al-Mu’minin fi al-Hadith, Imam al-Bukhari (rahimahullah), and includes academic discussions related to his al-Jami‘ al-Sahih. It is hoped that readers of al-Muhaddith will benefit greatly from it, insha’Allah. — (Idarah)
Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Isma‘il ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Mughirah ibn Bardizbah al-Bukhari
194 AH – 256 AH
A Brief Sketch of the Scholarly Life of the Imam of Hadith Scholars
In these pages, we will first present a brief sketch of the scholarly life of the Imam of Hadith Scholars, followed by an introduction to al-Jami‘ al-Sahih, highlighting its technical and jurisprudential significance. We will examine its value in the eyes of jurists and scholars. This paper will cover all aspects of al-Jami‘ al-Sahih and will discuss the academic benefits derived from it.
Imam al-Bukhari's Scholarly Life
All sources and references agree that Imam al-Bukhari (rahimahullah) hailed from a scholarly family. His esteemed father, Imam Isma‘il ibn Ibrahim, was a distinguished Hadith scholar and a transmitter of chains of narration. He studied Hadith under Imam Malik (rahimahullah), narrated from Hammad ibn Zayd, and had the honor of shaking hands with Imam ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak with both hands.
Ibn Hibban writes in Kitab al-Thiqat, and Ibn Abi Hatim and Warraq al-Bukhari also explicitly mention in Kitab Shama'il al-Bukhari:
“Isma‘il ibn Ibrahim, the father of al-Bukhari, narrated from Hammad ibn Zayd and Malik; the Iraqis narrated from him.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) adds: “Yahya ibn Ja‘far al-Bikandi and others narrated from him.” This Yahya ibn Ja‘far was among the students of Imam ‘Abd al-Razzaq and had collected his books. Imam al-Bukhari obtained these books through him. It is famously reported that when Imam al-Bukhari intended to travel to Yemen to hear Hadith from ‘Abd al-Razzaq, Bikandi informed him that ‘Abd al-Razzaq had passed away. Consequently, Imam al-Bukhari cancelled his journey, although ‘Abd al-Razzaq was still alive.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) notes that Yahya ibn Ja‘far was reliable in himself, but he received and spread incorrect information. Mawlana ‘Abd al-Salam Mubarakpuri, in his Sirat al-Bukhari (p. 41), further states that the people of Iraq, including Ahmad ibn Hafs and Nasr ibn al-Husayn, were among the students of Isma‘il.
In short, Imam al-Bukhari inherited academic prestige through his lineage. Both father and son were renowned Hadith scholars. Imam al-Bukhari inherited not only wealth but also knowledge. Books of ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, Waki‘, and the Jami‘ of Sufyan al-Thawri (rahimahullah) were part of his family library and greatly aided him in his Hadith studies.
Allamah Qastallani alludes to this scholarly heritage, saying: “He was nurtured in the cradle of knowledge, grew up on the milk of virtue, and was weaned upon this same excellence.”
Listening to Hadith
By the age of ten, he had developed a deep passion for memorizing Hadith. He left the maktab (elementary school) and began attending Hadith sessions in Bukhara and its surrounding areas. At that time, notable scholars in Bukhara included Muhammad ibn Salam al-Bikandi (d. 225 AH), Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Bikandi, ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Musnadi (d. 229 AH), Ibrahim ibn Ash‘ath, and Allamah al-Dakhili.
While little is known about Dakhili's own scholarly contributions, certain anecdotes reflect Imam al-Bukhari’s engagement in his study circle. Allamah Dakhili, a leading Hadith scholar in Bukhara, once narrated a Hadith chain as: “Sufyan from Abu al-Zubayr from Ibrahim.” Imam al-Bukhari corrected him, saying, “Abu al-Zubayr never narrated from Ibrahim.”
Initially, the teacher was annoyed but then seriously reconsidered and referred to his original manuscript. It turned out Imam al-Bukhari was right, and the teacher thanked him for the correction. Imam al-Bukhari then stated the correct chain: “al-Zubayr (i.e., Ibn ‘Adiyy) from Ibrahim.” At that time, Imam al-Bukhari was only ten years old.
Another incident reported by Ibn Hatim in Imam al-Bukhari's own words: “A certain sheikh used to pass by us in Dakhili’s gathering. I would inform him of the authentic Hadiths and their correct chains. Once he said to me, ‘O Abu ‘Abdullah, I heard that you drank baladhur (a memory-enhancing substance) to improve your memory.’ I asked him privately, ‘Is there any medicine one can drink for memory?’ He replied, ‘I don’t know of any.’ Then he said, ‘Nothing benefits memory more than a man’s passion and continuous study.’”
Apart from Allamah Dakhili, Imam al-Bukhari studied under many teachers, especially Allamah Bikandi (Muhammad ibn Salam), a great Hadith scholar who was deeply impressed by Imam al-Bukhari’s brilliance—so much so that he avoided narrating Hadiths in Bukhari’s presence out of awe.
Some teachers reported that Imam al-Bukhari had memorized 70,000 Hadiths by the age of sixteen. Additionally, even in his youth, he attended the gatherings of jurists from the Ahl al-Ra’y (rationalist school). Warraq narrated that Imam al-Bukhari said: “I used to attend the jurists in Marw while I was a child, and I memorized the books of Ibn al-Mubarak and Waki‘, and I understood the speech of the Ahl al-Ra’y.”
Scholarly Travels
When Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) reached the age of sixteen and had collected hadiths from Bukhara and its surroundings, he set out for Hajj in 210 AH along with his respected mother and his brother Ahmad ibn Isma'il. After completing the pilgrimage, his mother and brother returned home, while Imam al-Bukhari remained in Hijaz for the pursuit of knowledge.
Prior to this, he had already traveled for six years in Nishapur and surrounding areas for the acquisition of knowledge. These journeys are known as his "Early Travels," which we may also call internal journeys. Now, following the methodology of hadith scholars, he began traveling to the Islamic centers of Hijaz, Iraq, Shaam, and Egypt for the purpose of hearing hadith and documenting them. These scholarly travels of the muhaddithin yielded numerous benefits. Firstly, the scattered collections of hadith across various regions were brought together. Had the muhaddithin not endured the hardships of travel to gather hadith, the loss of this knowledge would have been inevitable. Secondly, these travels helped identify different centers of hadith and the scholars associated with each, facilitating the compilation of hadith history and aiding in the preservation of high-level chains of transmission (ʿulū al-isnād).
Imam al-Bukhari too was honored with such elevated chains through these journeys. Some of his teachers belonged to the same level (ṭabaqah) as Imam Malik and Imam Abu Hanifa—for example, Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, Abu Nuʿaym, Ali ibn ʿAyyash, ʿUbaydullah ibn Musa, Khallad ibn Yahya, and ʿIsam ibn Khalid. These are teachers who had only two or three links between them and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all). The famous thulāthiyyāt of Imam Makki ibn Ibrahim are also well known.
In short, his first scholarly journey was to Hijaz, the primary center of Islamic knowledge, when he was just sixteen years old. By then, he had already memorized the books of Ibn al-Mubarak and Wakiʿ, and had achieved mastery over the jurisprudence of Ahl al-Ra’y. Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) emphasized the importance of his Hijazi journey by saying:
«Laqītu akthar min alfi shaykh min ahl al-Hijaz wa Makkah wa al-Madinah wa al-Basrah wa Wasit wa Baghdad wa al-Sham»
“I met more than a thousand scholars from Hijaz, Makkah, Madinah, Basrah, Wasit, Baghdad, and Shaam.”
While detailing his travels, he said: “I traveled to Shaam and al-Jazirah. I reached Egypt twice and Basrah four times. I stayed in Hijaz for six years, and I visited Kufa and Baghdad many times along with the scholars of Khurasan.”
Journey to al-Jazirah
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned Imam al-Bukhari's travel to al-Jazirah. The same is also noted in the histories of Ibn ʿAsakir, al-Hakim, and Subki’s Tabaqat. It is mentioned that he heard hadiths from Ahmad ibn ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Waqid al-Harrani, Ahmad ibn Walid al-Harrani, Ismaʿil ibn Zurarah al-Raqqi, and ʿAmr ibn Khalid.
However, ʿAllama al-Mizzi wrote that this is a mistaken assumption. Imam al-Bukhari did not hear hadith directly from the aforementioned scholars in al-Jazirah. For instance, he narrated from Ahmad ibn Walid only indirectly, and did not hear directly from Ibn Zurarah either. However, he did narrate from Ismaʿil ibn ʿAbdullah—who is actually Ismaʿil ibn Abi Uways. He heard from Ibn Waqid in Baghdad, and from ʿAmr ibn Khalid in Egypt.
Of the 1080 scholars from whom Imam al-Bukhari wrote hadith, he said about them:
«Tabaʿtu ʿan alfi wa thamānīn rajulan, laysa fīhim illa ṣāḥib ḥadīth, kānū yaqūlūn: al-īmān qawl wa ʿamal»
“I wrote hadith from 1080 men, all of whom were people of hadith, and who held the belief that faith is speech and action.”
In another narration he said:
«Katabtu ʿan alfi thiqah min al-ʿulamā’ wa ziyādah, wa laysa ʿindī ḥadīth lā adhkur isnāduh»
“I wrote hadith from more than a thousand reliable scholars, and I do not have any hadith whose chain of transmission I cannot recall.”
His scribe said: “When we reached Balkh, people requested that he dictate. So he narrated 1000 hadiths from 1000 scholars—one from each—thus producing what was essentially his *Muʿjam* (compendium).” He also said about his teachers:
“Many of my teachers were characterized by early hearing and elevated chains.” Imam al-Hakim counted ninety such teachers and listed them in full. Imam Nawawi reproduced this list in *Tahdhib al-Asma*. This list includes the greatest scholars of the time. Here are a few:
- ➊ Makki ibn Ibrahim (d. 215 AH)
- ➋ Abdullah ibn Musa al-ʿAsbi (d. 212 AH)
- ➌ Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Firyabi (d. 212 AH)
- ➍ Ishaq ibn Rahwayh (d. 238 AH)
- ➎ Abu Bakr al-Humaydi (d. 219 AH)
- ➏ Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241 AH)
- ➐ Ali ibn al-Madini (d. 234 AH)
During his Hijazi travels, Imam al-Bukhari benefitted from figures such as Abu al-Walid Ahmad al-Azraqi (author of the *History of Makkah*) and ʿAllama al-Humaydi (author of the *Musnad*). In 212 AH, he arrived in Madinah and began drafting his *al-Tarikh al-Kabir* by moonlight in the Prophet’s Mosque. His first written work during the Hijazi journey was *Qadaya al-Duḥā*.
In Basrah, he studied and narrated hadith from ʿAsim al-Nayl, Hafiz Abu al-Walid al-Tayalisi, and others. In short, he traveled through all the major Islamic lands. Al-Baghdadi wrote:
«Raḥala al-Bukhari ilā muḥaddithī al-amṣār, wa kataba ʿanhum»
“Imam al-Bukhari traveled to the hadith scholars of various regions and wrote from them.”
Method of Writing Hadith
Imam al-Bukhari said:
«Lam takun kitābatī al-ḥadīth kamā kataba hā’ulā’…»
“My method of writing hadith was not like that of others. When I wrote from someone, I would ask him his name, his kunya (agnomen), his lineage, and if the person had insight, I would ask about any hidden defects in the hadith. If he wasn’t insightful, I would ask him to show me his original manuscript. Others didn’t care what they wrote or how.”
Al-ʿAbbas al-Dawri said: “I never saw a student of hadith better than Muhammad ibn Ismaʿil. He would leave no original or secondary source without pursuing it. He would then tell us:
«Lā tadaʿū min kalāmihi shay’an illā katabtumūh»
‘Do not let a single one of his words go unwritten.’”
Ranks of Imam Bukhari’s Teachers
Scholars have divided Imam al-Bukhari’s teachers into five tiers:
- (a) The highest tier: those who narrated from the Tabiʿin. For example, Abu ʿAsim al-Nabil (d. 218 AH), Makki ibn Ibrahim (d. 212 AH), Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Ansari (d. 215 AH), ʿUbaydullah ibn Musa al-ʿAbsi (d. 212 AH), Abu Nuʿaym al-Mala’i (d. 214 AH), and Abu al-Mughira and others.
- (b) Those who narrated from al-Awzaʿi, Ibn Abi Dhi’b, Shuʿbah, al-Thawri, and Shuʿayb ibn Abi Hamzah—for instance, Ayyub ibn Sulayman (d. 224 AH), Hajjaj ibn Minhāl (d. 217 AH), and Adam ibn Abi Iyas al-Khurasani (d. 220 AH).
- (c) Those who were students of Malik, al-Layth, Hammad ibn Zayd, and Abu ʿAwanah, such as Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241 AH), Ishaq ibn Rahwayh (d. 238 AH), Yahya ibn Maʿin (d. 233 AH), and ʿAli ibn Abdullah ibn Jaʿfar (d. 234 AH).
- (d) Those who were companions of Ibn al-Mubarak, Ibn ʿUyaynah, Ibn Wahb, and al-Walid ibn Muslim.
- (e) Those who were Imam al-Bukhari’s contemporaries—for instance, Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Dhuhli (d. 258 AH), Abu Hatim al-Razi, Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Darimi (d. 255 AH), etc. Some of these were actually on the same level as Imam al-Bukhari’s students. He did not study directly from them, but when a hadith was missed from the original teacher, he would supplement it by narrating from them.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote:
«Rufaqā’uhu fī al-ṭalab, wa man samiʿa qablahu qalīlan, ka-Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Dhuhli wa ghayrihi»
“These were his fellow students in seeking hadith, and those who heard hadith slightly before him, like Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Dhuhli and others.”
Side Note
ʿAllama Shibli wrote in *Sirat al-Nuʿman* that Imam al-Dhuhli expelled Imam al-Bukhari from his gathering due to his view that the wording of the Qur’an is created. However, this is completely false, as Imam al-Bukhari was not a regular student in his gatherings. Hence, the notion of being expelled doesn’t arise. Yes, it is true that when Imam al-Dhuhli announced that anyone who believes the wording of the Qur’an is created should not attend his gathering, Imam Muslim was so outraged that he left and returned all his notes to Dhuhli and never narrated from him again.
