Al-Bukhaari: the master in the science of Prophetic narrations

His mother woke up with a start and said happily: "What a pleasant
dream! Allaah's messenger Ibraaheemappeared in my dream, and said: "O
woman! Allaah restored your son's eye sight because of your frequent
supplications". She said: "O Allaah, make it a glad tiding. "O Allaah
answer my supplications and restore the sight of my child."
The pious mother walked to her son's room, hardly able to move her
feet. When she reached his bed, she was about to wake him up but she
hesitated. Her broken heart was beating and she kept tenderly and
kindly caressing his head with her shaky hands. She was still
supplicating and hoping that Allaah would answer her frequent
supplications and cure her son. The young boy woke up and started
looking in amazement and moving his eyelids in confusion. He said in a
breaking voice:
"Mother!! I can see you, I can see your beautiful face! I can see my
room and my toys!!"
All perfect praise be to Allaah! All perfect praise be to Allaah!
Allaah gave me back my eyesight!!"
She was so happy that she thought she was dreaming. But she soon
realized that it was real when she saw her beloved son running and
playing as he used to do. Filled with faith and happiness, she said:
"All perfect praise be to Allaah! All perfect praise be to Allaah who
has the power to do everything."
One day, when the mother was tidying up the house in the morning, she
came across a few papers containing some narrations of the Prophet.
She remembered her beloved husband and said sadly and painfully while
wiping the tears off her cheeks: "May Allaah have mercy on you,
Muhammad's father. You were a man who used to fear Allaah. You dreamed
for a long time that your son Muhammad would be a religious scholar! I
promise you that I will do my best to achieve your dear wish, Allaah
willing." Then she called her son kindly, and Muhammad hurried to her
obediently. Then, she said to him: "It is time for you, my son to seek
religious knowledge and benefit yourself and the people around you.
Tomorrow I will send you to a small school where you can memorize the
Quran, learn Prophetic narrations and study the Arabic language to
become an honourable scholar like your father, Ismaa'eel.
The young boy, Muhammad, said cleverly: "Mother! Was my father an
eminent scholar?"
The mother replied: "Yes, my son." Mohammad, then said politely: "I
promise you, Mother, that I will follow his footsteps seriously and
exert all my efforts."
The city ofBukhaaraa)now in Islamic Uzbekistan( was located at that
time in one of the greatest countries beyond the Transoxus
)nowTurkistan(. Schools of knowledge where people could learn Arabic,
the Quran, history, and Fiqh )Islamic jurisprudence( were spread
throughout the city. The young boy, Muhammad Ibn Ismaa'eel
Al-Bukhaarithen set out to quench his thirst for knowledge from these
sweet springs. Early in his life, he showed signs of intelligence that
surprised everyone around him. He had a sharp mind, an attentive
heart, an amazing memory, and an incredible ability to memorize.
Before he was ten, he had memorized the whole Quran, mastered the
Arabic language, covered much of the Fiqh, and memorized many
Prophetic narrations. His pious good mother always encouraged her son
and prepared a suitable atmosphere for him to acquire knowledge. When
Al-Bukhaarifinished his studies in the small schools, his wise mother
thought to send him to the well-known study circles in Bukhaaraa,
Samarqand, Bekend, Marw, and Nesabor. He became famous among the
scholars to the point that he used to argue with his professors and
even corrected them sometimes!!
The success and physiognomy of Al-Bukhaarididn't end there. His shaykh
and teacher Mohammad Ibn Salaam Al-Bekandythe scholar of Buhaaraa and
the scholar of Prophetic narrations across the Transoxus
)nowTurkistan(, used to ask him to revise some of his books and
corrected any mistakes he found. Scholars used to wonder in
astonishment: "Who was that boy who edits the books of his
professor?!"
Imaam Bekandiused to say proudly about his clever student:"This boy is
unique of his kind."
On many occasions Imaam Bekanditalked to his colleagues about his
student, Al-Bukhaariwho memorized seventy thousand Prophetic
narrations by heart. In addition to this, he never reported a
narration of the companionsor the generation following them unless he
knew when and where they were born, as well as where they lived and
died!
The years passed and Mohammad Ibn Ismaa'eelreached the age of sixteen
years. He felt a great need to go and seek knowledge in every corner
of the world to satisfy his thirst for knowledge. He headed to Makkah,
accompanied by his mother and elder brother, Ahmad, in 210 AH to
perform Hajj )pilgrimage( and seek more knowledge. After the
pilgrimage, his mother and brother Ahmad returned to Bukhaaraa while
he stayed in Makkah to move between its domes of knowledge: East, and
west; North and South. Before the end of two years in this sacred
city, he started writing his bookThe Issues of the companionsand their
Followerswhich marked the beginning of his renowned books.
* Al-Bukhaarialways loved to visit Madeenah. Among the fruits of his
visits to that blessed place was writing his book:"The Big Book of
History"which is considered the first book that comprises the names of
the narrators of Prophetic narrations and the details of their lives.
From that wonderful sacred spot, Al-Bukhaariset out on a relentless
endeavor to visit all the Islamic territories out of his love for
compiling the Prophetic narrations. He traveled to Hijaaz )Saudi
Arabia(, Levant )Syria,Jordan,PalestineandLebanon(,Egypt, and
Khurasaan )a vast area between north eastIran, southernRussia, and
westernAfghanistan(. He visited Basrah and settled for some time
inBaghdadwhich was the capital of the Abbasid state at that time. He
greatly benefited from these journeys seeking knowledge. He had the
pleasure of meeting most the narrators of Prophetic narrations at that
time, sat with them, listened to the narrations, and memorized
whatever knowledge they had.
One night, Al-Bukhaarihad a strange dream that later had a great
impact on his life. He saw himself standing before the Prophetholding
a palm-leaf fan in his hand with which he pushed all evil away from
the Prophet. He was so confused and surprised that he went to his
scholarsasking them to interpret his dream. They said happily:"You
will clear the lies and false claims away from the Prophet."
Al-Bukhaarithen remembered his teacher, shaykh Is-Haaq Ibn Raahawayh,
the prominent scholar of Khurasaan, when he told his students once:"It
would be great if you can compile a concise and brief book containing
the authentic narrations of the Prophet."
These words echoed in Al-Bukhaari's heart and he remembered that dream
which was always in his mind since he started learning the Prophetic
narrations. Thereupon, he immediately made an intention to actively
and seriously pursue this mission and started to strive in his long
journey of writing this great book in 217 AH when he was twenty three.
Because of that dream, Al-Bukhaaritraveled thousands of miles moving
from one Islamic territory to another, undergoing all sorts of
difficulties, hardships, and weariness, sometimes to obtain only one
narration of the Prophet. He sometimes even had to eat grass to
satisfy his extreme hunger after he had spent all his money. Even the
few hours of night in which he snatched short naps to rest a while,
were not so resting for him, as he used to wake up fifteen to twenty
times a night to lit his lamp and sit to classify the narrations he
had collected. Al-Bukhaarimade a pact with himself that he wouldn't
include a narration from any narrator until he had personally met him,
and listened to the narration with his own ears. He never accepted
narrations except from the ones who were known for being honest,
diligent, accurate, fearing Allaah, and having a sharp memory. After
this process, he would have a ritual bath; pray two Rak'as and then
include only the narration that had met all these conditions in his
book.
After sixteen years of continuous effort and hard work,
Al-Bukhaarifinished his valuable book that comprised around 7000
authentic narrations which he selected from amongst 600,000 authentic
and non-authentic narrations. He overlooked many authentic narrations
so that his book wouldn't be too long. He chose to name the book"The
Authentic Book Encompassing a Brief Authentic Narrations of the
Prophet,his Tradition and Life"to become the title of the most
authentic book after the Quran. The book is known as'Saheeh
Al-Bukhaari')The authentic narrations reported by Al-Bukhaari(. This
book became well known and it gave him a high rank that someone like
him truly deserved to achieve. Hehad a vast knowledge, great manners,
a tolerant nature, dignity, and an untainted tongue. He cared so
little for this life, he had deep faith, and had Allaah's
consciousness at all times. After Imaam Al-Bukhaaribecame famous
throughout the world, thousands of scholars came to him as students of
the leader in memorization of authentic narrations until the number of
people who attended his study circles in Baghdad reached 20,000. Among
the most remarkable figures of his students were Imaams At-Tirmithi,
An-Nasaa'ee, Muslim, and others.
In 250 AH, Al-Bukhaarileft to Nisabor, a city in Khurasaan and stayed
there for a while teaching the people. Then he decided to return to
his dear city, Bukhaaraa, and when he did the people rushed to welcome
him in a great celebration in which huge tents were pitched and
decorations were hung. They threw flowers and golden and silver coins
on the Imaam upon his arrival into the city. There was an overwhelming
atmosphere of happiness that prevailed throughout all Bukhaaraa.
Allaah Willed, out of mercy to the Imaam, that Al-Bukhaariwould only
meet his Lord after peace and happiness had found their way into his
heart again. One day, the people of Samarqand sent a message for him
asking him to come. He agreed and packed with great joy. When he
started walking towards his animal he said: "Take me back, I have
become weak and very ill". When they took him back to his house, he
said some supplications then he laid on his bed sweating a lot, then
his pure soul ascended to its Creator. His deathwas on a Friday night,
the beginning of the month of Shawwaal, 256 AH )870 AD(. He was
sixty-two years old when he died. He was buried in the village of
Khartank which is now known as 'Khawaajah Saaheb'. May Allaah have
mercy upon the great Imaam and may Allaah admit him into Paradise.
Aameen.