The Critical Craft of Al-Bukhārī in His Ṣaḥīḥ: Principles of Selecting Narrations and Their Applications as a Model

Abstract

Objectives: This study presents Al-Bukhārī’s craft in his Ṣaḥīḥ within the context of applied critical reporting on the practice of selecting narrations. The research begins by explaining the concept of a sound (ṣaḥīḥ) ḥadīth according to the critics of the narration era, then expands to combine an understanding of the mechanisms of selection as they appear in both technical terminology (ṣināʿa muṣṭalaḥiyya) and practical application (mīdānī), particularly in the framework of comparative terminological studies. The study avoids anachronistic terminological projections that emerged after the era of narration and criticism, which impose obligations inconsistent with historical reality. It establishes the study of comparative terminological research as a basis for aligning theory and practice, clarifies the realistic meaning of the term ṣaḥīḥ in light of the classification of accepted ḥadīths, and examines al-Ḥāẓimī’s layers and the methodology for handling them based on representational status rather than verification.

Method: The study relies on an analytical and inductive methodology.

Results: The research identified the main practical principles used by Imam al-Bukhārī in selecting narrations, which formed the focus and central problem of the study. It demonstrates that the selection of narrations was based on the principle of waḥdat al-makhraj (unity of transmission chain), overcoming the problem of verification through supporting narrations. The study also highlights the influence of maʿrifat al-madār (knowledge of transmission routes) in selecting narrations, showing that error-free transmission and attention to consecutive narrators were crucial to understanding his methodology. The study then presents these principles with practical realism, avoiding excessive terminological complexity.

Conclusion: Imam al-Bukhārī employed a well-established methodology in selecting narrations, grounded in sound and objective principles.