Sualat al-Tirmidhi lil-Bukhari hawla Ahadith fi Jami al-Tirmidhi
- Author died
- 1431 AH
- Editions
- ʿImādat al-Baḥth al-ʿIlmī bi-al-Jāmiʿah al-Islāmiyyah
Sualat al-Tirmidhi lil-Bukhari hawla Ahadith fi Jami al-Tirmidhi (Questions of al-Tirmidhi to al-Bukhari Regarding Hadiths in Jami' al-Tirmidhi) is a specialized study in the science of hadith defects ('ilal) by the Saudi scholar Yusuf bin Muhammad al-Dakhil (d. 1431 AH / 2010 CE) . The book collects, analyzes, and evaluates the critical inquiries directed by Abu Isa al-Tirmidhi to his teacher Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari that are recorded across the text of Jami' al-Tirmidhi .
Origin and Scope
The work originated as an academic master's thesis in the Department of Fiqh al-Sunnah at the Islamic University of Madinah, completed on 20 Rajab 1400 AH with a grade of "Excellent" .
The author noted that the title does not represent a newly discovered classical manuscript; rather, it constitutes an original academic compilation . Al-Tirmidhi transmitted material from al-Bukhari using various reception formulas; al-Dakhil restricted his scope specifically to instances where al-Tirmidhi expressly formulated questions or critical discussions using terms such as "I asked" (sa'altu) or "I deliberated with" (dhakartu) . Across the entirety of Jami' al-Tirmidhi, the author identified and examined a total of thirty-three hadiths that revolve around these direct inquiries .
Structure and Methodology
The work opens with an introductory section covering the significance of the science of hadith defects ('ilal al-hadith), an overview of classical works authored in this field and in the question-and-answer (su'alat) genre, an extensive biography of al-Tirmidhi, a concise biography of al-Bukhari, and an outline of the research methodology .
In the core analytical chapters, al-Dakhil arranged the thirty-three hadiths according to their original sequence across the legal chapters (al-abwab al-fiqhiyyah) of Jami' al-Tirmidhi . For each tradition, his method entails:
- Tracing the inquiries and verifying their textual transmission against printed editions—including the edition edited by Ahmad Muhammad Shakir, Muhammad Fu'ad 'Abd al-Baqi, and Ibrahim 'Atwah 'Iwad—as well as available manuscripts and commentaries .
- Evaluating the biographical standing of the narrators under scrutiny (al-jarh wa-al-ta'dil) by comparing critical assessments, particularly those cited by al-Tirmidhi from al-Bukhari, and weighing conflicting judgments .
- Investigating the chains of transmission (isnad) regarding issues of connection, disconnection, elevation to the Prophet (raf'), or suspension to a Companion (waqf) .
- Assessing the ultimate authenticity or defect of each hadith, comparing the critical judgments of al-Bukhari and al-Tirmidhi, reconciling differing stances where possible, and noting instances where al-Tirmidhi diverged from his master's view or where al-Bukhari committed an inadvertent error .
The book concludes with analytical findings and thematic and Quranic indexes .
Publication
The book was published in two volumes by the Deanship of Scientific Research at the Islamic University of Madinah in its first edition in 1424 AH / 2003 CE .
Answer updated