Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
By Pir Syed Mushtaq 'Ali Shah
Translated by Ebrahim Saifuddin
The claim is a matter of much bravery and courage because no such saying of Imam Bukhari
of result a but is claim This .claim this up back can which presented be can رحمة اللہ علیه
jealousy, malice and enmity where whatever the heart desires is said. What can one call this if
not a result of malice?
Hafidh Ibn 'Abdul 'Aziz Ibn Abi Rawaad علیه اللہ رحمة spoke the truth with sagacity which
was noted down by Ibn Hajar Makki علیه اللہ رحمة in Khayraatul Hisaan pg.35:
1 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
"Hafidh Ibn 'Abdul 'Aziz Ibn Abi Rawaad said that whosoever loves Imam Abu Hanifah is a
Sunni and whoever has malice in his heart for him does Bid'ah. It is stated in a narration that
Imam Abu Hanifah is between us and the people of the past. Thus whosoever loves him is from
the People of Sunnah and whosoever has malice against him is from the People of Innovation."
Some Ghair Muqallideen lead astray the common layman by saying that Imam Bukhari رحمة
:afaa'Dhu-al Kitab book his in written has اللہ علیه
"(Imam Abu Hanifah) was Murjee and people adopted silence from narrating from him."
In reply to this I say that firstly the book al-Dhu'afaa by Imam Bukhari ,علیه اللہ رحمة
published in Agra Allahabad, does not contain any such sentence. The same is not found in
Adab al-Mufrad, Juzul Qira'ah and Khalqul 'Ibad either. Even if it is taken to be true, the reply is
that Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة had enmity of mathhab towards Imam Abu Hanifah رحمة
jarh this Thus . رحمة اللہ علیه Bukhari Imam of writings the in apparent is which اللہ علیه
cannot be accepted on the basis of enmity of mathhab. That is why Thahabi, Ibn Hajar,
Wasiuddin Khizaji and others علیھم اللہ رحمة did not give any importance to this Jarh and did
not even mention it by considering it " ."به یعبا لا
2 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
Secondly, regarding the saying that Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة was a Murjee, the
meaning has to be established. If by Murjee those were referred on whom be Allah's Curse,
then this is absolutely wrong because it is stated in Fiqh al-Akbar:
"We do not say like the Murjeeah that it is for certain that our good deeds are accepted and sins
are forgiven. We say that whosoever does good deeds with all the right conditions, provided he
does not make them void and dies in the state of Iman, then Allah will not let go his good deeds
to waste and will reward him accordingly by accepting his deeds."
It is stated in Khayrat al-Hisaan, pg 73, it is stated:
"The Commentator of al-Muwaqif mentions that Ghisaan Murjee used to say things so that it
would seem that Imam Abu Hanifah was a Murjee and he used to include Imam Abu Hanifah in
the Murjeeah sect. Ghisaan deliberately accused Imam Abu Hanifah to legitimize his mathhab.
Shehristani, in al-Mlal wal Nihal, has said that it is astonishing how Ghisaan used to attribute the
teachings of his Murjeeah sect to Imam Abu Hanifah and would call him a Murjeeah. He has
lied."
3 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
And if by Murjeeah it is meant Murjeeah Marhoomah then all of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama'ah is
included in it. It is mentioned in al-Tamheed of Abu Shakoor Salimi:
"There are two types of Murjeeah. One is Murjeeah Marhoomah and it is the Companions of
Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم. The second is Murjeeah Mal'oonah and these are those who say that sins do not
matter and there is no punishment for them. 'Uthman bin Abi Laila once wrote a letter to Imam
Abu Hanifah asking if he is from the Murjeeah. Imam Abu Hanifah replied that there are two
types of Murjeeah. One is Murjeeah Mal'oonah and I am not from them. The other is Murjeeah
Marhoomah and I am from them. In fact, the Anbiya السلام علیھم were also the same. Do you
not know the saying of 'Isa السلام علیه , 'If You (Allah) punish them, they are Your slaves after
all, but if You forgive them, You are the Mighty, the Wise.'
Thus it is learnt that Imam Bukhari's علیه اللہ رحمة saying regarding people not accepting the
Hadith and opinion of Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة is absolutely false and baseless.
Thirdly, in 'Uqud al-Jawahir al-Manifa, the book of Hafidh Mosuli, al-Du'afah is quoted to state:
"Yahya bin Mu'een has said, 'I have not found anyone superior to Waqi' and he used to give
4 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
fatwa on the qawl of Abu Hanifah and would memorize all his Ahadith. He heard a lot of Ahadith
from Abu Hanifah.'"
And it is stated in Manaqib Kurdi, pg 100:
"Sa'eed bin Yahya bin Humayri Wasti was an Imam and Hafidh of Hadith from Wasta. He has
narrated from Imam Abu Hanifah and has acquired knowledge from him. He used to say that
Imam Abu Hanifah is an ocean of knowledge."
And in the same Manaqib on pg 19 it is stated:
"'Abdullah bin Yazeed al-Muqri Makki heard 900 Hadith from Imam Abu Hanifah."
5 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
In Khayrat al-Hisaan, pg 23, it is stated:
"Ibn al-Mubarak said, 'He (Abu Hanifah) used to be the one with most knowledge in Fiqh, and I
have not seen anyone more knowledgeable than him in Fiqh. . . .And he is the most
knowledgeable amongst them (Imam Malik and Sufyan) and better Muhaqqiq and Mudaqqiq.'"
"Abu Yusuf al-Thawri says, 'I follow Imam Abu Hanifah in majority of issues.'"
"Yahya bin Sa'eed Qattan says, 'We have not heard an opinion better than that of Imam Abu
Hanifah and thus we give fatwa on his qawl.'"
"Ibn al-Mubarak says, 'I have seen Mus'ir ask questions and benefit from the study circles of
Imam Abu Hanifah.'"
6 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
In Khayrat al-Hisaan, pg 26, it is stated by Ibn Jarir :علیه اللہ رحمة
"The second chapter is regarding those who acquired Hadith and Fiqh from Abu Hanifah and to
assess their number is impossible."
"This is the reason why some 'Ulema state that amongst the A'immah of Islam, no one has as
many students as Imam Abu Hanifah."
Look at this with justice and without any bias. Waqi', Ibn Yahya al-Wasti, Ibn al-Mubarak,
Sufyan al-Thawri, Mus'ir bin Kudam, Yahya bin Sa'eed al-Qattan and others have spoken so
highly about the Fiqh and Opinion of Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة . Thousands have
acquired Hadith and Fiqh from Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة and have become famous by his
blessing in the world.
As is seen in Manaqib al-Kurdari and Manqib Mawafiq of Ibn Ahmad al-Makki.
7 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
Despite of this, Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة says,
"سکتوا عن رأيه و حدیثا"
If this is not out of malice due to Mathhab then what is it?
Fourthly, If, according to Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة , a narrator should be left and nothing
should be taken from him if he is a Murjee, then due to what reason did Imam Bukhari رحمة
,Nasibiyah ,Murjeeah like sects deviant the from Ahadith Bukhari Sahih his in include اللہ علیه
Kharijiyah, Shi'a, Jahmiyah, Qadariyah and others. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, in Muqaddamah Fath
al-Bari, has written this in detail name by name. Over here we will mention the total number of
people from four of these deviant sects. Murjeeah 31; Shi'a 2; Qadariyah 28; Nasibiyah 5.
Then according to the standards of Ghair Muqallideen, does Sahih Bukhari not become the
weakest of all books?
8 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
Now that the topic of the narrators of Bukhari has been touched, it is only appropriate to talk
about some of these narrators. The world knows that Sahih Bukhari has been accepted as
'Asahhul Kutub' unanimously (which means that as a collection it has collectively more sahih
ahadith; this does not mean that each and every hadith of Bukhari is most authentic when
compared to other ahadith found in different collections). It is without any doubt that Imam
Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has put in a lot of effort in it which is worthy of much praise. May Allah
(swt) accept his effort.
However, it has many narrators on whom different types of Jarh have been done. Examples are
given below:
(a) Kathhab: Extreme liar
(b) Yakthibul Hadith: Lies in matters of Hadith
(c) Yasriqul Hadith: Steals Hadith
(d) Yadha'ul Hadith: Invents Hadith
9 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
It is seen that the highest form of Jarh is also included. Fathul Bari and Meezanul I'tidaal can be
referred for more details. They list more than 100 such narrators.
Despite these Jarh, Imam Bukhari did not consider these narrators among those from whom
Hadith should not be taken. Instead, he accepted Ahadith from them. And despite this, other
Muhadditheen did not deny Sahih Bukhari to be Asahhul Kutub.
Then what is the reason apart from Mathhabi malice that Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة did not
take from Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة although no Jarh can be done on him according
to the principles of this science?
Thus when this malice is established by clear evidence then what weight can the Jarh of Imam
Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة have in regards to Imam Abu Hanifah .علیه اللہ رحمة
Fifthly, if the Hadith of narrators, on whom Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has done Jarh, is to
be rejected then there are many such narrators taken by Imams Muslim, Nasai, Tirmidhi, Abu
Dawood and others علیھم اللہ رحمة who should be rejected according to this rule. But
Muhadditheen did not consider such narrators as rejected.
10 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
Then why should Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة be rejected due to the Jarh of Imam
Bukhari ?علیه اللہ رحمة
In 'Kitab al-Dhu'afa', Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has said that Ovais Qarni's sanad is
doubtful ( نظر اسنادہ فی ) and this Jarh, according to the rules of Bukhari, is a serious one.
However, Ovais Qarni cannot be considered to be Majruh.
Sixthly, if Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة relied on his own Jarh, then he would not have
narrated from narrators on whom he has done Jarh. There are many such narrators in Bukhari
whom Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has declared Majruh. Such narrators are listed below:
1. Usayd bin Zayd al-Jalal – Imam Dhahabi علیه اللہ رحمة has mentioned in al-Meezan, "It is
strange that Imam Bukhari has taken narrations from this narrator in his Sahih and has also
mentioned him in al-Dhu'afa."
2. 'Ayub bin 'Aa'id – Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has mentioned in his book al-Dhu'afa, "He
used to prefer the beliefs of Murjeeah despite being truthful.
11 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
3. Thabit bin Muhammad – Imam Dhahabi علیه اللہ رحمة has stated, "Although Imam Bukhari
has narrated from this narrator, he has included him in his al-Dhu'afa."
4. Zuhayr bin Muhammad – Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has said in his al-Dhu'afa, "People
of Shaam have narrated Munkaraat from him."
5. Ziyad bin Rasigh – Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة said his sanad is doubtful as is also found
in al-Meezan.
6. 'Ataa Ibn Maimoona – Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة mentioned in his al-Dhu'afa, "He used
to like the beliefs of Qadariyyah." And it is mentioned in the Muqaddama of Fathul Bari that
many narrators were inclined towards Qadariyyah e.g. Hams bin Minhala. Imam Dhahabi رحمة
Munkar has he and Qadariyyah a being of accused been has he that said has اللہ علیه
Hadith and that is why Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has included him in al-Dhu'afa.
Look at this from an unbiased perspective. If Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة trusted his own
Jarh, then why did he narrate from these people? When Imam Bukhari himself does not trust his
own Jarh, then it is strange that the Muqallideen of Bukhari trust his Jarh and call Imam Abu
12 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة weak in Hadith.
Seventhly, if near those who object, the Jarh of Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة , despite being
inaccurate and against 'usuls, is valid in the case of Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة , then
why would Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة not be Majruh and rejected? Is Jarh on Imam Bukhari
are them of Some .are they course Of ?Hadith of imma'A by established not رحمة اللہ علیه
listed below:
1. Imam Thehli علیه اللہ رحمة , the teacher of Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة , has done
serious Jarh on him. In Tabqat al-Shafi'iyyah, Vol.12, pg 12, it is stated, "Imam Thehli said, 'He
who visits the study circle of Imam Bukhari should not come to us as people of Baghdad have
written to us that Imam Bukhari does kalam in the case of the words of the Qur'an (being
created or uncreated) and we told him not to do so. However, he did not listen. Thus do not go
to him.'"
Note that not only did Imam Thehli علیه اللہ رحمة tell people not to visit Imam Bukhari رحمة
coming ,an'Qur the of words the that thinks who innovator an is he that said also but اللہ علیه
out of his mouth are words of the creation. Neither should anyone sit with him nor talk to him.
13 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
This warning of Imam Thehli علیه اللہ رحمة had such a huge impact on people that many
stopped meeting Imam Bukhari.
In Tarikh Ibn Khalkaan, Vol.2 pg 123, it is stated, "When a difference arose between Imam
Bukhari and Muhammad bin Yahya regarding the words of the Qur'an, he stopped people from
going to Bukhari. So much so that Imam Bukhari was compelled to migrate from Nishapur and,
apart from Imam Muslim, many people boycotted him."
2. Imam Muslim علیه اللہ رحمة , despite his closeness to Imam Bukhari, has not narrated a
single Hadith from him in his Sahih Muslim. In fact, in the discussion of "'an'ana" Hadith, he has
referred to Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة with the word "'asawna" (which means he opposes
him in this matter) and has severely criticized him. For reference see Muslim Vol. 1, pg 21.
3. Abu Thur'ah and Abu Hatim علیھما اللہ رحمة have not taken from Imam Bukhari رحمة
and ah'Thur Abu" ,mentioned is it ,190 pg 1.Vol ,iyyah'Shafi-al Tabqaat In .either اللہ علیه
Abu Hatim have left Imam Bukhari because of the difference in the case of the Words of the
Qur'an."
14 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
In Meezanul I'tidaal it is stated, ". . . .Abu Thur'ah and Abu Hatim did not narrate from the Imam
Bukhari, the student of 'Ali Ibn al-Madini, because of the dispute regarding the Words of the
Qur'an."
And Abdur Rahman Ibn Abi Hatim علیه اللہ رحمة says, "Abu Thur'ah left Imam Bukhari due to
this reason."
4. Ibn Mundah علیه اللہ رحمة has categorized Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة amongst the
Mudalliseen (such a narrator who conceals the name of his Shaykh or the Shaykh of his
Shaykh) in Shurutul A'immah. Thus he stated, "Bukhari has narrated in his books in these ways:
'I said to fulan (an unnamed person)' which is permitted, and 'Fulan has said this,' and this is
Tadlees."
It is obvious that Tadlees is a greater defect when compared to weak memory as it is a
voluntary act and there is fraud and deception in it. That is why Shamsi has said, "Tadlees is
Haram near the A'immah." (Muqaddama Usul al-Shaykh al-Muhaddith al-Dehalawi 'alal
Mishkat, pg 2)
15 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
Please note, Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has narrated about 30 Ahadith from Imam Thehli
strict was because famous was he which with name the mentioned not has but رحمة اللہ علیه
aggression between Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة and Imam Thehli علیه اللہ رحمة . In
Tareekh Ibn Khalqan vol.2 pg 134, it is stated, "Imam Bukhari narrated from Imam Thehli in 30
places and has not mentioned his name anywhere. He should have said, 'Muhammad bin
Yahya Thehli narrated to me' but instead said 'Muhammad narrated to me.' And in some places
he has mentioned him as Muhammad bin 'Abdullah' ('Abdullah was the name of his
grandfather) and in some places he attributed it to his great grandfather."
5. Darqutni and Hakim علیھما اللہ رحمة have said that Imam Bukhari's علیه اللہ رحمة
narrating Hadith from Ishaq bin Muhammad bin Ismail has been considered to be something
with defect. In Muqaddama Fathul Bari pg 451 it is stated, "Darqutni and Hakim said that there
is an allegation on Bukhari in narration of Hadith."
Darqutni and Hakim علیھما اللہ رحمة mean that Ishaq bin Muhammad has been considered
trustworthy by Bukhari whereas he is weak. He could not differentiate between Thiqah and
Da'eef. And Isma'il علیه اللہ رحمة has shown astonishment that Imam Bukhari اللہ رحمة
as Mutassil considers but Sahih as Juhani Salih Abu of narration 'Munqata the considers علیه
Da'eef.
It is written in Muqaddama Fathul Bari pg 483, "Ismail accused Bukhari and was surprised that
why does Bukhari consider the Ahadith of Abu Salih Juhani as evidence when it is not Mutassil."
16 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
He added, "It is more astonishing that Bukhari considers Munqata' Hadith as authority and
Mutassil as Da'eef."
6. Thahabi علیه اللہ رحمة has also shown bewilderment on some of his works. He writes in
the biography of Usayd bin Zayd al-Jamal, "It is astonishing that Bukhari considers him to be
Da'eef yet narrates from him."
What can one say about the memory of a person who considers a narrator as weak and yet
narrates from him in Asahhul Kutub!
Those who object should do some justice. If Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة is weak due to
the Jarh of Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة then why would Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة not
be Majruh on the basis of the Jarh of Ibn Mundah علیه اللہ رحمة and Thehli ?علیه اللہ رحمة
7. By the yardstick used by those who object (on Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة ), Imam
Bukhari himself is proven to be Majruh. Thus what effect can the Jarh of a Majruh have on
Imam Abu Hanifah ?علیه اللہ رحمة
17 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
It is sad that Ghair Muqallideen attack Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة due to mere jealousy
and do not realize that they live in glass houses.
If Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة will be called Da'eef, then all the Muhaditheen of the
world will become Da'eef and rejected in matters of Hadith.
Note: It should be clear that these Jarh have been noted down just to answer the opponents.
This is just how Mawlana Shah 'Abdul 'Aziz Muhaddith Dehlawi, in his book "Tohfa" has
adopted an offensive position (as opposed to defensive) against Shi'a. Otherwise, in truth, our
Aqeedah is that Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة and Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة are
trustworthy, truthful, just, with strong memory and devout worshippers (of Allah). None of them
is Majruh. And Hadith narrated by them is accepted. The reasons due to which we do not
accept the Jarh on Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة are the same due to which we do not accept
the Jarh on Imam Abu Hanifah .علیه اللہ رحمة
ر بَ نَّ اَ اغ فْ رِ ل نَ اَ و لَ إِ خِ وْ اَن نِ اَ ال ذَّ يِن س بَ قَ وُن اَ ب اِل أْ يِم اَن و لَا
ت جَ عْ لَ ف يِ ق لُ وُب نِ اَ غ لِا ل لِ ذَّ يِن آم نَ وُا ر بَ نَّ اَ إ نِ كَّ ر ؤَ وُفٌ
ر حَ يِمٌ
18 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
The above material is an excerpt from the book, 'Imam Abu Hanifah par Ai'terazaat kay
Jawabaat' (Responding to the Objections against Imam Abu Hanifah) pg 41-54
19 / 19
By Pir Syed Mushtaq 'Ali Shah
Translated by Ebrahim Saifuddin
The claim is a matter of much bravery and courage because no such saying of Imam Bukhari
of result a but is claim This .claim this up back can which presented be can رحمة اللہ علیه
jealousy, malice and enmity where whatever the heart desires is said. What can one call this if
not a result of malice?
Hafidh Ibn 'Abdul 'Aziz Ibn Abi Rawaad علیه اللہ رحمة spoke the truth with sagacity which
was noted down by Ibn Hajar Makki علیه اللہ رحمة in Khayraatul Hisaan pg.35:
1 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
"Hafidh Ibn 'Abdul 'Aziz Ibn Abi Rawaad said that whosoever loves Imam Abu Hanifah is a
Sunni and whoever has malice in his heart for him does Bid'ah. It is stated in a narration that
Imam Abu Hanifah is between us and the people of the past. Thus whosoever loves him is from
the People of Sunnah and whosoever has malice against him is from the People of Innovation."
Some Ghair Muqallideen lead astray the common layman by saying that Imam Bukhari رحمة
:afaa'Dhu-al Kitab book his in written has اللہ علیه
"(Imam Abu Hanifah) was Murjee and people adopted silence from narrating from him."
In reply to this I say that firstly the book al-Dhu'afaa by Imam Bukhari ,علیه اللہ رحمة
published in Agra Allahabad, does not contain any such sentence. The same is not found in
Adab al-Mufrad, Juzul Qira'ah and Khalqul 'Ibad either. Even if it is taken to be true, the reply is
that Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة had enmity of mathhab towards Imam Abu Hanifah رحمة
jarh this Thus . رحمة اللہ علیه Bukhari Imam of writings the in apparent is which اللہ علیه
cannot be accepted on the basis of enmity of mathhab. That is why Thahabi, Ibn Hajar,
Wasiuddin Khizaji and others علیھم اللہ رحمة did not give any importance to this Jarh and did
not even mention it by considering it " ."به یعبا لا
2 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
Secondly, regarding the saying that Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة was a Murjee, the
meaning has to be established. If by Murjee those were referred on whom be Allah's Curse,
then this is absolutely wrong because it is stated in Fiqh al-Akbar:
"We do not say like the Murjeeah that it is for certain that our good deeds are accepted and sins
are forgiven. We say that whosoever does good deeds with all the right conditions, provided he
does not make them void and dies in the state of Iman, then Allah will not let go his good deeds
to waste and will reward him accordingly by accepting his deeds."
It is stated in Khayrat al-Hisaan, pg 73, it is stated:
"The Commentator of al-Muwaqif mentions that Ghisaan Murjee used to say things so that it
would seem that Imam Abu Hanifah was a Murjee and he used to include Imam Abu Hanifah in
the Murjeeah sect. Ghisaan deliberately accused Imam Abu Hanifah to legitimize his mathhab.
Shehristani, in al-Mlal wal Nihal, has said that it is astonishing how Ghisaan used to attribute the
teachings of his Murjeeah sect to Imam Abu Hanifah and would call him a Murjeeah. He has
lied."
3 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
And if by Murjeeah it is meant Murjeeah Marhoomah then all of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama'ah is
included in it. It is mentioned in al-Tamheed of Abu Shakoor Salimi:
"There are two types of Murjeeah. One is Murjeeah Marhoomah and it is the Companions of
Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم. The second is Murjeeah Mal'oonah and these are those who say that sins do not
matter and there is no punishment for them. 'Uthman bin Abi Laila once wrote a letter to Imam
Abu Hanifah asking if he is from the Murjeeah. Imam Abu Hanifah replied that there are two
types of Murjeeah. One is Murjeeah Mal'oonah and I am not from them. The other is Murjeeah
Marhoomah and I am from them. In fact, the Anbiya السلام علیھم were also the same. Do you
not know the saying of 'Isa السلام علیه , 'If You (Allah) punish them, they are Your slaves after
all, but if You forgive them, You are the Mighty, the Wise.'
Thus it is learnt that Imam Bukhari's علیه اللہ رحمة saying regarding people not accepting the
Hadith and opinion of Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة is absolutely false and baseless.
Thirdly, in 'Uqud al-Jawahir al-Manifa, the book of Hafidh Mosuli, al-Du'afah is quoted to state:
"Yahya bin Mu'een has said, 'I have not found anyone superior to Waqi' and he used to give
4 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
fatwa on the qawl of Abu Hanifah and would memorize all his Ahadith. He heard a lot of Ahadith
from Abu Hanifah.'"
And it is stated in Manaqib Kurdi, pg 100:
"Sa'eed bin Yahya bin Humayri Wasti was an Imam and Hafidh of Hadith from Wasta. He has
narrated from Imam Abu Hanifah and has acquired knowledge from him. He used to say that
Imam Abu Hanifah is an ocean of knowledge."
And in the same Manaqib on pg 19 it is stated:
"'Abdullah bin Yazeed al-Muqri Makki heard 900 Hadith from Imam Abu Hanifah."
5 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
In Khayrat al-Hisaan, pg 23, it is stated:
"Ibn al-Mubarak said, 'He (Abu Hanifah) used to be the one with most knowledge in Fiqh, and I
have not seen anyone more knowledgeable than him in Fiqh. . . .And he is the most
knowledgeable amongst them (Imam Malik and Sufyan) and better Muhaqqiq and Mudaqqiq.'"
"Abu Yusuf al-Thawri says, 'I follow Imam Abu Hanifah in majority of issues.'"
"Yahya bin Sa'eed Qattan says, 'We have not heard an opinion better than that of Imam Abu
Hanifah and thus we give fatwa on his qawl.'"
"Ibn al-Mubarak says, 'I have seen Mus'ir ask questions and benefit from the study circles of
Imam Abu Hanifah.'"
6 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
In Khayrat al-Hisaan, pg 26, it is stated by Ibn Jarir :علیه اللہ رحمة
"The second chapter is regarding those who acquired Hadith and Fiqh from Abu Hanifah and to
assess their number is impossible."
"This is the reason why some 'Ulema state that amongst the A'immah of Islam, no one has as
many students as Imam Abu Hanifah."
Look at this with justice and without any bias. Waqi', Ibn Yahya al-Wasti, Ibn al-Mubarak,
Sufyan al-Thawri, Mus'ir bin Kudam, Yahya bin Sa'eed al-Qattan and others have spoken so
highly about the Fiqh and Opinion of Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة . Thousands have
acquired Hadith and Fiqh from Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة and have become famous by his
blessing in the world.
As is seen in Manaqib al-Kurdari and Manqib Mawafiq of Ibn Ahmad al-Makki.
7 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
Despite of this, Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة says,
"سکتوا عن رأيه و حدیثا"
If this is not out of malice due to Mathhab then what is it?
Fourthly, If, according to Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة , a narrator should be left and nothing
should be taken from him if he is a Murjee, then due to what reason did Imam Bukhari رحمة
,Nasibiyah ,Murjeeah like sects deviant the from Ahadith Bukhari Sahih his in include اللہ علیه
Kharijiyah, Shi'a, Jahmiyah, Qadariyah and others. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, in Muqaddamah Fath
al-Bari, has written this in detail name by name. Over here we will mention the total number of
people from four of these deviant sects. Murjeeah 31; Shi'a 2; Qadariyah 28; Nasibiyah 5.
Then according to the standards of Ghair Muqallideen, does Sahih Bukhari not become the
weakest of all books?
8 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
Now that the topic of the narrators of Bukhari has been touched, it is only appropriate to talk
about some of these narrators. The world knows that Sahih Bukhari has been accepted as
'Asahhul Kutub' unanimously (which means that as a collection it has collectively more sahih
ahadith; this does not mean that each and every hadith of Bukhari is most authentic when
compared to other ahadith found in different collections). It is without any doubt that Imam
Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has put in a lot of effort in it which is worthy of much praise. May Allah
(swt) accept his effort.
However, it has many narrators on whom different types of Jarh have been done. Examples are
given below:
(a) Kathhab: Extreme liar
(b) Yakthibul Hadith: Lies in matters of Hadith
(c) Yasriqul Hadith: Steals Hadith
(d) Yadha'ul Hadith: Invents Hadith
9 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
It is seen that the highest form of Jarh is also included. Fathul Bari and Meezanul I'tidaal can be
referred for more details. They list more than 100 such narrators.
Despite these Jarh, Imam Bukhari did not consider these narrators among those from whom
Hadith should not be taken. Instead, he accepted Ahadith from them. And despite this, other
Muhadditheen did not deny Sahih Bukhari to be Asahhul Kutub.
Then what is the reason apart from Mathhabi malice that Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة did not
take from Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة although no Jarh can be done on him according
to the principles of this science?
Thus when this malice is established by clear evidence then what weight can the Jarh of Imam
Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة have in regards to Imam Abu Hanifah .علیه اللہ رحمة
Fifthly, if the Hadith of narrators, on whom Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has done Jarh, is to
be rejected then there are many such narrators taken by Imams Muslim, Nasai, Tirmidhi, Abu
Dawood and others علیھم اللہ رحمة who should be rejected according to this rule. But
Muhadditheen did not consider such narrators as rejected.
10 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
Then why should Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة be rejected due to the Jarh of Imam
Bukhari ?علیه اللہ رحمة
In 'Kitab al-Dhu'afa', Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has said that Ovais Qarni's sanad is
doubtful ( نظر اسنادہ فی ) and this Jarh, according to the rules of Bukhari, is a serious one.
However, Ovais Qarni cannot be considered to be Majruh.
Sixthly, if Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة relied on his own Jarh, then he would not have
narrated from narrators on whom he has done Jarh. There are many such narrators in Bukhari
whom Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has declared Majruh. Such narrators are listed below:
1. Usayd bin Zayd al-Jalal – Imam Dhahabi علیه اللہ رحمة has mentioned in al-Meezan, "It is
strange that Imam Bukhari has taken narrations from this narrator in his Sahih and has also
mentioned him in al-Dhu'afa."
2. 'Ayub bin 'Aa'id – Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has mentioned in his book al-Dhu'afa, "He
used to prefer the beliefs of Murjeeah despite being truthful.
11 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
3. Thabit bin Muhammad – Imam Dhahabi علیه اللہ رحمة has stated, "Although Imam Bukhari
has narrated from this narrator, he has included him in his al-Dhu'afa."
4. Zuhayr bin Muhammad – Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has said in his al-Dhu'afa, "People
of Shaam have narrated Munkaraat from him."
5. Ziyad bin Rasigh – Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة said his sanad is doubtful as is also found
in al-Meezan.
6. 'Ataa Ibn Maimoona – Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة mentioned in his al-Dhu'afa, "He used
to like the beliefs of Qadariyyah." And it is mentioned in the Muqaddama of Fathul Bari that
many narrators were inclined towards Qadariyyah e.g. Hams bin Minhala. Imam Dhahabi رحمة
Munkar has he and Qadariyyah a being of accused been has he that said has اللہ علیه
Hadith and that is why Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has included him in al-Dhu'afa.
Look at this from an unbiased perspective. If Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة trusted his own
Jarh, then why did he narrate from these people? When Imam Bukhari himself does not trust his
own Jarh, then it is strange that the Muqallideen of Bukhari trust his Jarh and call Imam Abu
12 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة weak in Hadith.
Seventhly, if near those who object, the Jarh of Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة , despite being
inaccurate and against 'usuls, is valid in the case of Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة , then
why would Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة not be Majruh and rejected? Is Jarh on Imam Bukhari
are them of Some .are they course Of ?Hadith of imma'A by established not رحمة اللہ علیه
listed below:
1. Imam Thehli علیه اللہ رحمة , the teacher of Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة , has done
serious Jarh on him. In Tabqat al-Shafi'iyyah, Vol.12, pg 12, it is stated, "Imam Thehli said, 'He
who visits the study circle of Imam Bukhari should not come to us as people of Baghdad have
written to us that Imam Bukhari does kalam in the case of the words of the Qur'an (being
created or uncreated) and we told him not to do so. However, he did not listen. Thus do not go
to him.'"
Note that not only did Imam Thehli علیه اللہ رحمة tell people not to visit Imam Bukhari رحمة
coming ,an'Qur the of words the that thinks who innovator an is he that said also but اللہ علیه
out of his mouth are words of the creation. Neither should anyone sit with him nor talk to him.
13 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
This warning of Imam Thehli علیه اللہ رحمة had such a huge impact on people that many
stopped meeting Imam Bukhari.
In Tarikh Ibn Khalkaan, Vol.2 pg 123, it is stated, "When a difference arose between Imam
Bukhari and Muhammad bin Yahya regarding the words of the Qur'an, he stopped people from
going to Bukhari. So much so that Imam Bukhari was compelled to migrate from Nishapur and,
apart from Imam Muslim, many people boycotted him."
2. Imam Muslim علیه اللہ رحمة , despite his closeness to Imam Bukhari, has not narrated a
single Hadith from him in his Sahih Muslim. In fact, in the discussion of "'an'ana" Hadith, he has
referred to Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة with the word "'asawna" (which means he opposes
him in this matter) and has severely criticized him. For reference see Muslim Vol. 1, pg 21.
3. Abu Thur'ah and Abu Hatim علیھما اللہ رحمة have not taken from Imam Bukhari رحمة
and ah'Thur Abu" ,mentioned is it ,190 pg 1.Vol ,iyyah'Shafi-al Tabqaat In .either اللہ علیه
Abu Hatim have left Imam Bukhari because of the difference in the case of the Words of the
Qur'an."
14 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
In Meezanul I'tidaal it is stated, ". . . .Abu Thur'ah and Abu Hatim did not narrate from the Imam
Bukhari, the student of 'Ali Ibn al-Madini, because of the dispute regarding the Words of the
Qur'an."
And Abdur Rahman Ibn Abi Hatim علیه اللہ رحمة says, "Abu Thur'ah left Imam Bukhari due to
this reason."
4. Ibn Mundah علیه اللہ رحمة has categorized Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة amongst the
Mudalliseen (such a narrator who conceals the name of his Shaykh or the Shaykh of his
Shaykh) in Shurutul A'immah. Thus he stated, "Bukhari has narrated in his books in these ways:
'I said to fulan (an unnamed person)' which is permitted, and 'Fulan has said this,' and this is
Tadlees."
It is obvious that Tadlees is a greater defect when compared to weak memory as it is a
voluntary act and there is fraud and deception in it. That is why Shamsi has said, "Tadlees is
Haram near the A'immah." (Muqaddama Usul al-Shaykh al-Muhaddith al-Dehalawi 'alal
Mishkat, pg 2)
15 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
Please note, Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة has narrated about 30 Ahadith from Imam Thehli
strict was because famous was he which with name the mentioned not has but رحمة اللہ علیه
aggression between Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة and Imam Thehli علیه اللہ رحمة . In
Tareekh Ibn Khalqan vol.2 pg 134, it is stated, "Imam Bukhari narrated from Imam Thehli in 30
places and has not mentioned his name anywhere. He should have said, 'Muhammad bin
Yahya Thehli narrated to me' but instead said 'Muhammad narrated to me.' And in some places
he has mentioned him as Muhammad bin 'Abdullah' ('Abdullah was the name of his
grandfather) and in some places he attributed it to his great grandfather."
5. Darqutni and Hakim علیھما اللہ رحمة have said that Imam Bukhari's علیه اللہ رحمة
narrating Hadith from Ishaq bin Muhammad bin Ismail has been considered to be something
with defect. In Muqaddama Fathul Bari pg 451 it is stated, "Darqutni and Hakim said that there
is an allegation on Bukhari in narration of Hadith."
Darqutni and Hakim علیھما اللہ رحمة mean that Ishaq bin Muhammad has been considered
trustworthy by Bukhari whereas he is weak. He could not differentiate between Thiqah and
Da'eef. And Isma'il علیه اللہ رحمة has shown astonishment that Imam Bukhari اللہ رحمة
as Mutassil considers but Sahih as Juhani Salih Abu of narration 'Munqata the considers علیه
Da'eef.
It is written in Muqaddama Fathul Bari pg 483, "Ismail accused Bukhari and was surprised that
why does Bukhari consider the Ahadith of Abu Salih Juhani as evidence when it is not Mutassil."
16 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
He added, "It is more astonishing that Bukhari considers Munqata' Hadith as authority and
Mutassil as Da'eef."
6. Thahabi علیه اللہ رحمة has also shown bewilderment on some of his works. He writes in
the biography of Usayd bin Zayd al-Jamal, "It is astonishing that Bukhari considers him to be
Da'eef yet narrates from him."
What can one say about the memory of a person who considers a narrator as weak and yet
narrates from him in Asahhul Kutub!
Those who object should do some justice. If Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة is weak due to
the Jarh of Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة then why would Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة not
be Majruh on the basis of the Jarh of Ibn Mundah علیه اللہ رحمة and Thehli ?علیه اللہ رحمة
7. By the yardstick used by those who object (on Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة ), Imam
Bukhari himself is proven to be Majruh. Thus what effect can the Jarh of a Majruh have on
Imam Abu Hanifah ?علیه اللہ رحمة
17 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
It is sad that Ghair Muqallideen attack Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة due to mere jealousy
and do not realize that they live in glass houses.
If Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة will be called Da'eef, then all the Muhaditheen of the
world will become Da'eef and rejected in matters of Hadith.
Note: It should be clear that these Jarh have been noted down just to answer the opponents.
This is just how Mawlana Shah 'Abdul 'Aziz Muhaddith Dehlawi, in his book "Tohfa" has
adopted an offensive position (as opposed to defensive) against Shi'a. Otherwise, in truth, our
Aqeedah is that Imam Abu Hanifah علیه اللہ رحمة and Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة are
trustworthy, truthful, just, with strong memory and devout worshippers (of Allah). None of them
is Majruh. And Hadith narrated by them is accepted. The reasons due to which we do not
accept the Jarh on Imam Bukhari علیه اللہ رحمة are the same due to which we do not accept
the Jarh on Imam Abu Hanifah .علیه اللہ رحمة
ر بَ نَّ اَ اغ فْ رِ ل نَ اَ و لَ إِ خِ وْ اَن نِ اَ ال ذَّ يِن س بَ قَ وُن اَ ب اِل أْ يِم اَن و لَا
ت جَ عْ لَ ف يِ ق لُ وُب نِ اَ غ لِا ل لِ ذَّ يِن آم نَ وُا ر بَ نَّ اَ إ نِ كَّ ر ؤَ وُفٌ
ر حَ يِمٌ
18 / 19
Imam Bukhari Criticizes Imam Abu Hanifah: An Analysis
The above material is an excerpt from the book, 'Imam Abu Hanifah par Ai'terazaat kay
Jawabaat' (Responding to the Objections against Imam Abu Hanifah) pg 41-54
19 / 19
__._,_.___
| Reply via web post | Reply to sender | Reply to group | Start a New Topic | Messages in this topic (1) |
.
__,_._,___
No comments:
Post a Comment