Bukhari

Hadith Authentication (Takhrij al-Hadith):
This narration appears in Sahih al-Bukhari at six places: [2819، 3424، 5242، 6639، 6720، 7469]
Besides Sahih al-Bukhari, this narration is also found with various chains in the following books:
Sahih Muslim [1654]
Sahih Ibn Hibban [4322، 4323 دوسرا نسخه : 4337، 4338]
Sunan al-Nasa’i [7؍25 ح3862]
Al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Bayhaqi [10؍44]
Mushkil al-Athar by al-Tahawi [2؍377 ح1925]
Sharh al-Sunnah by al-Baghawi [1؍147 ح79 وقال : هذا حديث متفق على صحته]
Hilyat al-Awliya by Abu Nu’aym al-Isfahani [2؍279، 280 وقال : ”وهو صحيح ثابت متفق على صحته“]
The following hadith scholars before Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah also narrated it:
Ahmad ibn Hanbal [المسند 2؍299، 275، 506]
Humaydi [المسند : 1174، 1175]
‘Abd al-Razzaq in his Tafsir [1؍337 ح1668، 1669]
The following Tabi’in narrated this hadith from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu:
① ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Hurmuz al-A’raj [صحيح بخاري : 2819، 3424، 6639 وصحيح مسلم : 1654 وترقيم دارالسلام : 4289]
② Tawus [صحيح بخاري : 5242، 6720 وصحيح مسلم : 1654 ودارالسلام : 4286]
↰ It is thus evident that this narration, like the previous narrations, is absolutely authentic, and it was narrated by hadith scholars before Imam al-Bukhari, during his time, and by those who came after him as well.
Those who criticize the hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari are, in reality, criticizing all the hadith scholars, because these very ahadith are also considered authentic by other hadith scholars.
Note ①: Sayyiduna Sulayman alayhis salam did not claim knowledge of the unseen (ghayb); rather, this was his ijtihad (independent reasoning) and estimation.
Note ②: In these narrations, the number of wives of Sulayman alayhis salam is mentioned as seventy, ninety, and one hundred. The reconciliation is that seventy were free wives and the rest were slave women (concubines). See: Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar [6؍460 تحت ح3424]
Note ③: In previous religious laws, it was permissible to have more than four wives, whereas in the Shari’ah of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, every member of the Ummah of Muhammad is permitted to have at most only four wives at one time.
Note ④: Sulayman alayhis salam said: “Tonight I will go to seventy women,” etc.
In no hadith does it appear that Sulayman alayhis salam made this announcement before the people on the pulpit; rather, the hadith mentions a “companion,” by which is meant an angel. See: Sahih al-Bukhari [6720]
Therefore, this objection is invalid.
Secondly, Sulayman alayhis salam forgot to say “in sha Allah” (if Allah wills), he did not deliberately omit it. See: Sahih al-Bukhari [6720]

Hadith Commentary:
➊
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s intent is that if someone, at the time of intimacy with his wife, makes the intention that if Allah grants him a son, he will dedicate him to striving in the path of Allah (jihad fi sabilillah), then he will receive reward due to this intention even if a son is not born. Furthermore, it is also understood from this that seeking a son for the purpose of jihad in the path of Allah is commendable. In such circumstances, even if the child is not as the parents had hoped, they will still receive reward according to their intention.

➋
It should be clear that the resolve and intention of Prophet Sulayman (alayhis salam) was to say “in sha Allah” (if Allah wills), but he was not able to fulfill his intention; rather, his resolve remained incomplete, and likewise, his son also remained incomplete and did not become perfect. In this was a test for Prophet Sulayman (alayhis salam), that he was not able to say “in sha Allah.” However, in some narrations, mention is made of seventy women. There is no contradiction in these narrations, because mentioning a smaller number does not negate a larger number. (Umdat al-Qari: 128/6)