There is a consensus among the scholars of the Ummah regarding the hadiths of Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim that all the hadiths contained in them are authentic. However, some, based on their ignorance, have expressed reservations about this consensus and have made a malicious attempt to cast doubts and suspicions on the status and rank of these two books in the Ummah.
① First Point
The Sahihain, meaning Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, are the most authentic and reliable books of the Prophetic hadiths, and the entire Ummah agrees on this. There are many scholars, muhaddithin, and hafiz who have transmitted the consensus regarding the authenticity of the hadiths contained in them. Every generation has transmitted this consensus from one to another.
As Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from Abu Ishaq Asfara'ini (may Allah have mercy on him):
The experts in the field of hadith agree that the hadiths contained in the Sahihain are definitely proven from the Prophet ﷺ.
② Second Point
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الله
In every field, the opinion of those connected to that field is considered authoritative. Just as the opinion of a physician is not authoritative in the field of construction, or the opinion of an engineer is not authoritative in treatment and medicine, similarly, the consensus of the Sahihain regarding the authenticity is only acceptable from the hadith scholars who are highly qualified and top experts in the field. Likewise, opposition is also counted only from them, and no other opposition will be considered valid. The consensus of the hadith scholars is established, and no opposition is found from any of them.
③ Third Point
As for the question of all scholars gathering in one place to agree on the authenticity of the Sahihain’s hadiths, when and where this happened, the acknowledgment of researchers and experts of all eras that the hadiths of the Sahihain are authentic is itself sufficient, and it makes gathering them all in one place unnecessary.
④ Fourth Point
The consensus of the scholars is that definite and certain knowledge is obtained from the Ahadith of the Sahihain, and this certainty is due to the characteristics of the Sahihain that distinguish them from other books, including the status and rank of their authors, their expertise in their field, and their strict conditions, etc., while the arguments of those who consider these Ahadith as speculative are very weak.
⑤ Fifth Point
The acceptance of the Ahadith of the Sahihain by the Ummah and the consensus on their authenticity is stronger than the proof established by the chain of narration.
Imam Ata bin Abi Rabah, may Allah have mercy on him, says: Whatever the Ummah reaches consensus upon is stronger than what is proven by the chain of narration.
Reference: (Hilyat al-Awliya:3/314)
⑥ Sixth Point
Some scholars' criticism of certain ahadith in the Sahihayn does not negate the consensus on the authenticity of the ahadith in the Sahihayn because this criticism is not actually about the acceptance or rejection of the hadith. Rather, most objections are of such a nature in which certain points regarding the isnad (chain of narration) and other matters have been highlighted. The scholars of hadith have given comprehensive responses to these objections or remarks, as Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani has provided a detailed response to these objections in the introduction of his book Huda al-Sari, the preface to Fath al-Bari.
