Written by: Hazrat Mawlana Mufti Muhammad Abdah al-Falah (may Allah preserve him)

Now we mention the books of Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) which have not yet been published.

Unpublished Works of Imam al-Bukhari

➊ Akhbar al-Sifat:
Ibn Sazkin of Turkey mentioned it in his history with reference to the Zahiriya Library in Damascus. It is possible that this book is actually part of “Kitab al-Tawheed.”

➋ Asami al-Sahabah:
Ibn Mandah mentioned it from the narration of Ibn Faris. Al-Baghawi al-Kabir referred to it in “Mu’jam al-Sahabah” and Ibn Mandah in “Ma’rifat al-Sahabah.” Hafiz Ibn Hajar also mentioned it in “Hady al-Sari.”

➌ Kitab al-Ashribah al-Mufrad:
Allama al-Daraqutni mentioned it in “al-Mu’talif wa al-Mukhtalif” under the biography of Kista. It is not part of “al-Jami‘ al-Sahih,” but seems to be an independent book like “al-Adab al-Mufrad.” It appears to be a refutation of Ahl al-Ra’y.

➍ Birr al-Walidayn:
Narrated by Muhammad ibn Dawiyah al-Dalwiyah al-Wazzaq. Hafiz Ibn Hajar writes: “It is available and narrated to us.” Al-Rawdani mentioned it in “Silat al-Khalaf” from Muhammad ibn Dalwiyah’s chain.

➎ al-Tafsir al-Kabir al-Mufrad:
Mentioned by al-Farabri. Hafiz Ibn Hajar remains silent about it.

➏ Kitab al-Tawheed al-Mufrad:
Ibn Sazkin mentioned it in his history (1/1259) based on a copy from the Zahiriya Library in Damascus. A copy also exists in Egypt, on which al-Sa‘idi wrote a commentary titled “Kifayat al-Muqtasid.” Some contemporary scholars have denied its existence and claim it is actually part of “al-Jami‘ al-Sahih.”

➐ al-Jami‘ al-Kabir:
Mentioned by Ibn Tahir. It was compiled after the three “Tawarikh” and “Qadaaya al-Sahabah wa al-Tabi‘in.” A handwritten manuscript by Ibn Kathir is said to be housed in the Dar al-‘Uloom in Germany.

➑ al-Du‘afa’ al-Kabir:
Its reference has already appeared under “al-Du‘afa’ al-Saghir.”

➒ Kitab al-‘Ilal:
Mentioned by Ibn Mandah, narrated by Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Hamdun from Abu Muhammad ‘Abdullah ibn al-Sharqi from al-Bukhari. Hafiz Ibn Hajar is silent about it. This may be the first work on this topic. “Kitab al-‘Ilal” by Ibn al-Madini has been published, and Imam Muslim himself acknowledged Imam al-Bukhari’s superiority in this field. Imam al-Tirmidhi often quotes him in his “al-Jami‘.”

➓ Kitab al-Fawa’id:
Imam al-Tirmidhi mentioned it in the chapter on virtues (“Kitab al-Manaqib”). Hafiz Ibn Hajar did not comment on it.

⓫ Kitab al-Mabsut:
Al-Khalili mentioned it in “al-Irshad” and stated that Musayyib ibn Salim narrated it from Imam al-Bukhari.

⓬ al-Musnad al-Kabir:
Mentioned by Hafiz Ibn Hajar and narrated by Allama al-Farabri.

⓭ Kitab al-Hibah al-Mufrad:
In “Hady al-Sari,” Hafiz Ibn Hajar writes: Imam al-Bukhari stated that he collected 500 hadiths in “Kitab al-Hibah,” while Waki‘’s version only has two or three musnad hadiths, and Ibn al-Mubarak’s version has about five. The rest are sayings and reports.

⓮ Kitab al-Wuhdan:
This book records the companions from whom only a single narrator has transmitted hadith. Mentioned by Ibn Mandah. Imam Muslim and Imam al-Nasa’i also wrote works of this type.

⓯ al-I‘tiqad wa al-Sunnah:
Imam al-Lalaka’i mentioned it in “Sharh al-Sunnah” (1/172–176) via the narration of ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Bukhari, who said: “I heard Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Isma‘il al-Bukhari...”
Imam al-Tirmidhi frequently quoted Imam al-Bukhari in both “al-‘Ilal al-Kabir” and “al-‘Ilal al-Saghir” saying: “Most of what I benefited from was from Muhammad ibn Isma‘il al-Bukhari.” Similar reports are found in “Kitab al-Tarikh wa al-Tad‘il li-Ashab al-Hadith” by Ibn al-Jarud.

Students of Imam al-Bukhari

Allama al-Mizzi listed the teachers and students of Imam al-Bukhari alphabetically. Among his students are also Imam al-Tirmidhi, Imam Muslim, and Imam al-Nasa’i. Imam al-Dhahabi writes: “Imam Muslim narrated from him outside his Sahih. It is said that al-Nasa’i also narrated from him in the chapter of fasting in his Sunan, but this is not established.”
However, in his “Kitab al-Kuna,” al-Nasa’i does transmit certain narrations from al-Bukhari through ‘Abdullah ibn Ahmad al-Khaffaf. Al-Dhahabi records in “Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’”: “Indeed, al-Nasa’i narrated from him — this appears in Kitab al-Iman by Ibn Mandah.”
In the chapter of fasting: “Muhammad ibn Isma‘il from Hafs ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Harith ibn Hamzah ibn Muhammad al-Kinani from al-Hasan ibn al-Khidr al-Asyuti.”
Ibn Haywah’s copy matches this. However, in al-Suri’s version, “Ibn al-Nahhas from Hamzah al-Kinani from al-Nasa’i” — there is clarification: “Narrated to us by Muhammad ibn Isma‘il — and he is Abu Bakr al-Tabarani.”
Only in the narration of Ibn al-Sunni is there explicit mention: “Narrated to us by Muhammad ibn Isma‘il al-Bukhari.” Allama al-Mizzi writes: “We did not find anything else from al-Nasa’i (from al-Bukhari), unless Ibn al-Sunni preserved it and attributed it rightly, thinking it was al-Bukhari.”
That is, if Ibn al-Sunni didn’t add anything himself and preserved the chain properly, then it's valid. Normally, al-Nasa’i narrates from “Muhammad ibn Isma‘il ibn Ibrahim” — who is Ibn ‘Ulayyah — but in “Kitab al-Kuna,” a few narrations from al-Bukhari via ‘Abdullah ibn Ahmad al-Khaffaf are found.
So it's unlikely that al-Nasa’i met Imam al-Bukhari, while it is well known that Imam Muslim and al-Tirmidhi were his direct students. However, Imam Muslim did not include any narration from Imam al-Bukhari in his Sahih, and Imam al-Tirmidhi also did not transmit any musnad hadith directly from him.
In Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, there is only one narration from each — Muslim and Abu Dawud. For instance, the hadith “Count the crescent of Sha‘ban for Ramadan” is from Imam Muslim. Al-‘Iraqi writes that this is the only hadith that al-Tirmidhi narrated from Imam Muslim — and this is considered “riwayat al-aqran” (peers narrating from peers) as both shared many teachers.
In “Bab Ma Ja’a fi al-Rajul Yanam ‘an al-Witr,” after mentioning the hadith of ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam as marfu‘ and mursal from his brother ‘Abdullah, al-Tirmidhi writes that he heard Abu Dawud al-Sijistani say that he heard Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal comment on ‘Abd al-Rahman, saying that there is nothing wrong with his brother ‘Abdullah, but ‘Abd al-Rahman is weak. Imam al-Bukhari also quoted ‘Ali ibn al-Madini stating the same. This shows al-Tirmidhi did not narrate a hadith from Abu Dawud, but rather a jarh (criticism).
I have written in detail on the topic of al-Tirmidhi’s student relationship with Imam al-Bukhari in my article.

See original article: Maktabah al-Muhaddith, Jan 1993 issue, "Imam al-Bukhari and al-Jami‘ al-Sahih."