Overview

Muhammad ibn Isml al-Bukhr (d. 256/870) stands as one of the most distinguished figures in Islamic intellectual history. His magnum opus, the a, is revered as the most authoritative collection of Prophetic traditions in Sunni Islam and is the most cited book in Islamic history. Beyond its juridical and theological significance, the a was venerated in pre-modern societies as a source of spiritual blessings, recited to invoke divine favour, seek salvation, and even bring rain. Al-Bukhr's legacy endures, shaping Islamic scholarship and devotion to this day. This pioneering critical study offers the first comprehensive examination of al-Bukhr's life, intellectual trajectory and the socio-political landscape that influenced his scholarship. It meticulously analyses his methods of hadith criticism and explores his engagement with the theological and legal discourse of his time. Through an extensive study of the theological debates he engaged with and the masil (legal cases) in which he challenged anaf authorities, this book sheds new light on the legal landscape that underpinned his work. Providing both historical depth and analytical rigour, it is an essential contribution to the study of Islamic legal and hadith traditions.

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9781474488242

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Reviews

Abu-Alabbas’s meticulous study of al-Bukhārī's life and thought, with its unparalleled discussions of his legal theory and theology, especially the theology of God’s speech, establishes al-Bukhārī as not only an eminent collector of ḥadīth but also a key contributor to the articulation of Sunni traditionalism. -- Jon Hoover, University of Nottingham Few scholars in the Islamic tradition have been spoken of as reverently as al-Bukhārī, author of what is often called the most authoritative book in Islam after the Quran. Bypassing the centuries of hagiography around al-Bukhārī, Abu-Alabbas provides us with a much-needed examination of al-Bukhārī and his works based on an exhaustive reading of those works themselves. Centuries of scholars have written about al-Bukhārī, but this book can claim to have contributed something new. -- Jonathan AC Brown, Georgetown University

Abu-Alabbas’s meticulous study of al-Bukhārī's life and thought, with its unparalleled discussions of his legal theory and theology, especially the theology of God’s speech, establishes al-Bukhārī as not only an eminent collector of ḥadīth but also a key contributor to the articulation of traditionalism within the formation of Sunnism -- Jon Hoover, University of Nottingham

Author Information

Dr Belal Abu-Alabbas, B.A. (Al-Azhar), DPhil (Oxford), is a historian of Islamic intellectual and legal thought (7th–13th centuries). His research focuses on the hadith corpus, Islamic law and theology in the formative and classical periods. Dr Abu-Alabbas has previously held lectureships at the University of Nottingham and the University of Bristol, and a British Academy International Fellowship at the University of Exeter. He currently holds lectureships at Cambridge Muslim College and Al-Azhar University and is a Research Associate at the University of Nottingham. Among his publications are Belal Abu‑Alabbas, Christopher Melchert, and Michael Dann, eds., Modern Hadith Studies: Continuing Debates and New Approaches (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2020) and Belal Abu‑Alabbas, “The Principles of Hadith Criticism in the Writings of al‑Shāfiʿī and Muslim”, Islamic Law and Society 24:4 (2017): 311–35.

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