Bukhari's Great History: A Study of Hadith Transmission Networks
In the realm of Islamic scholarship, the reconstruction of hadith (reports of the words and actions of the Prophet Muhammad) requires a meticulous understanding of the chains of transmission. One of the most significant works dedicated to this task is Bukhari's Great History. Unlike later biographical dictionaries, this work focuses primarily on mapping the network of transmitters rather than providing exhaustive personal biographies.
The Purpose and Scope of the Work
The primary objective of Bukhari's Great History was to reconstruct the full network of transmitters. Interestingly, the author showed little interest in detailing the full names or personal lives of these individuals. This focus is reflected in the data: Bukhari comments on the reliability of only about 6% of the hadith reports mentioned and rarely offers critiques of the transmitters themselves.
A typical entry in the text is concise and functional. For example, the entry for Ad'ham al-Sadusi, Abui Bishr, notes that Hajjaj al-Aʿwar quoted Shuʿbah regarding his status as a client to Shaqiq ibn Thawr. It further records that he heard ʿAbd Allah ibn Buraydah and that his hadith are categorized among the Basrans.
[ไม่มีภาพประกอบ]Composition and Transmission
According to Firabri, Bukhari composed this text during his youth while in Mecca, significantly before he wrote his more famous work, the Sahih. The text has survived through several 9th-century manuscripts and the transmission of Abū al-Ḥasan Muḥammad ibn Sahl ibn ʿAbl Allāh, a grammarian and reciter of the Quran from Basra.
The Debate Over the Text's Size
There is a scholarly discrepancy regarding the original volume of the work. Extant manuscripts contain biographies of 12,300 individuals, all of whom are men. However, Al-Ḥākim cited Abū ʿAlī al-Husayn al-Māsarjisī, claiming the original text contained roughly 40,000 entries including both men and women. The scholar Melchert has countered this, arguing that the evidence suggests the work was assembled roughly in its current form, though it may have undergone some editing and rearrangement.
Scholarly Polemics and Critiques
While much of the work is technical, some entries serve as platforms for polemics against scholars Bukhari disagreed with. A notable example is his entry on the jurist Abu Hanifa. Bukhari claimed that Abu Hanifa belonged to the Murji'ah, a sect Bukhari considered heretical. Furthermore, he asserted that the scholarly community had renounced Abu Hanifa and his approach to "speculative" jurisprudence.
Key Facts
- Primary Focus: Reconstructing the network of hadith transmitters.
- Reliability Ratings: Only 6% of mentioned hadith reports receive comments on reliability.
- Composition: Written by Bukhari as a young man in Mecca before the Sahih.
- Current Volume: Extant manuscripts list 12,300 male biographies.
- Contested Volume: Some sources claim the original contained 40,000 entries including women.
- Key Transmitter: Abū al-Ḥasan Muḥammad ibn Sahl ibn ʿAbl Allāh of Basra.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Main Objective | Mapping transmitter networks |
| Location of Composition | Mecca |
| Number of Extant Biographies | 12,300 (all men) |
| Reliability Commentary Rate | Approximately 6% |
| Notable Polemic Target | Abu Hanifa |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between the Great History and other biographical works?
The Great History focuses on the network of transmitters rather than providing detailed personal biographies or full names of the individuals involved.
When was the Great History written?
According to Firabri, it was composed by Bukhari as a young man in Mecca, prior to the composition of his Sahih.
How many biographies are in the existing manuscripts?
The extant manuscripts contain biographies of 12,300 individuals, none of whom are women.
Why did Bukhari criticize Abu Hanifa in this work?
Bukhari associated Abu Hanifa with the Murji'ah sect, which he viewed as heretical, and criticized his use of speculative jurisprudence.
Who was responsible for the transmission of the text from Basra?
The text is known through the transmission of Abū al-Ḥasan Muḥammad ibn Sahl ibn ʿAbl Allāh, a Quran reciter and grammarian.