Imaam Al-Bukhari met more than one thousand scholars
Fatwa No: 321244

Question

Assalaamu alaykum. Is the following report authentic? Imam Al-Bukkaari stated that he met with nearly 1000 scholars, and he said that they all agreed on the definition of 'iman' (faith).

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

This report about Imaam Al-Bukhari is authentic. Al-Laalakaa'i cited in his book Sharh Usool Iʻtiqaaad Ahl As-Sunnah, "It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Al-Husayn Muhammad ibn ʻImraan ibn Moosaa Al-Jurjaani that he said, 'I heard Abu Muhammad ʻAbd Ar-Rahmaan ibn Muhammad ibn ʻAbd Ar-Rahmaan Al-Bukhari in Ash-Shaash say, 'I heard Abu ʻAbdullaah Muhammad ibn Ismaaʻeel Al-Bukhari say, 'I met more than one thousand men from the people of knowledge from Hijaaz, Makkah, Madeenah, Koofa, Basrah, Waasit, Baghdad, Shaam and Egypt.'''"

Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar declared this report authentic in his book Fat-h Al-Baari.

Ath-Thahabi reported that Muhammad ibn Abi Haatim, the scribe of Imaam Al-Bukhari, said, "A month before his death, I heard him say, 'I have written narrations from a thousand and eighty men, all of them narrated hadeeth. They all used to say, 'Eemaan (Faith) is qawl (saying/utterance) and 'amal (action/deed), it increases and decreases.'" [Siyar Aʻlaam An-Nubalaa']

Allaah knows best.

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