Classification of Imam Bukhari's teachers and disciples. Part.3

 Part.3

Classification of Imam Bukhari's teachers and disciples.

Imam Bukhari gained knowledge from numerous teachers. Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) himself says: “I have written hadith from one thousand and eighty teachers. And they were all muhaddiths.

Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) has classified the teachers of Imam Bukhari into five Classes.

First Class: This category includes the teachers of Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) who narrated hadith to Imam Bukhari through his Tabi'in.

As Imam Bukhari's teacher is Muhammad bin Abdullah Ansari. Muhammad bin Abdullah Ansari obtained hadiths from Hameed Tawil, who is a special student of Hazrat Anas.

Similarly, Imam Bukhari's teacher is Makki bin Ibrahim. Makki bin Ibrahim narrates the hadith from Yazid bin Abu Ubaid. And it is also from Tabein. And Yazid narrates the hadith from Sahabi_ e_ Rasool. These ahaadeeth are called “Thulaathiyat”. That is, the hadiths which have three narrators from Imam Bukhari to the Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him).

One of the teachers of Imam Bukhari is Abu Nuaem Fazl bin Dakin. Fazl bin Dakin narrates from Salman bin Mehran Amish. And Salman Amish is a Tabi'i.

There are many teachers of Imam Bukhari who narrate hadith from Tabi'in. This is the highest rank of Imam Bukhari's teachers.

Second Class: This class includes those teachers of Imam Bukhari. They are contemporaries of the narrators of the first class. But their hearing has not been proved by the trustworthy Tabe'in.

For example, Adam bin Ayas, Abu Musher Abdul A'la, Bin Musher, Saeed bin Abu Maryam and Ayub bin Sulaiman etc. All of them are from the second class. Imam Bukhari narrated the hadith from them.

Third class:This class includes the teachers of Imam Bukhari who have not met any of Tabi'i.

For example, Sulaiman bin Harb, Qutaybah bin Saeed, Naeem bin Hammad, Ali bin Madini, Abs bin Moeen, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Imam Ishaq bin Rahuwiyah, Imam Abu Bakr bin Abu Sheba and Usman bin Abu Sheba etc. Imam Muslim bin Hajjaj is also involved in doing this along with Imam Bukhari

Fourth class: This class includes the teachers of Imam Bukhari who were his companions in obtaining the hadith. Or read the knowledge of hadith a short time before them. 

For example, Muhammad bin Yahya Dhuhli, Imam Abu Hatim Razi, Abdul bin Hameed, Ahmad bin Nasr and Muhammad bin Abdul Rahim, etc. ۔Imam Bukhari has narrated these hadiths from these teachers, which could not be found in the first three classes.

Fifth class: This class includes the teachers of Imam Bukhari, who are among the disciples of Imam Bukhari in terms of age and sanad.

For example, Abdullah bin Hammad Al-Ala, Abdullah bin Abul Aas Al-Khwarizmi, and Hussain bin Muhammad Qabbani. ... Imam Bukhari has narrated hadiths from them under a special benefit. For example, if a hadith could not be found with his teachers and colleagues, then Imam Bukhari will narrate it to his students.

By doing so, Imam Bukhari has followed the words of Imam Waqi.

Imam Waqi '(may Allah have mercy on him) says: “A person cannot be a scholar unless he receives hadiths from his superiors, his peers, and those below him”.

But, Imam Bukhari himself says: "No one can be a perfect muhaddith unless he narrates hadiths from his elders, peers and those below him".(Muqadimah Fathul bari. Page.670,671)

Imam Bukhari's disciples.

Imam Bukhari's disciples number in the thousands. Imam Bukhari's disciples Allama Ferbri says:"Those who have heard Sahih Bukhari from you. Their number is ninety thousand".(Muqadimah Fathul baari.p:686.)

We divide Imam Bukhari's students into three classes.

First class: In this are the sheikhs of Imam Bukhari from whom Imam Bukhari also got knowledge. Some of them are:

 Abdullah bin Muhammad Musnadi, Abdullah bin Munir, Ishaq bin Ahmad Sarmari, Muhammad bin Khalaf.

Second class: It contains contemporary sheikhs of Imam Bukhari who narrate hadith from Imam Bukhari. Famous students in this category are:

 Abu Zur'ah Razi, Abu Hatim Razi, Ibrahim Harbi, Abu Bakr bin Abu Asim, Musa bin Haroon, Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Hatin, Ishaq bin Ahmad bin Zirak Persian. Muhammad bin Qutayba Bukhari. Abu Bakr Aay'n.

Third class: In these class are the disciples of Imam Bukhari who are counted among the great memorizers.Here are some of them:

Saleh bin Muhammad Jazrah. Abu Al-Hasan Muslim bin Hajjaj al-Qushayri. Abu al-Fadl Ahmad bin Muslim. Abu Bakr bin ppppIshaq bin Khuzima. Muhammad bin Nasr al-Marwazi. Abu Abdul Rahman Ahmad bin Shoaib Nisai. Abu Isa Muhammad bin Isa al-Tirmidhi. Imam Abu Bakr Al-Bazar. Hashed bin Ismail. Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi, Hussein bin Ismail al-Mahamali.

These are all students of Imam Bukhari who have learned the hadiths directly from Imam Bukhari.  And now the number of indirect disciples will continue to increase till the Day of Judgment. And for Imam Bukhari, charity will continue to be ongoing.

ذلک فضل اللہ یٶتیہ مَن یشا ٕواللہ  ذوالفضل العظیم۔

Translation: This is the bounty of Allah. He gives it to whom He wills.  And Allah is the possessor of great bounty.

(to be continued)