Was Imam al-Bukhari a Mudallis? A Research Review
Source: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah – Tawḍīḥ al-Aḥkām, Vol. 2, p. 341
Question
A Deobandi scholar claimed that Imam Ibn Ḥajar (رحمه الله) listed Imam al-Bukhārī (رحمه الله) among the mudallisin in his book Ṭabaqāt al-Mudallisin.
However, upon checking the original source, it was found that Ibn Ḥajar was merely quoting Imam Ibn Mandah’s statement and refuted it immediately. Ibn Mandah’s wording was:
“أخرج البخاري قال فلان وقال لنا فلان، وهو تدليس“
(Al-Bukhari narrates: “So-and-so said” or “So-and-so said to us” — and this is tadlis).
The questions are:
1️⃣ Do we find such expressions in Imam al-Bukhari’s works?
2️⃣ Do the phrases “qāla fulān” or “qāla lanā fulān” fall under tadlis?
Answer
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله، أما بعد:
Example from Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī
In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (Hadith no. 5590), Imam al-Bukhārī says:
“وقال هشام بن عمار…”
Ibn Ḥazm raised an objection to this narration. However, in reality, this narration is neither disconnected nor tadlis — rather it is authentic and connected, as explained in Fatḥ al-Bārī.
Is “qāla fulān” or “qāla lanā fulān” Tadlis?
If a non-mudallis narrator uses expressions like “qāla fulān” or “qāla lanā fulān,” this does not constitute tadlis.
Examples:
1️⃣ Abū Jamrah, the trustworthy and well-known Tābiʿī, said:
“قال لنا ابن عباس…”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Hadith no. 3522)
There is no proof that Abū Jamrah (Naṣr ibn ʿImrān al-Ḍubʿī al-Baṣrī) was a mudallis.
2️⃣ Ibn ʿAwn said:
“قال لنا إبراهيم…”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Darussalam numbering Hadith no. 50)
Statement of Imam Shuʿbah
Imam Shuʿbah (رحمه الله) said:
“ما رأيت أحداً من أصحاب الحديث إلا يدلس إلا ابن عون وعمرو بن مرة“
“I never saw anyone among the people of hadith except that he did tadlis — except Ibn ʿAwn and ʿAmr ibn Murrah.”
(Musnad Ibn al-Jaʿd, Hadith 50; other version 1/277, Hadith 52; Tārīkh Dimashq 33/222)
This strong statement shows that Ibn ʿAwn was entirely free from tadlis.
Conclusion
Phrases like “qāla fulān” or “qāla lanā fulān” are only considered tadlis when used by a narrator who is already proven to be a mudallis.
- Imam al-Bukhārī was not a mudallis.
- Such expressions from him cannot be labeled as tadlis.
- This is why Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) said:
“Among Allah’s creation, Imam al-Bukhari is the most free from tadlis.”
(Ighāthat al-Lahfān, 1/260; Lafṭ al-Mubīn, p. 28)
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
