During the weekend in Uzbekistan back in 2009, my colleagues and I planned a trip to Samarkand. It's the second largest city in Uzbekistan which has been listed by UNESCO in its World Heritage as Samarkand, Crossroads of Cultures.
While in Samarkand, alhamdulillah I had a chance to visit the mosque of Imam Bukhari to perform our jama' prayer and it is where the Imam Bukhari mausoleum is placed. Imam Bukhari is well known for his contribution to the Muslim worldwide with his widely referred hadith compilation, Sahih Bukhari that has been acknowledged as the most authentic compilation of all. Personally, I do aware of that and appreciate his effort and contribution. However, little did I know about the history of this great man. Knowing this, it gave me the urge to find out more about Imam Bukhari.
Some brief information, summarised from the googled websites:
Imam Bukhari or written as Al-Buxoriy in Uzbek, was a Muslim scholar, born in 810AD in the city of Bukhara, Uzbekistan which previously known as Khorasan. His real name was Muhammad Ibn Ismail Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Al-Mughirah Ibn Bardizbah Al-Bukhari. His father, Ismail Ibn Ibrahim was a known hadith scholar who was died while in his young age and Imam Bukhari was an infant.
At the young age of 10, Imam Bukhari obtained the admission in the Hadith class in Bukhara. Then at 18, he visited Makkah (Mecca) accompanied by his mother and elder brother to perform pilgrimage. Both of his mother and brother returned home after the hajj and Imam Bukhari stayed there for further education. He had also travelled to Medina, Egypt, Syria, Kufa, Baghdad and Basra to seek knowledge for Hadith transmission.
Imam Bukhari was gifted with remarkably strong memory and sharp intellect. He did not depend on pen and paper as much as he relied on his mind and memory. He was known as a pious man, hard working and generous. He had spend his wealth descended by his father in the path of Allah, where in the end he had been left with no money forcing him to spend his day with few almonds.
In the year 864AD, Imam Bukhari settled in Nishapur where he met Muslim ibn Al-Hajjah and being his student. He eventually collected and organised his long, thorough works on hadith collection, Sahih Muslim.
Due to political issues and problem, he returned to his hometown, Bukhara. While in his hometown, the Governor of Bukhara has requested the Imam to visit the governor's home to teach his children. He had declined stating that he gave greater respect to knowledge than to people. According to him, for they who in need of the knowledge and it is they who should seek it. A second request was made for the Imam to hold sessions strictly for governor's children which was also declined by him. The governor was infuriated by the second refusal and ordered him out of Bukhara. Upon hearing this, the people in Samarkand invited Imam Bukhari to his town.
Imam Bukhari moved to Khartank, a village near Samarkand where he died on 1st Syawal in 870AD at the age of 62. (To Allah we belong and to HIM we shall return)
His legacy, the hadith collection which have reached us:
1. Sahih Bukhari, is regarded as the most authentic of all hadith compilation which was based on sound reports with chains of narration going back all the way to the Prophet SAW, regarding matters pertaining to the Prophet's practises and words during his times.
2. Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, the book devoted to matters of respect and propriety.
May Imam Bukhari's works considered as his 'amal jariah' (good deed) during his life and May ALLAH SWT rewards him the place in Jannah (heaven).
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| Imam Bukhari's mosque in Samarkand |
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| The mausoleum of Imam Bukhari in the centre of the mosque's compound |
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| In front of Imam Bukhari's mausoleum |
