Author: Obaidullah Nimruzi
Who was Imam Bukhari “may Allah have mercy on him”? (part 3)
Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, in the opinions of his teachers and contemporaries:
His scholarly status was such that not only his contemporaries but also his teachers would bring their books and request him to give them his opinion on which hadith is weak and which is sound, and to correct them.
After examining the Imam, Ismail bin Owais said: «هذا الحدیث انتخبها محمد بن إسماعیل من الحدیث.» “This hadith was selected by Muhammad bin Ismail from among the hadiths.”
He used to say about the hadith that the Imam approved of: “Muhammad bin Ismail chose this hadith from among the hadiths.”
Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Khuzima said in relation to the Imam: «ما تحت أدیم السماء أعلم بالحدیث من محمد بن اسماعیل» There is no great scholar under the sky than Muhammad bin Ismail.
Yaqub bin Ibrahim al-Durqi said: «محمد بن اسماعیل فقیه هذه الأمة» “Muhammad bin Ismail is the jurist of this nation.” And the same saying is also quoted from Na’im bin Hammad.
Muhammad bin Bashar, one of Imam Bukhari’s teachers, said: «هذا افق خلق الله فی زماننا.» “This is the horizon of Allah’s creation in our time.”
When Imam Bukhari entered Basra, Muhammad bin Bashar said: “The master of jurists has arrived today.”
Abu Musab Zohri said: «لو ادرکت مالکاً و نظرت الی وجهه و وجه محمد بن اسماعیل لقلت کلاهما واحد فی الحدیث والفقه.» If you saw the scholarly face of Imam Malik and Imam Bukhari, you would realize that they are equal in jurisprudence and hadith.
Abu Omar Khafaf used to say: «هو (أی محمد بن اسماعیل) أعلم فی الحدیث من احمد واسحق وغیرهما بعشرین درجة.» Muhammad bin Ismail is 20 degrees higher than both of his teachers “Ishaq bin Rahwayh and Ahmad bin Hanbal” in the science of hadith.
Hafiz bin Hajar quotes the opinions of scholars regarding Imam Bukhari and says in the end: «لو فتحت باب ثناء الائمة علیه ممن تأخر عن عصره لفنی القرطاس ونفدت الأنفاس فذاک بحر لا ساحل له.»
If you want to collect the definition of the scholars after the Imam, the papers will run out and the souls will get tired, but the definition of the Imam will not be finished; he is the endless sea.
Imam Qutiba bin Saeed Baghlani (the teacher of Imam Bukhari) says: I sat with jurists, ascetics and devotees, and since I regained my senses, I did not see the likes of Muhammad bin Ismail, he was like Omar in the Companions. He says: From the east and the west, students came to me, but I did not find anyone like Muhammad bin Ismail.
Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal said: “A scholar like Muhammad bin Ismail has not appeared from the land of Khorasan.”
Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh, who is also one of Imam Bukhari’s high-ranking teachers, used to tell his students: See this young man and write a hadith about him. Because if he was in Hassan Basri’s era, people would need him because of his knowledge in hadith and jurisprudence.
Yes! Imam’s sincerity and devotion to Allah caused him to gain such a rank and position, and Bukhari’s book, Asah al-Katb, was placed after the book of Allah, and he was proud of the title of “Amir al-Mu’minin” in hadith.
Authoring and compositions of Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him
One of Imam’s books is called«قضایا الصحابة والتابعین». This is Imam’s first ballad, which he composed at the age of 18. Imam’s Another book is “Tarikh Kabir” which Imam composed this book in Madinah, he used the light of the moon to write it at night, and in this book, he collected the names of the men and the narrators, their dates of birth and death.
When Ishaq bin Rahwayh (Imam Bukhari’s teacher) studied this book, he took it to Amir Abdullah bin Tahir, the ruler of the time, and said:الا اُریک سحراً؟ “?” Shall I show you some magic? who called this Imam’s book magical and wonderful.
Imam’s other book is Adab al-Mafrid. And also “Tarikh Avsat”, “Tarikh Saghir”, “Tafseer Kabir”, “Masnad Kubra” and “Names of Companions” can be mentioned. The Names of the Companions is perhaps the first book that was written about the names and nicknames of the Companions, and after them, Hafez bin Abd al-Barr wrote the book “Al-Istaiyab fi Marafah al-Sahaba” and Hafez bin Hajar “Al-Tazaba fi Tami’iz al-Sahaba” as well as Abu al-Qasim in the book He composed “Ma’jam al-Sahaba” in which he mentioned the names and biographies of the companions. But the most famous of them is “Sahih Bukhari”.
Other books of Imam Bukhari are:
«المسبوط، الجامع الصغیر فی الحدیث، برّ الوالدین، کتاب الکنی، کتاب الرقائق، کتاب الوجدان، کتاب الأشربة، کتاب خلق أفعال العباد، کتاب الفوائد، کتاب الهبة، جزء قراءة خلف الإمام، جزء رفع الیدین، کتاب الضعفاء، کتاب العلل, in which he collected and mentioned the causes of hadith, and the book “Al-Jama’i al-Sahih” is the greatest compilation of the Imam, which introduced him to the whole world and made him “the leader of the believers in hadith”.
The greatest work of Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him
The greatest authorship of the Imam is the book “Sahih al-Bukhari”, which has taken away the rest of the books of the Imam and people think that the authorship of the Imam is only the book of Bukhari. Imam Nawi named this book “Al-Jami’ Al-Musnad Al-Sahih, a summary of the affairs of the Messenger of Allah, his Sunnahs, and his days” has mentioned.
“Al Jame” because the affairs of the thamaniyyah are in this book; And “Al-Musnad” have said that the hadiths reach the Prophet with a chain attached to them. And this book is called “Al-Sahih” because Imam Bukhari has committed to bring the correct hadiths in this book. And “Al-Mukhtasar” is said because the number of hadiths in this book is very few compared to the total hadiths of his Prophet, and Imam Bukhari has actually collected these as a collection of the most correct hadiths, and Imam Bukhari himself says: “Because the book is long, I left many hadiths. And the “periods” of the days include the days of the blessed life of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, which means the battles.
The reason for writing Bukhari book
In this regard, they narrate two incidents: Ibrahim Moqal Nasfi says: “One day we were sitting in the assembly of Ishaq bin Rahwayh, when one of the nobles of the service of Hazrat Ishaq bin Rahwayh brought up this, how would it be good if you, the elders present in this assembly, would give a brief summary of the Sunan He used to gather the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him; This word came to the Imam’s heart, and the Imam decided to do this.”
Another incident was narrated by Muhammad bin Salam bin Qari that the Imam saw in a dream that he was driving flies away from the beautiful face of the Prophet, (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and he narrated this dream to some Scholars, and they answered that you removed weak and incorrect hadiths from the beautiful face of Prophet (PBUH). This interpretation caused the Imam to decide to write Bukhari’s book. As the Imam got up with the success and approval of Allah Almighty and did this important thing.
Yes! Whenever Allah wants to take a job from someone or bestow a blessing on someone, He first creates a demand in him, and demand and seriousness cause a person to obtain that blessing.
continues…
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