ourIslamOnline.net | home
Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ismaeel Bukhari
Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ismaeel Bukhari
Imam Bukhari was one of the most famous Islamic Scholars of his time. He belonged to the era of great Islamic scholars like Ahmed bin Hunbal, Ali bin Madni.
BACKGROUND
IMAM Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Bukhari was born in Bukhara on 13th Shwal 194 Hijrah. His father Ismaeel bin Abraham bin Mughera Aljaefe was a great scholar and collector of hadiths; apart he was a wealthy man.
Early childhood
In early childhood Imam Bukhari's father died, so all the burden of bringing him and taking care was shifted to his mother. Imam Bukhari was blind from very early age. No doctor or hakeem was able to treat his blindness. His mother used to cry and pray for his recovery. one night Hazrat Abraham(a.s) appeared in her dream and told her that her son is no longer blind. In the morning when Imam Bukhari woke up he was able to see once again.
Education
When imam Bukhari reached the age of 10, he got admission to a local school of Hadith. He learned with great ambition and worked very hard. He learned about all narrators in very detail. When he was 16, he had learnt the book of Abdullah bin Mubarik, Wakeeh and others.
Travel for learning
At the age of 18, he, his elder brother Ahmed bin Ismaeel and their mother went to Makkah for performing hajj. After performing hajj his mother and brother returned while he stayed there for seeking further knowledge. He traveled to Makkah for the first time to acquire knowledge in 612 Hijrah. According to him, he traveled to Syria and Egypt twice, four times to Basra and many times to Hijaz, Quffa and Baghdad.
Extraordinary abilities
Imam Bukhari was very talented man. he had extraordinary ability to learn things right, from his childhood. Hundreds of people challenged his abilities but all in vain.
According to Hafiz Ahmed bin Adih, once people of Baghdad planned to test Imam Bukhari's knowledge by giving 10 hadiths to different people all mixed up with each other. They all met in a party given in his honor and asked one by one about the authenticity of the Hadiths. As they recited them, Imam Bukhari told them that they are all incorrect. When they all had finished he stood up and re-assembled all the hadiths at the same time. People present on the occasion were very much impressed by his knowledge and learning ability and praised him for that.
Imam Bukhari knew more then 300,000 hadiths, out of which 100,000 were proved to be authentic. He never told any one any unauthentic Hadith in order to avoid misguidance in people.
PERSONALITY
Imam Bukhari belonged to a financially strong and religious family. Once a person had to return him 50,000 Dhram, but when Imam Bukhari found him unable o pay him back he asked him to pay, just 10 Dhram per month.
He was a very simple person. He preferred to do the work himself. Once near Baghdad he was building an Inn all alone, carrying bricks and tools all by himself. One of his students Muhammad bin Hathim Varak requested him to do it for him. But he refused saying, 'THESE WILL BENIFIT ME ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT'.
According to Varak Imam Bukhari's monthly income was about 500 Dhram. Most of which was spent on the welfare of his students.
He never liked to have the luxuries life. He was not fond of eating or other things. He even ate grass and dry bread as food.
BOOKS
Imam Bukhari spent years in collection of Hadiths. He wrote many books on different topics, especially Hadith. Known numbers of his books are nearly 22. Some of his famous books are:
SAHIH BUKHARI
AL TAREEK-UL-KABEER
AL TAKBEER-UL-WAST
AL TAKBEER-UL-SAGHEER
KITAB-UL QURANI
JAZUH RAFAAH YADHEEN
KITAB-UL ALUBAH
KITAB-UL VAHDOEN
KITAB-UL FAUAID
ASAMI-E-AL SAHABEEH
DEATH
In last days of his life, when he was too old, he decided o stay permanently at one place and teach Hadith. He returned to Baghdad and his return was celebrated with a great enthusiasm all over the city.
Some people who were against him asked Vice Caliph Khalid bin Ahmed Zahli to ask him to teach his son. On request of vice Caliph, Imam Bukhari agreed and asked him to send his child to him in the school. But the Vice Caliph wanted him to teach his son separately from the common people which Imam Bukhari rejected. Vice Caliph ordered him to leave the city. Imam Bukhari left the city very disappointed. After reaching a village Kharatand near Baghdad, he prayed to Allah to take him back as His land has got smaller for him. Soon his body began to sweat, and he started to pray and recite Quran. He died later at the age of 62. He was buried in the same village. Vice Caliph was dismissed from his post when the caliph came to know about his action and was put in the jail, where he died later.