IMAM BUKHARI'S METHODOLOGY OF CRITICISM AND PRAISE OF NARRATORS IN HIS FAMOUS BOOK AL-TARIKH AL-KABIR.

Abstract

Muhadithins'((محدثین have played a pivotal role in the collection, compilation and preservation of  Hadith of the prophet( ﷺ ) and saved Muslim ummah from a gigantic problem. Among them services of Imam Bukhari are remarkable and praiseworthy in the field of Hadith collections and its sciences. He is considered as" Imam" and " authority" in both fields(compilation of Hadith and its sciences). His famous book "Sahih Bukhari" is the most reliable work in Hadith and his book "Al-Tarikh Al-Kabir" is considered as one of the authentic and ancient books in the field of Hadith sciences like biographies of narrators, criticism and praise of narrators of Hadith. This paper will describe Imam Bukhari's method of criticism(jarh) and praise(Tadil) in AL-Tarikh Al-Kabir. In this book he described biographies of thirteen thousands seven hundred and seventy nine narrators only(13997) in alphabetical order. Although his methodology was to mention names of  the narrators alphabetically but in respect of the prophet((ﷺ he mentioned eleven narrators among the companions whose names started with "Muhammad". In criticism and praise ( Jarh o Tadil) of narrators of Imam Bukhari(R.A), it is found that either the narrators are rejected or given authenticity, on the basis of not only of his own observations or information but he relied on the sayings of other experts of this science as well. It is also pertinent to mention that he awarded degree to a little number of the narrators while left over most of the narrators undecided because the main objective of the book was to portray the biographies of narrators rather to make analysis of all the narrators.