Imam Bukhari

Brief Biography

Imam al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him)

He is the great imam, scholar, leader of the believers in hadeeth, Abu ‘Abd-Allaah Muhammad ibn Ismaa’eel ibn Ibraaheem al-Bukhaari. He was born in Bukhaara in Shawwaal of 194 AH, and grew up as orphan. He lost his sight as a child, then Allaah restored to him his sight. He memorized hadeeth as a child, and he was a prodigy in that, may Allaah have mercy on him.

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Reputation Among the Imams

The imams attested to his good memory, precision, knowledge, asceticism and worship.

Imam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said of him:

Khorasan has never produced anyone like him.

Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

I have never seen anyone beneath the canopy of heaven who has more knowledge of the hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and who has memorized more (hadeeth) than al-Bukhaari.

Al-Tirmidhi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

I have never seen in Iraq or in Khorasan anyone with more knowledge of hadeeth criticism, history and isnaads than al-Bukhaari.

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Background & Works

Al-Bukhaari had more than one thousand shaykhs whom he met in the countries and cities to which he travelled.

Among them were: Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Hammaad ibn Shaakir, Makki ibn Ibraaheem and Abu ‘Aasim al-Nabeel.

Among those who narrated from al-Bukhaari were:

Muslim ibn al-Hajjaaj the author of al-Saheeh; al-Tirmidhi; al-Nasaa’i; Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazi; and many others.

Al-Bukhari wrote many books, the most famous of which are: al-Jaami’ al-Saheeh; al-Tareekh al-Kabeer; al-Adab al-Mufrad; Khalq Af’aal al-‘Ibaad.

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Death

He died, may Allaah have mercy on him, on the night of Eid al-Fitr, 256 AH.