alBukhari

Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, known as al-Bukhari, (c. 810–870 CE) was a Muslim scholar from Bukhara in Transoxiana (present-day Uzbekistan). He is best known for compiling Sahih al-Bukhari, one of the most respected hadith collections in Sunni Islam. The nisba al-Bukhari indicates his birthplace.

Life and work: Al-Bukhari traveled widely to study and collect hadith from leading scholars of his time. After years of study, he compiled a collection based on strict criteria for authenticity. He also wrote Adab al-Mufrad, a compilation focused on ethics and manners, and other smaller works related to hadith transmission and biographical evaluation.

Sahih al-Bukhari: The collection, often titled Al-Jami’ as-Sahih, contains about 7,275 hadith with repetitions (roughly 2,600 unique narrations). It is organized into thematic chapters and is distinguished by its emphasis on a reliable chain of transmission (isnad) and the trustworthiness of narrators.

Methodology: Al-Bukhari applied rigorous methods, including rijal (biographical evaluation) to assess narrators and cross-checking of chains. He was selective, rejecting many hadith he judged weak, even when they appeared in other sources.

Influence: The work became a central source for Sunni jurisprudence and hadith studies. It is frequently cited by scholars and remains widely studied in traditional Islamic education. Al-Bukhari’s methodological emphasis on isnad and documented transmission influenced later hadith scholarship.

Death: He died in 870 CE (255 AH).