Understanding Shia Narrators in Sahih Bukhari: Principles & Clarifications

The Origin of Tashayyu’ and the Principles of the Muhaddithun

Historically, Tashayyu’ was initially a political tendency, which existed among certain groups of Muslims in opposition to the Banu Umayyah, out of love for the Ahl al-Bayt. Later, this tendency took the form of extremism (ghuluw) and changed into Rafidism. Allamah Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, may Allah have mercy on him, the commentator of Bukhari, says on this subject:

“التشيع في عرف المتقدمين هو اعتقاد تفضيل علي على عثمان…”

“According to the earlier scholars, Tashayyu’ meant holding that Ali should be preferred over Uthman…”

The Difference Between Shia and Rafidah According to the Earlier Scholars

• According to the earlier scholars, “Shia” referred to those who only held the preference of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, i.e., they considered Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, superior to Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, but they accepted Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, as a rightly-guided Imam and Companion.
• This view did not fall under a major deviation; at most, it was counted as an innovation (bid’ah).
• Some people considered Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, superior to the two Shaykhs (Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both), but they believed in their imamate and companionship.
• Unlike the Rafidah, these people were pious, religious, and afflicted with minor innovation (bid’ah sughra), so their narrations were accepted provided they were not propagandists (da’i).

➊ The Basic Conditions for Accepting a Narration

There are two important conditions for accepting a narrator of hadith:

• Reliable memory: the narrator’s memory must be strong and accurate.
• Justice (‘adalah): the narrator must be righteous, trustworthy, and refrain from sins.

➋ The Innovator Narrator and the Matter of His Narration

Innovation, such as Tashayyu’ or Rafd, affects the justice of a narrator. However, the Muhaddithun laid down the following principles for accepting or rejecting the narrations of innovator narrators:

• The narrator must be truthful (saduq) and not a liar.
• He must not be afflicted with an innovation that amounts to disbelief (bid’ah mukaffirah), i.e., an innovation that leads to kufr.
• He must not call people to his innovation (da’wah).
• There must be nothing in his narration that supports his innovative view.

➌ Leniency and Strictness in the Principles of the Muhaddithun

The Muhaddithun were lenient or strict in applying these principles in different circumstances. This difference was based on evidences and indicators, not on personal desires. For further details, one may study Ibn al-Salah’s “Ulum al-Hadith” and its commentaries.

➊ Imam al-Bukhari’s Standard

Sahih al-Bukhari contains narrations from some Shia and innovator narrators, but the Muhaddithun explained Imam al-Bukhari’s standard regarding them in the following points:

• There is no narrator in it who holds a bid’ah mukaffirah.
• Most Shia narrators were non-propagandists (ghair da’i), and some had repented.
• Their narrations are mostly found as mutaba’at and shawahid.
• There is no definitive proof that some of the narrators were innovators.

➋ The Well-Known “Shia” Narrators of Bukhari and the Reality

• Ibn Jurayj Abu Khalid al-Makki: Imam al-Dhahabi wrote in “Mizan al-I’tidal” that he considered mut’ah permissible and had mut’ah with seventy women. However, there is also a mention of his retraction (ruju’).
• Abbad ibn Ya’qub: According to Imam Ibn Hibban, he was a Rafidi propagandist, but only one hadith was taken from him in Bukhari, and that too is muqarran (i.e., it is also found through another chain).
• Abd al-Malik ibn A’yan: He was called a Rafidi, but there is also only one narration from him in Bukhari, and that too is muqarran.

➌ Replies to the Objections of Opponents

• Presenting Imam al-Bukhari’s Shia narrators in an exaggerated manner by opponents is exaggeration.
• The claim that all of them were Imam al-Bukhari’s “teachers” is completely wrong.
• From most of them, narrations were taken only as mutaba’ah or as shawahid.

Summary

• Neither Sahih al-Bukhari nor Sahih Muslim contains a narration from any Shia narrator who is a Rafidi, or who curses the two Shaykhs and the Mothers of the Believers.
• The Muhaddithun laid down clear principles for accepting the narrations of Shia and innovator narrators, and they strictly applied them.

Further Books for Study

• Book by Muhammad Khalifah al-Shar’: “منهج الإمامين البخاري ومسلم في الرواية عن رجال الشيعة في صحيحيهما”
• Book by Karima Sudani: “منهج الإمام البخاري في الرواية عن المبتدعة من خلال الجامع الصحيح : الشيعة أنموذجا”