Lesson 1 — The Creed of Imaam al-Bukhari

So all praises for Allah. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon His Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah and his companions and his family.
And welcome to you all to a sitting of remembrance of knowledge of a summarized book.
This is by Imam Muhammad Ibn Ismail Al-Bukhari, who died in the year 256 A.D. after the Hijrah of the Prophet ﷺ.
And he is the well-known Imam, the compiler of his book As-Sahih.
That book which the Muslims have agreed upon is the most authentic book after the Quran.
And then there after in authenticity is the book of his student Imam Muslim Ibn Hajjaj.
So these two books are the most authentic books after the Quran.
And they’re the most authentic books of a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ.
And Imam Al-Bukhari was a hafidh from the hufadh, so he was a great memorizer from this ummah.
And he was an imam from the imams of hadith.
He wasn’t somebody that stuck to any particular madhhab or any particular way of understanding.
Rather he was an imam who was mujtahid, that he would look into the proofs and analyze them himself.
And he would follow in that the ahadith of the Prophet ﷺ.
And he did not used to do actions except upon knowledge.
Just like he made as a chapter in his book As-Sahih,
that knowledge precedes speech and action.
And the statement of Allah, the mighty and majestic that which means know that there is none worthy of worship except him and seek forgiveness for your sins.
So Allah began with knowledge.
So since Imam Al-Bukhari was small and young,
he did not used to do anything except in accordance with the narrations.
And he would follow the proofs from the sunnah and the statements of the companions.
And it was taken notice of his advancement in knowledge from a young age.
And the major scholars of his time, the major imams, noticed and recognized his level of knowledge.
And the rest of this ummah, after his time, they gave great care and attention to his book As-Sahih.
So there are hundreds of books that give care and attention to this book As-Sahih.
So from these books that are a service to the book As-Sahih are those which explain these ahadith.
And some of these books are summarizations of this book As-Sahih.
And some of these books which pay a service are biographies of the narrators.
And some of the books that have been written are defenses of Imam Al-Bukhari and defense of his book.
So none except the people of innovation attack Imam Al-Bukhari.
And all of the different madahib, all of the schools of thought, of fiqh, benefit from the book of Imam Al-Bukhari.
And whoever wants to bring as a proof a strong evidence, then he should refer to Sahih Al-Bukhari.
And in the life of Imam Al-Bukhari we find many valuable lessons, many glorious benefits.
So his book As-Sahih, he chose to include in it the most authentic of what has come.
And he did not include in it every hadith that he thought was Sahih.
And this summarization with him is actually something that we consider to be big and great.
Because their knowledge indeed was very vast.
And they had very strong memorization.
That they could hear a hadith only one time and then memorize it.
And this is from the virtue of Allah the Mighty and Majestic.
That Allah created them and then prepared them for this.
To carry and convey the sunnah of the messenger of Allah.
And to convey the sunnah to this ummah.
And Imam Al-Bukhari was an imam in the sunnah.
And he would strive against innovation in the religion.
And he was harmed severely due to that.
And this is the book Sahih Al-Bukhari.
After he mentioned in the book the chapter of the beginning of the revelation and the book of knowledge.
Then he brought the chapter of Iman.
And he clarified in it the reality of Iman with the people of sunnah.
And with that chapter he refuted both the Morgia and the Khawarij.
The Morgia who remove actions from being from Iman.
And we will discuss them in more detail.
And the others that Imam Al-Bukhari refuted in this are the Khawarij.
Those who declare Muslims to have left Islam due to their sins.
And likewise they make Quruj, they make rebellion against their Muslim rulers.
And other than that he is refuted from their issues and deviations.
And in Sahih Al-Bukhari you find the chapter heading clinging to the book and the sunnah.
And in that he refutes those who blind follow the madhhab.
Those that reject and leave off following the proofs in order for them to follow the statements of their madhhab.
And likewise it refutes those who would give fatawa or verdicts in the religion based upon their own opinion.
And the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam informed us about these kinds of people that would come about.
Like both Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated from Abdullah Ibn Amr.
That the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said.
Indeed Allah does not remove the knowledge all at once by pulling it out of the hearts or the chests of the men.
But indeed Allah removes the knowledge by causing the people of knowledge to die.
Up until the point that there will not remain a single island, a single scholar.
Then the people will take the ignorant as leaders.
So they will ask them questions.
And those ignorant people will give religious verdicts without knowledge.
And in another narration also in Sahih Al-Bukhari.
That they will give those verdicts based upon their own opinions.
So they will be astray and they will likewise lead others astray.
And in Sahih Al-Bukhari you find in it the chapter of Al-Hil.
And this is when somebody does something in a way to get around the actual verdict in the Sharia.
So it will become more clear with this example.
So it refuted the people that do this heal in relation to different interactions and transactions between the people.
Or in cheating and deceiving people in relation to marriage and contracts.
And it was that different scholars that ascribe themselves to the people of opinion.
The people that would give verdicts based upon their opinion.
They would often use these types of verdicts, verdicts based on heal.
Which is to get around the verdict in the Sharia.
So they would give verdicts to the people that opposed the proofs.
And these verdicts would be based upon these heal, based upon trying to sneak around the actual verdict.
And in the end of Sahih Al-Bukhari there is the book of Tawheed and the refutation of the Jahmiyah.
So in that book is the refutation of those who do not affirm Allah’s names and attributes.
And in it is the Tawheed of Allah of His names and attributes.
And the Tawheed of Allah that He alone is worthy of worship in all of the worship.
And the Tawheed of Allah related to His Lordship and that which He has done with Allah’s actions.
Such as His ownership and His creation and His provisions.
So all of this is only for Allah.
So His book, the book of Sahih, He started it with chapters related to the correct belief and Sunnah.
And likewise He closed His book and ended it with a chapter about the correct belief and Sunnah.
Between that are the books of purification and Hajj and paying Zakat and other than that.
And other than that from the different chapters related to different subjects of the religion.
And from the books that He has written, this summarized treaties.
And before we begin to explain it, then I’d like to point out different affairs from His biography.
Indeed He used to cling to the Sunnah.
And He would preserve that.
And He defended it.
Up until the point that He was harmed due to that.
And He was expelled from His land.
The ruler of His time expelled Him from His land.
And He died the night before Eid.
In the year 256.
After He finished fasting Ramadan.
And only a few people prayed over Him.
And that was out of fear.
Because of how much the people were warning against Him.
Just like up until today we see Ahlul Sunnah being warned against.
So some people are scared to attend the gatherings of the people of Sunnah.
Because of these oppressive warnings that are being spread.
But indeed the truth is aided.
So after the death of Imam al-Bukhari and his burial.
And the people continued to come and pray a janaza over him after he was burial.
And up until today.
I don’t think that any single hour passes.
In anywhere around the world.
Except that Imam al-Bukhari is mentioned and people make dua for him.
And this is from the virtue of Allah.
And this is from the good ending that comes about due to sticking to the Sunnah.
And from not turning towards innovation and desires.
So today millions of people make dua for him.
Or during their lessons.
Or during the Juma’a.
Or if they write a book and they mention him.
Then they mention that Imam al-Bukhari narrated this hadith.
And al-Bukhari said may Allah have mercy on him.
This is a tremendous aid for the person of Sunnah.
Even if he did not seem to be aided and successful during his time.
So Allah made for him this great remembrance.
So upon us is to contemplate and benefit from that.
And that we ourselves increase in clinging to the Sunnah.
And that we know and recognize that the good ending is for the people of Taqwa.
And we shouldn’t be sad.
And we shouldn’t become bored or lazy.
Due to what we find from the harms of clinging to the Sunnah.
Rather we become happy due to that.
And we know that these difficulties lead to a greater reward with Allah.
And in Sahih al-Bukhari.
In the hadith of Khadija radiallahu anha.
When the Prophet was first sent as a messenger.
Khadija radiallahu anha took him to Waraka ibn Nawfal.
And he was very old at the time.
And he had become a Christian during that time.
And he learned the book.
And he used to read their language.
So once he heard from the Prophet.
What happened to him in that cave of Hira.
Then Waraka informed the Prophet.
That this indeed was the angel that descended upon him.
Is the same angel that descended upon Prophet Musa.
And that he, meaning Muhammad is also a prophet from Allah.
So Waraka ibn Nawfal believed in him.
So he said.
Oh if only I was a strong youth.
Why did he hope for that?
Is it because he wanted to get a certain position?
Was he hoping to get some type of wealth or money from the dawah?
He didn’t hope to be a youth for any of those reasons.
Indeed what he said was.
Indeed I hope or I wish that I would have been a youth, a strong youth.
For when the people throw you out.
Indeed I would aid you with a tremendous aid and help.
So he wished that he would have been a youth.
At the time of the Prophet being sent.
So that he could help and aid him and aid his dawah.
And you all are youth.
So be those who aid the sunnah of the Prophet.
And be carriers of his dawah.
So the Prophet said.
Are they going to throw me out?
So Waraka said yes.
So Waraka explained that nobody has come with what you have come with.
Except that people take him as an enemy.
And in another narration that he said except that the people would harm him.
So thereafter the Prophet was thrown out of Mecca.
And he left making hijra to Medina.
And likewise thereafter Imam Al-Bukhari was thrown out of his land.
Except the people of Shirk are the ones that expelled the Prophet.
But the people that expelled Imam Al-Bukhari were Muslims.
But they were oppressive to him.
And they accused him of that which he was actually free from.
And due to that or along with that.
Many students used to follow him.
And he said to the ruler.
You are the ruler.
If you want me to remain in your land then I will stay.
And if you want me to leave then I will leave.
So he did not try and fight against the ruler.
And he didn’t try to incite the people to rebel against the ruler.
But indeed he heard and obeyed his Muslim ruler.
And this is a tremendous issue.
That the people of innovation and desires they fall short in.
And those of us that live in Muslim countries we face a great amount of fitna.
A great amount of turmoil.
Due to the way of those who seek rebellion.
Those who rebel against their Muslim rulers.
And they incite against them.
And they rise up against them with protests and other than that from rebellion.
So by doing that they oppose the sunnah.
And they fall into innovation.
And they bring about this turmoil.
And blood is spilled.
And the safety and security is corrupted.
And people’s honor is taken away.
So in the sunnah is guidance and mercy.
And in the sunnah is safety and security.
And in the sunnah is ease and relaxation for both the heart and the body.
And as for bid’ah as for innovation that it brings about difficulty and fatigue.
Along with what the person of bid’ah waits for from punishment in the hereafter.
So the third point is related to the life of Imam Al-Bukhari.
Imam Al-Bukhari is not an Arab.
Imam Al-Bukhari was not an Arab.
And his student Imam Muslim was an Arab.
And we know from that.
That the da’wah of sunnah.
Does not have in it any racism or nationalism.
That there is nothing related to the different lands.
And there is no blind partisanship to one’s tribe.
Or one’s nationality.
And likewise in the call of the sunnah.
So the imam of this ummah in hadith.
And the one who compiled the most authentic book in this ummah.
Was not Arabic.
And the imam of the people of hadith of this time.
Imam Al-Albani.
Was not Arabic.
So the call to the sunnah is the sunnah.
Whoever raises that da’wah then Allah raises him.
No matter what tribe he might be from.
And with whatever language he speaks.
And the sahaba.
Among them were Arabs.
And from them were Persians.
And from them were Romans.
And likewise the imams of the sunnah.
So they were from different nations and different languages.
But it was the sunnah that brings them all together.
And this is me in front of you.
And you’re from Sri Lanka.
And my brother Adam is from America.
And sheikh Rabih and sheikh Al-Fawzan from Saudi Arabia.
And these scholars are from Saudi.
And sheikh Khalid bin Abdulrahman Al-Zaki from Egypt.
So the da’wah of sunnah does not have any specific country.
And we each all benefit from each other.
And we each teach each other.
And we strive together to aid the sunnah.
And be patient upon it.
So upon us is to all be upon that way.
May Allah preserve you all.
There are many benefits.
And there is a scientific source.
A talk or a conference that was done.
Which a number of mashayikh participated in.
On the topic of Imam Al-Bukhari and his life.
And it was spread on the
Radio Online.
That different mashayikh participated in it.
Sheikh Muhammad Al-Anjari.
Sheikh Khalid Abdulrahman.
Sheik Abdul Fadl Muhammad Al-Libi.
Sheik Ahmad bin Omar Bazmoul from Mecca.
Sheik Ruzayq Al-Qurashi.
And other than them.
And there were many benefits that were mentioned.
And perhaps Allah might make easy the translation of it.
As for this
treatise or this book that we will read.
Then it is specific
to issues of the belief and sunnah.
And it has an authentic chain back to Imam Al-Bukhari.
That it was narrated from him
with a chain of narration.
Imam Abu Al-Qasim Al-Lalika’i.
In his book.
Which means the meaning of the title is the
explanation of the foundations of the people of sunnah.
Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar said
in Fatal Bari which is explanation of Al-Bukhari.
That Imam Al-Lalika’i
narrated it with an authentic chain of narration to Imam Al-Bukhari.
And the Imams of sunnah
They indeed authored many books
on the correct belief.
To clarify and explain the sunnah.
And to refute innovations.
And this is something that we shouldn’t recognize and know about well.
Because many of the people
because there are some people that they strive and put great effort
in regards to the issues of fiqh.
But he doesn’t focus enough on the issues of
correct belief and sunnah.
Indeed you might even find that he goes to extremes.
And he searches
deeply into issues related to fiqh.
Such as the permissibility of certain foods.
Or other than that from different issues.
But he doesn’t raise the same level of importance to learning the sunnah.
And in warning against innovations.
Or you find that there’s other kinds of people
that they go to extremes
in relation to their desires.
And they put great effort
in how they deal with sins.
So they might go to extremes
in how they deal with sins.
But as it relates to innovations and desires
they don’t have the same amount of effort
and they don’t strive in warning against innovations and desires
to the same level that they warn against other kinds of sins.
But with the people of sunnah they are agreed upon
that bid’ah is worse
than other types of sins.
Ibn Taymiyyah said
in his compilation of religious verdicts
in volume 20 page 203
the people of innovations and doubts
are more severe and more harmful
than the people of sins and desires.
We know this by the sunnah
and the agreement of the people of sunnah.
And Sufyan al-Thawri said
that bid’ah is more beloved to iblis than sins.
This is because bid’ah
is legislating
from other than Allah.
Like Allah said
in surah shura
Do they have
partners that legislate for them in the religion
that which Allah did not permit?
So the people of sunnah
had agreed upon
so the people of sunnah had agreed upon that
and there has been many texts that have come
in relation to bid’ah
and there has been many texts that have come
in relation to the qawarij.
The prophet said about the qawarij
that if I reached them then I would have killed them like the killing of the people of ad.
And the prophet said about them
and he said
that they are the worst of those killed under the sky.
So what does this mean?
What does this mean because under the sky
many of the kuffar are even killed.
So ibn Taymiyyah answered this question
in his book
he said the meaning of that
that is because the qawarij
strive to kill every muslim
every muslim that opposes what they are upon from their corrupt belief
so their harm upon the muslims
in this worldly life
is much more harmful than the harm that comes about from the
and that is the end of this quote
So we find that there are many ahadith
against the qawarij
and there are people that are known for a lot of praying
and a lot of fasting and a lot of recitation of the Quran
and that they stay away from sins
and major sins
but they have fallen into what is even more severe
and that is corruption of the aqida
and deviation in the sunnah and correct methodology
and they give the ruling
or place a ruling upon others as having extremes
so they declare muslims to be disbelievers
and they consider the blood of those muslims to be permissible
and they rebel against the muslim ruler
and the qawarij used to
they would consider things that are not actually sins
they would consider to be sins
then they would declare people to be qawar based upon sins
so beware of falling into some of their way
and you don’t even realize it
so they consider things that aren’t even sins
they consider it to be sins
and they declare to be haram things which are not actually haram
and they declare muslims to be disbelievers
due to them falling into something that is a sin
and even though we have all of these ahadith
and the statement of the prophet to the sahaba
that you will consider your prayer
disgraceful in comparison to their prayer
and likewise you will consider your fasting disgraceful
and your recitation you will consider to be disgraceful
and indeed you will find and the prophet continued by saying
and you will consider your recitation of the quran to be disgraceful
in comparison to their recitation
and when the prophet was brought by somebody who would drink
a man stood up and he cursed
that man who drank wine
so the prophet said to him do not curse him
or do not curse him
because indeed he loves Allah and his messenger
and this is even though the prophet
cursed the one who drinks hummer
ten times
but this cursing is general
so don’t you put it specifically upon an individual
like this hadith proves
I have mentioned this
from the proofs that sheikh al-islam ibn taymiyah mentioned
that indeed the people of innovations and doubts
are more harmful
than the people of sins and desires
based upon the sunnah and the ijma’
meaning by the proofs of the sunnah
and the consensus or agreement of the imams
so some of the people may Allah guide them
we don’t find them
we don’t find them active in warning against bid’ah
or the people of corrupt beliefs
and you might find that they refute you people of sunnah
for doing that
like we find some of the people
we find that they might strive and give extra focus to issues of fiqh
and they give great effort and attention to it
and it could be issues that are issues
of difference of opinion between the scholars
whether it’s issues related to the prayer
or hijab like uncovering the face
or other than that from the issues
so you find that he strives
and gives great attention to these types of matters
and he might even be extreme and harsh against his brothers
due to these issues
but you won’t find that he has speech against innovations and desires
and Ibn Taymiyyah was asked
why don’t you author a large book
about fiqh issues
but instead you author all of these
big books about the belief
write a book about fiqh
and write in it your choices
of fiqh and your proofs for it
so Ibn Taymiyyah answered by saying that the issues of fiqh
are easy
and if he himself
was not a scholar
and he followed a scholar
for a particular ruling
then that’s permissible
as for aqida
as for the belief then its affair is tremendous
and a mistake in the aqida is very dangerous
and deviation in the aqida
and the belief has a great harm
and the innovations and desires
that people fall into it often
and most of what’s included
in the fatawa in the religious verdicts
of Ibn Taymiyyah are just that, its just verdicts
he’s asked about an issue so he answers it
but as for the beliefs and refutation of bid’ah
then he has huge books that are specific for that
and likewise he has individual verdicts
such as
and aqida hamawiyah
and that book
which means 90, then this is a refutation of the aqida
and affirming the attribute of speech to Allah
and affirming that this Quran
is from the speech of Allah the Mighty and Majestic
like how this issue will come
so that which is important from these issues
is that imam al-bukhari and other than him from the imams
that they gave great care and attention to belief
and the sunnah
so they compiled specific books for this
across the many different lands that they lived in
and in the different times that they lived in
but we find that their striving was one
all of their efforts were to revive the sunnah
and refuting and killing off innovation
and like that is your dawah in this life
and we will begin by reading the beginning of his resala
his book
so we will pause for isha prayer
and then we will continue afterwards inshallah
inshallah
inshallah
inshallah
inshallah
inshallah
inshallah
inshallah