The Textual Integrity of Sahih al-Bukhari: A Study on the Primary Recensions, Textual Variants, and Transmission of the Sahih

About The Book

Second only to the Quran, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī occupies a near-sacrosanct space in Muslim intellectual and spiritual history. Much ink has been spilled engaging contentions related to the contents of the Ṣaḥīḥ, but less attention has been given in anglophone literature to its textual integrity. How faithfully was the Ṣaḥīḥ transmitted after al-Bukhārī's demise? Were the people responsible for disseminating the Ṣaḥīḥ trustworthy and meticulous? With over a millennium separating us from its initial compilation, to what extent does the contemporary rendition of the Ṣaḥīḥ correspond to al-Bukhārī's autograph? By tracing the transmission of the Ṣaḥīḥ from its compilation until the eve of hadith canonization in the fifth century AH, reconstructing its primary recensions from secondary sources, and comparing hundreds of its textual variants, Muntasir Zaman answers these questions surrounding the transmission of the most acclaimed hadith collection.

“An essential resource for anyone involved in Hadith studies and the recensions and manuscripts of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī. Building upon and arguing with many primary and secondary Arabic and non-Arabic sources, Muntasir Zaman addresses the most crucial questions pertaining to both Farabrī’s recension and the other understudied recensions of Ibrāhīm al-Nasafī and Ḥammād b. Shākir. Those whose research interests focus on Hadith, its transmission and authenticity, and the challenging questions on the veracity of the Ṣaḥīḥ will find answers to their questions. Their reading will not only yield answers but will also open vistas for further research.”

Dr. Issam Eido | Vanderbilt University, Department of Religious Studies

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