Abu Abdullah, Muhammad Ibn Ismael Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Mughaireh, Ibn Bardzih, Jafi Al-Bukhari is one of the most celebrated Sunni Narrators [of Hadiths].
He was born in 194 Hijri (Lunar Calendar) in one of the villages of Bukhara by the name of ''Khertank'', and it was during his childhood when he lost his father. He had an extremely strong memory, and from an early age he gave much importance to gathering hadiths. Subsequent to his teacher, Muhham Ibn Yahya Dhili, becoming jealous of him he was ousted by the community. Having no alternative he left Nayshabur and went to Bukhara, where he was subjected to the resentment of the governing ruler. From there he planned to go to Samarqand and along the way he went to the neighborhood in his birth-village and after a few days passed, he passed away. His effects include 25 narrated books of which the book Sahih is the most important.
Although Bukhari lived during the time of two Shia Imams (Imam Hadi & Imam Askari Peace be upon them), unfortunately he has not narrated any hadith from these two great Imams and he has only narrated twenty-nine hadiths from Imam Ali (Peace be upon him) and only a handful from Imam Hasan Mujtaba (Peace be upon him) and Imam Baqir (Peace be upon him). Although many Sunnis consider him to be honest and reliable, and consider his book the most important book after the Holy Quran, however many Sunni scholars have acutely criticized his narrations. Likewise, shia scholars and hadith narrators have also noted the criticisms regarding Bukhari's Sahih.
Detailed Answer
Abu Abdullah, Muhammad Ibn Ismael Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Mughaireh, Ibn Bardzih, Jafi Al-Bukhari is one of the most celebrated Sunni Narrators [of Hadiths]. The relation of ‘Jafi' was given to him because of his second ancestor, Mughaireh, one of the captures Yuman Jafi, the governor of Bukhara who became muslim by him.
The father of Mughaireh, Bardzih (meaning farmer) was a Zoroaster and died while having that same religion, therefore the report by Yaqut Hamawi stating that Bardzih became Muslim through the governor of Bukhara is wrong. He was born on the 13th of Shawal 194 Hijri (Lunar Calendar) in one of the villages of Bukhara by the name of ''Khertank''. During his childhood, his father passed away and his mother became responsible for his guardianship. Safadi and Khatib Baghdadi have narrated that during his childhood he lost his sight but with his mothers duas he gained his sight back. According to the narration of Khatib Bukhari, he had an extremely strong memory, and from an early age, in Bukhara he began his education and at ten years old he began to memorize and collect hadiths. He was eleven years of age when he corrected his teacher's (Zohali) mistake about a hadith document, and caused his teacher to become amazed. According to Sunni resources, his companions would correct the hadiths they wrote by what he would narrate from memory. By sixteen years of age he had memorized the books of Ibn Mubarak (passed away 5172 -Lunar Calendar) and Kab Ibn Jarah (passed away 5197 -Lunar Calendar), and during that same year he went with his mother to Haaj and he stayed in Mecca to learn hadiths. At eighteen years of age, in the brilliant city of Medina next to the grave of the honourable Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny), he wrote Qazaya Asahaba and Taabi'een and Aqawilhum. It has been said that Bukhari would take lengthy trips in search of hadiths. For a period in Nayshabur he had Hadith sessions, which large crowds would attend. Apparently that same jealousy provoked Muhham Ibn Yahya Zohali (one of the major hadith teachers in Bukhara), and was the cause of his enmity with Bukhara. Dhihli and most of the theologians believed in the word of the Quran having pre-existence, and they recognized those who opposed them as being apostates. However Bukhari believed the word of Quran was created, and because of this he was accused of deviation from religion, and participating in his lectures was forbidden. All of his students deserted him except for Muslim and Ahmad Ibn Muslimeh. Having no alternative he left Nayshabur and went to Bukhara. He stayed in Bukhara for a period of time formed a hadith session.
Khatib Baghdadi narrates that, Khaled Ibn Ahmad Dhihli the governor of the town invited him to his palace to quote some hadiths, but Bukhari did not except and said: I will not demean knowledge and deliver it to the doors of the public; if the governor needs knowledge then he should come to the masjid or to my home. This caused the governors rule to become pessimistic towards him, and finally this led to his exile. In a letter, the people of Samarqand invited him to their city. Bukhari expected their invitation and headed off towards Samarqand. Since his home village was on the way to Samarqand, he was invited to visit some of his relatives, and on the night before Thursday, on Eid Al-Fitr of the year 206 Hijri (Lunar Calendar) he passed away and was buried in that same place. Sunnis have said many things about the accomplishments of Bukhari even to the point were some claimed that in the science of hadith there is no one more knowledgeable than Bukhari. "Muslim" has said: I bear witness that none other in this world like him exists. Bukhari rarely narrated hadiths from the Shia Imams (Peace be upon them), directly or indirectly, and in this book, Sahih, he has only narrated twenty-nine hadiths from Imam Ali (Peace be upon him) and only a handful from Imam Hasan Mujtaba (Peace be upon him) and Imam Baqir (Peace be upon him). According to the opinion of researchers, you can not recognize Bukhari as being of one of the four sects of Sunni Muslims or of any other renowned faith; in actuality he was a Fiqhi idealist who would deduce conclusions by his own opinion. Although many followers of schools of thought have tried to introduce him as being a follower of their faith, such as "Sabki" has listed his name amongst the Shaf'ie scholars, and "Qazi Ibd Abi Ya'li" who has listed him under the Hanbali scholars.
Bukhari's Written Works:
25 books have been recognized as his effects of which the most famous include:
The History of Kabir Analyzed by Forty-Thousand Hadith Narrators
The History of Saghir
Azu'afa Asaghir
The book of Alkeni
The book of khalq Afal Ul-Ibad (on rejecting the Jahimiyeh Sect)
Aladab Ulmufrid Fil Hadith
Qazaya Asahabah and Taabi'een and Aqawilhum
Commentary of Bukhari
Aljameh Asahih (Sahih of Bukhari).
Sahih of Bukhari:
According to Sunnis this book holds significance and credibility. According to the claim of some, the whole Islamic community unanimously agrees that the most accurate book after the Quran is "The Sahih of Bukhari" and after that "The Sahih of Muslim". However some Sunni scholars have firmly and acutely criticized his narrations, including "Hafez Dar Qutni" who has noted numerous criticisms in the Sahih of Buhkari, which mostly pertain to the chain of transmitters of the hadiths; such as:
Hadiths that have transmitted doctrines with two or more chains [or narrators], and one has more transmitters than the other, or instead of listing some of the hadith transmitters, other individuals were listed.
Some of the hadith transmistters recorded were known for their sarcasm.
He has recorded solitary criticized transmitters' hadiths, (which have not been narrated by any other hadith transmitters other than these)
Some of the criticisms which have been noted by Shia scholars in relation to Bukhari include:
Not transmitting hadith from the Shia Imams or their children; even though he lived for quite some time during the time of two of the saint Imams, Imam Hadi and Imam Askari (Peace be upon them), and he only narrated a few hadiths from Imam Ali and Imam Mujtabah and Imam Muhammad Baqir (Peace be upon them). On the contrary hadiths from the Kharijites and Anti-Shiites such as Ukrameh, Umar Ibn Khetab and Urweh (Which even numerous sunni scholars of hadith have rejected them as narrators or tradition), have been noted in Bukhari's chain of linkage. The Shia Imams were not unknown individuals, and their students specially Imam Baqir and Imam Saddiq's (Peace be upon them) were plenty in Iraq and Arabia, yet Bukhari only mentions twenty of the Shia authorities.
Not recording hadiths in the respects of the Ahlul-Bait (The progeny of the prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him); although there are hadiths that Sunni and Shia transmitters have recorded from the honorable prophet (Peace and blessing be upon him and his progeny) about the Ahlul-Bait (Peace be upon them) which have been well documented in Sunni hadith books.
The presence of non-identified and bogus transmitter in narrated documents and the admission of apocryphal narrations.
dismantling and repetition of many traditions
Lack of constrain in narrating the words of hadiths, and instead narrating the meaning which is the cause for the interference of his personal misunderstandings and individual judgments in narrations.[1]
[1] It is necessary to mention that all of the subject matter has been taken from "The Diploma of the World of Islam" (under the supervision of Dr. AlaamAli Hadad Adel) Vol.2 - The word of Bukhari. And for further information refer to this same reference.
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