Compilation and Annotation by Aboo Aamir, Ishaaq bn AbdurRaheem, Al-Atharee, al-Man'yaawee
The story of the mihnah (trial) of Al-Imaam Al-Bukhaaree at Naisapur was a very saddening one with its reverberations in history.
It was simply borne out of an act of blameworthy envy from one end to another. May Allaah be merciful to all of them.
Al-Bukhaaree - rahimahullaah - had said:
'A scholar who had an edge over his peers will not be safe from three things: the disparagement of the ignoramuses, the blame of friends and the envy of (other) scholars.'
The status of Al-Imaam Al-Bukhaaree - rahimahullaah - in the arena of Islamic knowledge is well-known. He is a leader without any doubt.
Nuaym bn Hammaad - rahimahullaah - said:
'Muhammad bn Ismaeel is the jurist of this Ummah.' (siyar)
Al-Haafidh Abu Amr al-Khaffaaq - rahimahullaah - said:
'Al-Bukhaaree is better than Ishaq bn Rahaway and Ahmad bn Hambal in the field of hadeeth in twenty places.' (Siyar)
Al-Bukhaaree - rahimahullaah - was less than ten years old when he began to learn hadeeth. He first started the learning from the scholars of his town.
After that, he travelled in search of knowledge all over the Muslim cities: (in) Khurasaan, Basrah, Kufah, Misr, Shaam, Baghdad, etc; from a lot of scholars.
There was no place visited by Al-Bukhaaree - rahimahullaah - except that he was received by a lot of people. He was respected more than how kings and chiefs were.
So the problem started when he visited Naishapur and was received in a way nobody had been received before. That set some balls rolling for envy against him.
Naishapur, in northeastern Iran, was the main city of Khorasan region at the time. A lot of scholars hailed from the city among whom were Al-Imaam Muslim, Al-Imaam al-Haakim and Al-Imaam Muhammad bn Yahya adh-Dhuhlee, Al-Imaam al-Bayhaqee, etc. May Allaah be merciful to all.
Notable in this story is Al-Imaam Muhammad bn Yahya bn Khaalid bn Faaris Adh-Dhuhlee az-Zuhree. He was referred to as Az-Zuhree because he was regarded to have inherited the knowledge of Al-Imaam Muhammad bn Shihaab az-Zuhree at-Taabi'yy.
He was the foremost scholar of Naishapur when Al-Bukhaaree entered the city. He was among those who received him and urged people to learn from him. He too somewhat learnt from Al-Bukhaaree as the latter did from him too. In fact, Al-Bukhaaree had narrations from him but would mention him as 'Muhammad' alone or as 'Muhammad bn Khaalid' for the obvious reason.
Notable among the teachers of Al-Imaam Adh-Dhuhlee were Abdurrahman bn Mahdee and Makiyy bn Ibraaheem (who was also one of the teachers of Al-Bukhaaree). While among his students were Al-Imaam at-Tirmidhee, Al-Imaam Ibn Maajah, Al-Imaam An-Nasaaee, Al-Imaam Ibn Khuzaymah, etc.
Al-Imaam Adh-Dhuhlee - Rahimahullaah - not only commanded respect at Naishapur but in the whole of Khorasan region. The people used to obey him more than they obeyed the rulers.
Al-Imaam Adh-Dhuhlee used to revere Al-Imaam Ahmad such that there was no difference between both in Aqeedah. He said:
'I have made Ahmad bn Hambal the Imaam between me and my Lord.'
After some years Al-Imaam Al-Bukhaaree - rahimahullaah - settled at Naishapur to teach hadeeth, envy set in against him from Al-Imaam Adh-Dhuhlee - rahimahullaah - this after the sittings of the latter became scanty of students. It was an unfortunate development because Al-Imaam Adh-Dhuhlee were amongst those who encouraged students to learn from Bukhaaree.
First lesson for Duaat and teachers of Sunnah from that is let's always be watchful of our intentions and actions at all times. Nobody is safe from the plots of Shaytaan. That one is massively knowledgeable does not mean he can't be envious of others. Scholars of a high status in the society should not feel threatened when young scholars rise under them. Wallaahul musta'an.
Al-Imaam Adh-Dhahabee recorded in Siyar (12/454) back to al-Haakim that he said Al-Imaam Adh-Dhuhlee said when Al-Imaam Al-Bukhaaree entered Naisapur: 'Go to this righteous man and learn from him...' al--Haakim continued: 'But when it appeared that the sittings of Muhammad bn Yahya became scanty, he became envious of him and spoke against him.'
Al-Imaam Adh-Dhahabee also reported in Siyar via Abu Ahmad bn 'Adiyy that when Al-Imaam Al-Bukhaaree arrived in Naishapur and some scholars saw how the students thronged his sittings they became envious of him and accused him ab initio that he believed in the saying that voicing Qur'aan is created. They sent some students to test him. He was asked and he replied: "Al-Qur’an is the Word of Allaah not created, the actions of slaves are created, putting people to test (about this) is bid'ah.' They then abandoned him.
Among the lessons from the last point are: it is good not to accuse before facts. Some students love that there is problem between scholars. Putting scholars of Sunnah to test on Aqeedah issues is bid'ah.
The statement from Al-Bukhaaree that 'actions of slaves are created' was what those people misinterpreted and spread about to mean that Al-Imaam Al-Bukhaaree said: 'voicing Qur'aan is created.' It was on that basis Al-Imaam Adh-Dhuhlee began to warn against him and compelling others to stay away from him.
All along Al-Imaam Al-Bukhaaree was saying "whoever says I said my voicing Qur'aan is created ìs a big liar.' But the people held to Laazim (imperativeness) of his statement, and this was wrong of them.
Lessons: don't hold to a bulk statement of a scholar of Sunnah to nail him most especially after he has tried to clarify himself. Some scholars who rely on reports of people they deem trustworthy to nail other scholars may later discover they have been unjust to those scholars. Rivalry between contemporary scholars can make them speak evil of one another. A student must be very watchful and careful.
More lessons: an act of compellation by a scholar on his students and other scholars might be premised on a faulty ground. Don't get carried away by the status of a scholar by following his declaration on an individual or a group of people. Always watch the basis of the declaration. If it is genuine then you must follow it; otherwise, you follow your whims.
It should also be noted that Al-Imaam Adh-Dhuhlee - rahimahullaah - was such a scholar for a province that commanded an enormous respect that when he made a declaration the government was ready to carry it out. He said: 'I don't want this man (referring Al-Bukhaaree) in this city again.' Al-Bukhaaree then became fearful and left the city.
Even after Al-Bukhaaree was forced to leave Naishapur, the decree followed him across other cities of Khorasan such that the two Imaam at Ra'y - Aboo Haatim and Aboo Zur'ah declared Al-Bukhaaree 'a matrook (a fellow abandoned).' But today it is only Al-Imaam Al-Bukhaaree the common Muslims know, they don't know Adh-Dhuhlee neither ar-Raaziyaan. What a lesson!
Al-Imaam Adh-Dhahabee said:
نعوذ بالله من الهوى والمراء ÙÙŠ الدين، وأن نكÙر مسلما موØدا بلازم قوله، وهو ÙŠÙر من ذلك اللازم، وينزه ويعظم الرب
"We seek refuge in Allaah from self-desires and argumentation in the Deen, and from declaring a monotheistic Muslim a disbeliever due to a Laazim (an imperativeness) from his speech which such a Muslim runs away from, and he purifies and glorifies his Lord. Ar-Radd al-Waafir p.20.
Yes, some people did not have the same view as that of Al-Imaam Adh-Dhuhlee about Al-Bukhaaree. Prominent among them were Al-Imaam Muslim and his friend and student, Al-Haafidh Ahmad bn Salamah. They would still visit Al-Bukhaaree and Adh-Dhuhlee until the latter said whoever believed that voicing the Qur'an is a creation should leave his sitting. The duo then left.
Interestingly, the judgement passed on Al-Bukhaaree was not passed on those two. Perhaps because of their status in the city as sons of the city. Al-Imaam Muslim was even bold to send back the reports he had from Al-Imaam Adh-Dhuhlee on a donkey back. to him. Wallaahul musta'an.
Not warning people from Al-Imaam Muslim and Al-Imaam Ahmad bn Salamah was perhaps due to the societal chaos that could arise from that. Already there was Fitnah, it was not necessary adding to it. May Allaah reward Al-Imaam Adh-Dhuhlee for that wisdom and forgive him for Al-Bukhaaree.
May Allaah grant more wisdom to our scholars of today and their teeming students.
Thus there was no report that anybody boycotted Al-Imaam Muslim after that. That, of course, was a limitation to the effect of a compelling position from any scholar - some other scholars would always have a different view. Every scholar needs to understand this.
Yes, it was reported that Aboo Haatim and Aboo Zur'ah later rejected Al-Bukhaaree such that they destroyed their reports from him, Aboo Haatim's son, Abdurrahman, did not follow his father and his friend. He said in his al-Jarh wa at-Tadeel p.463:
'Whether the duo (my father and his friend) forsook his hadeeth or not, Al-Bukhaaree is trustworthy, and usually cited all over the world.'
Also Ibn Khuzaymah (d.311), Trimidhee (d.379), an-Nasaaee (d.303), did not destroy their reports from Al-Bukhaaree (d.256) even though they were also students of Adh-Dhuhlee (d.258) just as Muslim (d.261) and Ibn Salamah (d.286) were. They were not boycotted too nor declared heretics. May Allaah be merciful to all of them.
With the foregoing, we have come to the end of the presentation. Whatever good is in it is from Allaah, whatever mistake and error is there is from me and Shaytaan. May Allaah accept the good in it for His Face Alone and reward dead parents for it.
وصلى الله على نبينا Ù…Øمد وآله وسلم.
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