Exploring the Farabri Copy: Authenticating Sahih Al-B

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Translated by AI – this translation may contain errors.

The original text can be found here: https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/145.

The Farabri Copy

(A series of articles discussing the authentication of Sahih Al-Bukhari’s attribution to its author, the value of the Farabri copy, and explaining difficult Hadiths from Sahih)

By: Muhammad Akram Nadwi

Oxford

1. The Benefit of Narrating Hadith Books

They asked: What is the benefit of narrating the books of Hadith?

I replied: There are many benefits when they are received through reading to or hearing from the scholars. These benefits include:

• Precision of Words: Ensuring accuracy in wording.
• Comprehension: Understanding the meanings of individual terms.
• Clarification of Hadith: Explaining complex Hadiths.
• Learning Character: Adopting the behavior of Hadith scholars and students who implemented the Sunnah in their lives.
• Chain of Transmission: Connecting with the authors of these books and through them, back to the Prophet ﷺ.

Even those who only received the books by Ijazah (without direct reading/listening) benefit from this final connection.

2. The Role of Narration in Attributing Books to Their Authors

They asked: Is the attribution of these books to their authors dependent on this narration?

I replied: It does not solely depend on it, but narration adds greater precision and authentication.

3. The Most Famous Narrations of Sahih Al-Bukhari

They asked: What are the most famous narrations of Sahih Al-Bukhari?

I replied: They include the narrations of:

• Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Yusuf Al-Farabri (d. 320 AH)
• Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Muqall Al-Nasafi (d. 295 AH)
• Abu Muhammad Hammad ibn Shakir Al-Naswi (d. 311 AH)
• Abu Talha Mansur ibn Muhammad Al-Bazdawi (d. 319 AH)
• Abu Abdullah Al-Hussain ibn Ismail Al-Mahamili (d. 330 AH)

4. Who Was Al-Farabri?

They asked: Who was Farabri?

I replied: He was the narrator of Sahih Al-Bukhari and heard it directly from Al-Bukhari twice. He said: “I heard the collection in 248 AH and again in 252 AH.” He narrated it to various scholars, including:

• Abu Zaid Al-Marwazi
• Abu Ali ibn Al-Sakan
• Abu Al-Haytham Al-Kushmihani
• Abu Muhammad ibn Hamuyah Al-Sarakhsi
• Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Shabwayh
• Abu Hamid Ahmad ibn Abdullah Al-Nuaimi
• …and many others.

5. Declaring Al-Farabri Trustworthy

They asked: Who declared him trustworthy?

I replied: The concept of declaring someone trustworthy (Tazkiyah) often confuses people today. It is not limited to mere verbal praise. Scholars have always relied on narrations from Al-Farabri, without criticism, and major scholars such as:

• Al-Daraqutni (d. 385 AH)
• Al-Khatib Al-Baghdadi (d. 463 AH)
• Ibn Makula (d. 475 AH)…relied on his narration of Sahih Al-Bukhari. Subsequent scholars like Ibn Nuqtah, Ibn Asakir, Al-Sam’ani, Al-Mizzi, and Al-Dhahabi also trusted his narrations, and this trust has continued through to the present day.

  6. The Accuracy of the Farabri Copy

  They asked: How accurate is the Farabri copy and is it complete?
  I replied: The Farabri copy is one of the most reliable and complete. Farabri transcribed it from Al-Bukhari’s original, and any gaps in his version were simply a reflection of gaps left by Al-Bukhari himself, who continually revised his work until his death. After Al-Bukhari’s passing, no further edits were possible, and later copyists filled in the gaps. Farabri also consulted with Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Abi Hatim, Al-Bukhari’s scribe, ensuring further accuracy. I replied: The Farabri copy is one of the most reliable and complete. Farabri transcribed it from Al-Bukhari’s original, and any gaps in his version were simply a reflection of gaps left by Al-Bukhari himself, who continually revised his work until his death. After Al-Bukhari’s passing, no further edits were possible, and later copyists filled in the gaps. Farabri also consulted with Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Abi Hatim, Al-Bukhari’s scribe, ensuring further accuracy.

7. The Intentions Behind Al-Bukhari’s Work

In the introduction of Fath Al-Bari, Shaykh Muhyi Al-Din explained: Al-Bukhari’s aim was not merely to compile Hadith but also to derive rulings from them. For this reason, he often left certain chapters without explicit Hadiths, merely referencing well-known narrators or including verses from the Quran. This method has led to confusion in later copies, where chapters without Hadiths were combined with those containing them, causing difficulty for readers. However, this was a deliberate stylistic choice by Al-Bukhari.

8. The Sadafi Copy

They asked: What is the Sadafi copy?
I replied: It is the copy of Hafidh Abu Ali Al-Sadafi (d. 514 AH). This copy is in a single bound volume, without diacritical marks, as was common for Al-Sadafi. It was based on a version written by Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahmoud, read to Abu Dhar Al-Harawi. The copy contains variant readings and has been widely circulated.

9. The Ibn Sa’adah Copy

They asked: What about the Ibn Sa’adah copy?
I replied: It is the copy of the Andalusian Hafidh Ibn Sa’adah (d. 566 AH), a student of Abu Ali Al-Sadafi. Ibn Sa’adah meticulously compared his version of Sahih Al-Bukhari with the Sadafi copy.

10. The Yunini Copy

They asked: What about the Yunini copy?
I replied: The copy of Imam Hafidh Sharaf Al-Din Al-Yunini (d. 701 AH) is considered one of the finest and most accurate copies. Al-Dhahabi noted that Al-Yunini carefully transcribed and compared his copy in a single year, hearing it eleven times. He verified it against multiple authoritative copies and collaborated with scholars like Ibn Malik, the renowned grammarian.

11. Branches of the Yunini Copy

They asked: Can the branches of the Yunini copy serve as the original?
I replied: Yes, once a branch is thoroughly compared to an original, it becomes just as reliable. This process has been followed throughout history, with copies being made from original manuscripts and verified by scholars.