# Why criticise Sahih al-Bukhari but not Imam Malik's Muwatta?

*Why the Bukhari debate does not apply to Imam Malik's Muwatta*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/4urwiwu3x7o/s/1/
- Date: 2020-10-21 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Why criticize Bukhari but not the Muwatta of Imam Malik? | Mufti Abu Layth (0:03–1:23)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4URwiwu3X7o&t=3s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/4urwiwu3x7o/

**Topics:** The Muwatta and the Mudawwana; Sahih al-Bukhari (BukhariGate)

**Question as asked:** Can you discuss the transmission of the books by Imam Malik: how did they meet the challenge of transmission that Bukhari struggled with?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** The Muwatta is not caught up in the same debate: many people transmitted it, and Imam Malik himself shows in it that some well-chained hadith are not acted upon, so there is no dogmatism around it.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says the debate over al-Bukhari does not apply to Imam Malik's book because Imam Malik himself teaches in it that a hadith with a good chain may not be acted upon.

**Evidence, his words at 0:32:** “the reason this debate does not apply to the motto of imam malik is because imam malik himself in the mother is teaching you to reject hadith” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4URwiwu3X7o&t=32s)

## Longer summary

A questioner asks how Imam Malik's books met the challenge of transmission that al-Bukhari struggled with. Mufti Abu Layth first says that many people, not just one, transmitted the Muwatta, unlike the situation with other collections. He then says that is not the real point: the debate does not apply to the Muwatta because Imam Malik himself teaches in it to set hadith aside, presenting a report with an excellent chain and saying it is not acted upon. He concludes that there is no dogmatism around the Muwatta, whereas there is around the other books.

## Sources and names cited

- Imam Malik
- al-Muwatta
- al-Bukhari
- Sahih al-Bukhari

## Transcript (machine tier, 0:03–1:23)

[0:02] uh can you discuss the transmission of the books by imam malik how did they meet the challenge of transmission that bukhari struggled with all right so you see it's different first of all many people transmit count i mean multiple people transmit the moth of imam malik not just one for every uh or in the case of muslim ahmed

[0:32] [Laughter] named after you know what's interesting is can also be like a flock of sheep [Laughter] and everybody you know they so unlike them this is transmitted by many people but that's not the point the reason this debate does not apply to the motto of imam malik is because imam malik himself in the mother is teaching you to reject hadith he's teaching you to he's saying look at this hadith the chain is good isn't it it's the best isn't it sils there you go

[1:12] we don't act according to it so it doesn't apply there's no dogmatism with the mother whereas there is dogmatism with the other books

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment 4URwiwu3X7o/s/1. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/4urwiwu3x7o/s/1/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.