# The first problem: Bukhari's semi-divine status above the Quran in practice

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/x6sffyrljey/s/2/
- Date: 2018-08-30 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: BukhariGate Part 1: Sahih Bukhari is NOT so Sahih -Mufti Abu Layth (6:33–11:50)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6SfFYRljeY&t=393s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/x6sffyrljey/

**Topics:** Sahih al-Bukhari (BukhariGate); Text criticism, reason and the Quran; Apostasy and blasphemy

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Sahih al-Bukhari has been given a semi-divine status that in practice places it on par with or above the Quran, which he rejects outright. The Quran always takes precedence, and Bukhari is a book like the other hadith collections.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says Sahih al-Bukhari has been given a de facto status on par with or above the Quran, which he rejects entirely: it is a book like the other hadith collections and the Quran always takes precedence over it.

**Evidence, his words at 10:07:** “i will never ever accept that status that is more powerful than the quran or even on par with the quran or even just slightly below the quran that is nonsense” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6SfFYRljeY&t=607s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth announces three points and begins with the status given to Bukhari. He says nobody would object if he criticised Sunan Ibn Majah or the Sunan of Said ibn Mansur, and that the anger at his criticism proves Bukhari has been given a semi-divine status, on par with the Quran in the real world and, he argues, above it in practice. As evidence he cites verses that there is no compulsion in religion, that the Prophet cannot force people to believe, and that whoever wishes may believe or disbelieve, which he says people set aside for a single Bukhari report through Ikrima, whom he describes as a Khariji extremist, that Ali ordered the killing of one who changes his faith. He notes that scholars such as al-Shatibi hold that the Quran always takes precedence. He says he will never accept a status for Bukhari equal to, above or just below the Quran and that it is a book like the other hadith books. He then states his second point briefly: Bukhari contains problematic reports that are blasphemous, irrational or embarrassing alongside many that are unremarkable, though this is not why he began the discussion.

## Sources and names cited

- Sahih al-Bukhari
- Sunan Ibn Majah
- Sunan Said ibn Mansur
- Quran 2:256: https://quran.com/2/256
- Quran 10:99: https://quran.com/10/99
- Quran 18:29: https://quran.com/18/29
- report: whoever changes his religion kill him
- Ikrima
- al-Shatibi
- Khawarij
- The Quran takes precedence over an isolated hadith

## Transcript (machine tier, 6:33–11:50)

[6:29] to keep this kind of private they've asked me you know would you not discuss this so somehow we could kind of reta i'm like look guys stop this hide censorship this culture of censorship be transparent be honest look this deen does not become any diminished by bukhari having some qu have you know being questioned so now i'd like to get to the point is why am i doing this okay first of all there's three things i'd like to

[7:07] highlight one is that bukhari has been given a divine status whether we agree with this or not whether you agree with this statement or not that is a reality that people why are they so upset that i'm criticized and the proof is in the pudding why are people so upset that i'm criticizing bukhari let's say i was criticizing uh let's say this this book right here ibn maja this one right behind me i was criticizing ibn maja nobody would bat an eyelid that's a is that not a hadith book it is was he not a great scholar of hadith

[7:45] he was but nobody would care they don't care about ibn maja let's say i was critiquing the book the sonan of said mansoor nobody would care it's because bukhari has that kind of semi-divine status now people don't say this but it is the de facto rule like in in the real world muslim real world bukhari is treated on it is on par with the quran that is just the reality that unfortunately due to the last 100 years of propaganda

[8:24] people have pushed bukhari up there with the quran in theory they will say no and some salafis will say yes some salafis believe bukhari is that means it is certainty it's like here and it's so widespread and it is the you know so to them it is technically on par with the quran but to most of the people in theory they will say it's just slightly below the quran or they'll say it's below the quran but in reality it's actually just up there and i would argue it's actually above the quran because

[9:01] they will never dismiss a problematic hadith in bukhari because it clashes with the quran but they will dismiss a verse of the quran if it clashes with sahil bukhari so you tell me like look how many verses are there in the quran will you force people until they are believers

[9:28] there is no con coercion in in the faith altogether you are not one to kind of uh force people meanwhile who wishes let them believe who wishes let them disbelieve all of these things are verses of the quran yet when they have one hadith in bukhari through a problematic narrator ekrama who was a extremist of his age he was hawari he was the father of of isis and these people you they would butcher people right him transmitting a hadith said kill people and by the way the quran hated ali so him saying that ali said you should

[10:07] kill somebody for changing his faith now they and who said that the prophet said this they will leave all those verses of the quran so you tell me in practice which one is above am i lying yet when you look at imam shatabhi you look at these great scholars they say no they say the quran always takes precedence but these guys seem to have flooded us with all this propaganda and now we've got so that's the first thing this is my huge problem this divine status i want this gone i will

[10:44] never ever accept that status that is more powerful than the quran or even on par with the quran or even just slightly below the quran that is nonsense that is utter nonsense it is nothing it's just like the rest of these books it's it's just like the rest of these books and that's the truth and i will demonstrate that okay so okay so that's my first point the second point is that yes bukhari has problematic hadith in the but rights this is not the reason why i've begun this bukhari gate by the way but i'm just going to highlight that yes

[11:24] bukhari does have problematic hadith in the which are massively problematic that are blasphemous that are insulting that are irrational that make this deen look stupid that embarrass islam all of these things it does have and it has many which are which are which complement islam it does have many hadith which are just normal complement islam give charity do this do that it'll be fair it has but it has but they're not the problem the problem are these yes and then this third uh layer that can we establish bukhari back to the imam

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment X6SfFYRljeY/s/2. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/x6sffyrljey/s/2/

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