ABOUT AL-JAMIUS-SAHIH
know as as Sahih Bukhari
1.Motivating factors of compiling Sahih
Bukhari
There were many books written on hadith but
there were mixtures of Sahih and Daeef ahadith. Imam Bukhari felt that there
should be a compilation of only Sahih ahadith. Once while sitting in the
gathering of Ishaaq ibn Raahwai he (Ishaq) expressed his wish that a book of
Sahih ahadith be compiled, when he heard this, his feeling of compiling such a
book was strengthened and this was later consolidated with a dream wherein he
(Imam Bukhari) saw a dream that he was waving away flies from Rasulullah (sallallahu
alaihi wasallam) with a fan. The dream was interpretated as Imam Bukhari will
sift out the fabricated Ahadith form the authentic Ahadith.
The dominant purpose of compiling
Bukhari Shareef from the motivating factors was to compile and gather only Sahih
ahadith. Apart from that, Imam Bukhari designed and brightened his book with
other aspects as well, for eg., he would deduce fiqhi aspects from the hadith,
he would express the authenticity of the hadith by presenting another sanad
(chain of narrators). He also explains the meaning of many ahadith etc. It is
due to the above factors that the hadith in Bukhari Shareef are not in a subject
or topic sequence. However, Imam Muslim has arranged and compiled his book
according to a topic sequence.
2. Specialities of Bukhari Shareef
1. It is the first book compiled only on sahih
ahadith.
2. It took the author 16 years to
compile his book. The tarajims (topics) were prepared at the rowda mubarak.
3. Abu Zaid Mirwazi Shafi, who was a
very fond shafi was sleeping in the mataaf area when he made ziyarat of
Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi waallam) who asked him, why do you not make
research and read my book. Abu Zaid asked: "Oh prophet of Allah which is
your book?" Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) replied the book of
Muhammad ibn Ismail ie. Bukhari Shareef.
4. When read at the time of
difficulties and hardships, matters are made easy.
When read in a boat it does not sink.
5. There are 22 Sulusiyyaats in Bukhari
Shareef. However Darami has more sulusiyyaats than Bukhari Shareef.
3. Conditions of Choosing a Hadith
Muhammad Maqdasi says that the conditions of
choosing a hadith in Bukhari Shareef are not mentioned by the author himself.
The muhadditheen have pondered and studied the book and deduced these
conditions, presuming they were the criteria set out by the author. Tahir
Maqdasi says that the conditions of choosing a hadith in Bukhari Shareef are:
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The narrator is unanimously
realiable. Here a question may arise as to why is there discussions on the
reliability and authenticity of many narrators in Bukhari Shareef. Ibn Humam
has answered this that certifying a narrator as reliable or unreliable is
not absolute (qat’ie). A muhaddith certifies according to his
understanding and research.
-
The chain of narrators must be an
unbroken one (itti’saal - see page five).
-
If two narrators narrate from every
narrator it is better but not a condition.
-
Haakim, author of Mustadrak says it
is a condition of Bukhari Shareef that there always be two narrators from a
narrator. This is not correct. The first and last hadith indicates that even
narrations with one narrator is accepted. In fact, there are about 200 such
ahadith in Bukhari Shareef. Ziya Maqdasi has prepared a book Galaaibus
Sahihain on this matter.
Hereunder is a more clear explanation
as to what type of narrators are chosen by Imam Bukhari.
Imam Zuhri has five categories of
students:
-
Very realiable in memory and
authenticity and always or for a very long time stayed in the company of
Imam Zuhri.
-
Also very realiable but stayed
lesser than the first group.
-
Stayed with Zuhri but were
criticized by some.
-
Did not stay with Zuhri and were
criticized by some.
-
Weak and unknown narrators.
Imam Bukhari took narrators of the
first category, seldom would he take from the second category. Imam Muslim would
take from the third cateory as well.
Abu Dawood and Nasai would take from
the third category.
Tirmizi from the fourth category,
Tirmizi is more superior to Abu Dawood because he discusses the reason a hadith
is weak, etc.
Imam Abu Dawood uses the fifth category
to support and consolidate. (Read after the section on itti’saal.)
A question arises that if according to
Imam Bukhari, the chain of narrators must be an unbroken one, why are there
ahadith-e-muanan (hadith with an-an).
According to Imam Bukhari for a hadith
muanan to be under the category of unbroken chain of narrators, the narrator and
from whom he is narrating must be contemporaries and must meet at least once.
In order to clearly understand the
above, the following must be understood:
The narrator and from whom he is narrating, if they are not contemporaries,
such a narration is named as Irsaale Jali.
If they are contemporaries but they did
not meet, this is called Irsaale Khafi.
If they are contemporaries, met but
narrates something he did not hear, this is Tadlees.
According to Imam Bukhari, the two must
meet at least once. According to Muslim, merely being contemporaries is
sufficient. Imam Bukhari views this as a possibility of being Irsaal, hence the
narration will not be of an unbroken chain (muttasal).
One may raise an objection that
according to Imam Bukhari, meeting once is sufficient, but still there is a
possibility of non-narration. The answer is that we are discussing about a
narrator who does not practice Tadlees. A mudallis’s narration is not muttasil,
hence disqualifies from being accepted.
In the light of the above discussion,
it is clear that Bukhari shareef is more superior to Muslim or any other book on
hadith. Dare Qutni says:
The statement of Abu Ali Nishapuri:
"There is no other kitaab on the surface of this earth more sahih than
Muslim Shareef," is opposed by Nishapuri’s Ustaad, Imam Nasai, who said
there is no better book than Bukhari Shareef.
However, it must be noted that the
superiority of Bukhari Shareef over Muslim Shareef and other books of ahadith is
on a general basis, not that every hadith of Bukhari Shareef is more superior to
any hadith in any other book of hadith.
4. The Topics (Taraajim) of Bukhari
Shareef
-
Sometimes the purpose of Imam
Bukhari is not literal. He says something and means isharatun-nas or
dalatun-nas.
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Imam Bukhari does not repeat a
topic, if so the purpose is different.
-
Generally the topic is like a claim
and the ahadith follow it as proof, but in many instances, he means to
explain the meaning of the following hadith.
-
A tarjuma sometimes has two
meanings, clear and unclear. People think and assume the clear meaning,
hence they experience difficulty in reconciling the topic with the hadith,
whereas the unclear meaning is the purpose of Imam Bukhari.
-
Sometimes there is no link between
the topic and hadith quoted under it, but the hadith with that link is
nearby, if not further in the kitaab, or maybe it is not in Bukhari Shareef,
because it does not conform with the conditions of Bukhari Shareef.
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Sometimes with the topic, Imam
Bukhari quotes sayings of sahaba and tabi’een (radhiallahu anhum), but
those sayings have no direct relevance.
-
Sometimes there is a baab but no
hadith under the baab. The reason for this is that the hadith is somewhat
related to the previous baab, just like the fasal of the fuqaha. Imam
Bukhari’s purpose is also probably to sharpen the brain, that one ponders
in the hadith and deduce some valid point.
-
Sometimes there is a tarjama but no
hadith under it. This is of different types:
Either there are verses of quran after the topic, or the verses are part of
the topic. In the above two the verses are sufficient substantiations.
However if there is a topic and no verse or hadith, the reason is either
that the hadith is not in conformity with the conditions set out by Imam
Bukhari or the hadith is mentioned elsewhere and to avoid exact repetition,
he did not mention it or for sharpening the brains, that one ponders over a
hadith to substantiate.
-
Sometimes a topic is mentioned
twice, the purpose of the second is to elaborate on the first one.
-
Sometimes such a topic is mentioned
that does not need any explanation but he brings it to refute an opinion of
some muhaddith. This is common in Bukhari Shareef against Musannaf Abdur
Razzaak and Ibn Abi Shaiba.
5. Repetitions in Bukhari Shareef
Generally Imam Bukhari repeats a hadith but
with a different chain of narrators or different words. However there are about
21 or 22 places in Bukhari Shareef wherein there are exact (sanad or words)
repeated. This is indeed a very negligent number in comparison to the vast
number of ahadith in Bukhari Shareef. However, where a hadith is repeated but
with a different chain of narrators or different words, the benefits of
reporting them are:
-
When one sahabi narrates a hadith,
that same hadith is narrated by another sahabi, the purpose of quoting the
other sahabi’s narration is to remove the misconception of non-familiarity
(garaabat).
-
One narrator quotes the hadith
short, the other complete, Imam Bukhari quotes both as narrated by the
narrators.
-
A hadith is narrated with different
words, for every change of word he brings a different topic and repeats it.
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If there are two posibilities in
one narration, of broken and unbroken chain of narrators (muttasil and ghair
muttasil) Imam Bukhari quotes the both possibilities to indicate that the
irsaal does not prevent the itti’saal’s acceptance.
-
Similarly if there are two
possibilities, of dependant (mawkuuf) and complete (marfu) narrations.
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In some chain of narrators, if
there is an addition, Imam Bukhari brings both versions to show that both
are correct.
-
One narration is muanan, the other
chain expresses meeting, Imam Bukhari brings both to remove doubt.
6. Important Books related to Bukhari
Shareef
-
Aini (762-855 A.H.) - He wrote his
sharah (commentary) over a period of 27 years. This sharah consists of 25
volumes. In this meanings of the words in the hadith are given and the link
between the topic (baab) and hadith and many other aspects.
-
Fathul Baari (Ibn Hajar Asqalani
773 - 852 A.H.) - This sharah was written over a period of 25 years. It
consists of 13 volumes. Before this sharah, Ibn Hajar wrote (Alhadyus Saari)
an introduction to Bukhari Shareef and Taghleequt-Taaleeq. After Aini wrote
his sharah, Ibn Hajar wrote Intiqaasul I’tiraaz to answer Ainis
objections. In Aini and Fathul Baari, there are answers of the same
objections by one another. This was also due to some students eg. Burhaan
ibn Khizar attending both discourses and informing both of them accordingly.
However both the sharah have their own beauties and positive features, but
Aini is easier to refer to and understood quickly, due to its concise and
orderly fashion.
-
Irshaadus Saari (851- 923 A.H.
Qastalani) - This sharah is also known as Sharah Qastalani. This sharah is a
synopsis of the above two sharahs.
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Alkawaakibud-daraari (Allama
Kirmaani 717-786 A.H.) - The author was sleeping by the kaba and there he
was inspired to keep this name for his sharah.
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Faizul Baari (Allama Badre Aalam) -
Has written the main points from Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiris lessons in
Bukhari Shareef.
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Alabwaab Wat-taraajim (Hazrath
Sheikh Zakariyya) - This is a must reference for Abwaab as well as other
important discussions.
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Laamiud Daraari - (Moulana Yahya
Saheb) noted the points from Hazrath Moulana Rashid Ahmed Gangohi’s
discourses of Bukhari Shareef.
AND ALLAH KNOWS BEST