Hadith No: 2
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani - Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari - Introduction
Mentioning the Virtues of the Sahih al-Jami' (The Comprehensive Authentic Collection) Aside from What Has Been Previously Presented in the Initial Chapters and Elsewhere
Volume: (1) - Page Number: (489)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
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Abu al-Haytham al-Kushmayhuni said: I heard al-Farabari say: I heard Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari say: "I did not include a single hadith in the Book of Sahih except that I had taken a bath beforehand and prayed two units of prayer."-
And al-Bukhari said: "I compiled the Sahih from six hundred thousand hadiths over sixteen years and made it a religious proof between me and Allah."- Abu Sa'id al-Idrisi said: Sulaiman ibn Dawud al-Harawi informed us, saying: I heard Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Hashim say,
Umar ibn Muhammad ibn Bajir al-Bajiri said: "I heard Muhammad ibn Isma'il say: 'I compiled my book, the Sahih, in the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram), and I did not include a single hadith in it until I had sought Allah's guidance and prayed two units of prayer, being certain of its authenticity.'" I said, the reconciliation between this and what was mentioned earlier—that he used to compile it in various lands—can be understood to mean that he began the compiling, organizing, and chaptering in the Sacred Mosque, and then he would later produce the hadiths in his hometown and elsewhere. This is supported by his statement that he remained there for sixteen years, as he did not stay in Mecca for the entire duration.
- Ibn Adi narrated
from a group of elders that al-Bukhari would turn the chapters of his Jami' between the grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) and his pulpit, and he would pray two units of prayer for each chapter. I said, this also does not contradict what was previously mentioned, as it can be understood that initially, he wrote them in rough draft, and here he was transferring them from the rough draft to the final copy.
- Al-Farabari said:
I heard Muhammad ibn Hatim, an assistant of al-Bukhari, say: "I saw al-Bukhari in a dream praying behind the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny), who was walking, and whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) raised his foot, Abu Abdullah would place his foot in that spot."- Al-Khatib narrated: Abu Sa'd al-Malaini told us, saying: Abu Ahmad ibn Adi informed us: I heard al-Farabari say, I heard Najm ibn Fazil, who was insightful,
say: "I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) in a dream, coming out of his grave, and al-Bukhari was walking behind him. Whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) took a step, Muhammad would take a step and place his foot on the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) step."- Al-Khatib said: He wrote to Ali ibn Muhammad al-Jurjani in Isfahan that he heard Muhammad ibn Maki say:
I heard al-Farabari say: "I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) in a dream, and he said to me: 'Where are you going?' I replied: 'I want to see Muhammad ibn Isma'il.' He said: 'Give him my peace.'"- Abu Ishaq al-Harawi, شيخ الإسلام (Sheikh of Islam), said in a narration we read to Fatimah and Aisha, the daughters of Muhammad ibn al-Hadi, that Ahmad ibn Abi Talib informed them, from Abdullah ibn Umar ibn Ali, that Abu al-Waqt told them of this in person. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Harawi told us: Khalid ibn Abdullah al-Marwazi said: I heard Abu Salih Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Marwazi
say: "I heard Abu Zayd al-Marwazi say: 'I was sleeping between the Corner (Black Stone) and the Station (Maqam Ibrahim), and I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) in a dream. He said to me: O Abu Zayd, how long will you study the book of al-Shafi'i and not study my book?' I replied: 'O Messenger of Allah, what is your book?' He said: 'The Jami' of Muhammad ibn Isma'il.'"- Al-Khatib narrated to me: Muhammad ibn Ali al-Suri told me: Abdul Ghani ibn Said narrated to us: Abu al-Fadl Ja'far ibn al-Fadl
informed us: Muhammad ibn Musa ibn Ya'qub ibn al-Ma'mun said: Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Nasa'i was asked about al-Ala and Suhail. He said: "They are better than Faliih, and even so, nothing in all these books is superior to the book of Muhammad ibn Isma'il."