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Usool al-Hadeeth 101
Like many scholars of his time, al-Bukhaaree began his educational career under the guidance of his mother in his native city. Finishing his elementary studies at the young age of eleven, he immersed himself in the study of hadeeth. Within six years he had mastered the knowledge of all the traditionists of Bukhara, as well as everything contained in the books that were available to him. Al-Bukhaaree not only memorized the hadeeths in the books of the scholars, he also memorized the biographies of all the narrators in their chains of narrators, their dates and places of birth, death, etc. He then travelled to Makkah with his mother and brother in order to perform the Pilgrimage. From the Holy City, he started a series of journeys in quest of hadeeth, passing through all the important centres of Islamic learning, staying in each place as long as he needed, meeting the traditionists, learning all the hadeeth they knew, and communicating his own knowledge to them. It is recorded that he stayed at Basra for four or five years, and in the al-Hijaaz for six. He also travelled to Egypt twice and to Kufa and Baghdad many times.20 Imaam Bukhaaree’s travels continued for some four decades. In the year 864, he came to the great Central Asian city of Nishapur, where he was given a grand reception suitable to a traditionist of his rank. Here he devoted himself to the teaching of tradition, and wished to settle down. But he was obliged to leave the town due to the rivalry of the traditionalist, Muhammad ibn Yahyaa ath-Thuhalee, when he refused to accept a request to deliver lectures on hadeeth at the palace of Khaalid ibn Ahmad ath-Thuhalee. From Nishapur he travelled on to Khartank, a village near Bukhara, at the request of its inhabitants. Here he settled down, and died in the year 870.21 Throughout his life, al-Bukhaaree displayed the character of a pious Muslim scholar. He was rigorous in the observance of his religious duties, and he earned his livelihood by means of trade, in which he was scrupulously honest. A good deal of his income, in fact, was spent on helping the students and the poor. It is said that he never showed an ill-temper to anyone, even when there was more than sufficient cause; nor did he bear ill-will against anybody. Even towards those who had caused his exile from Nishapur, he harboured no grudge.22 Since the very outset of his career, al-Bukhaaree showed the signs of greatness. It is said that at the age of eleven he pointed out a mistake of one of his teachers. The teacher laughed at the audacity of the young student; but alBukhaaree persisted in his correction, and challenged his teacher to refer to his book, which justified the pupil's contention. 20
Muqaddimah Fat’h al-Baaree, p. 564. Hadith Literature, p. 90. 22 Irshaad as-Saaree, vol. 1, p. 44ff. 21
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