To the Land of Imam Al-Bukhari, Rahimahullah

Shaykh Abulfadl Mohsin Ebrahim describes his overwhelming visit to the grave of the great muhaddith, Imam Bukhari Rahimahullah, during a recent visit to Uzbekistan, where he presented a paper at the National Bioethics Congress

The site where Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah is buried is truly impressive. One enters through a huge gate and it is there that one has to pay an entrance fee that includes a guided tour. There is also a small shop selling some souvenirs and local crafts. Then one immediately steps into a courtyard laden with beautiful lawns, trees and colourful flowers and on the left is the ablution area and Masjid and the maqbarah of Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah lies straight ahead. Inside the mausoleum of Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah there is a marble tomb, but the real burial site of Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah is actually below that tomb.

The door to his maqbarah is under lock and key and I was told by the guide who conversed to me in Arabic that that door is opened only on the two `Ids when thousands of people visit it to pay their respects to this great muhaddith Rahimahullah whose Hadith compilation, i.e. Al-Jami` al-Sahih is considered to be the most authentic of the Sihah Sittah (ie. The Six Authentic Compilations of Hadith). Standing at that door, I thanked Allah (SWT) for making it possible for me to visit the site where this great savant of Islam laid buried and I read al-Fatihah. It was truly an immense emotional experience for me for it never crossed my mind when I was studying Islam in Pakistan and Cairo and eventually when I taught Hadith to the students who enrolled for Islamic Studies at the then University of Durban-Westville in the 1980s and early 1990s that one day I would be able to visit the maqbarah of the noble son of Islam..

I prayed Salat al-`Asr inside the Masjid and the guide told me that President Islam Karimov was responsible for building that Masjid and for renovating and enlarging the burial site of that imminent son of Islam.

Here, it may be apt to share with our readers that Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah who was born in Bukhara was not immune from the envy of the people. Once, a man approached him and asked him whether the Qur'an was created (makhluq) or not created (ghayr makhluq). Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah paused for a while. The man insisted on getting a reply, so Imam al-Bukhari told him: “The Qur'an are the words of Allah and they are not created (ghayr makhluq).” The people then posed more questions to him about the words of the Qur'an, upon which Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah said, “Our actions are created and the pronunciation is one our actions.” After this, mass propaganda was stirred up against Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah, which led to accusations that he believed the words of the Qur'an to be created and never stopped troubling him.

They met the Amir (Governor)of Bukhara, Khalid ibn Ahmad. They told him to call request Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah to come to his residence to teach Hadith to his son. Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah gave the following reply: “I do not want to abuse knowledge and carry it to the footstep of the rulers. If anybody wants to learn, they should join my school.” The Amir then said: “If my son was to attend your school, he should not sit with ordinary people. You would have to teach him separately.” Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah answered: “I cannot stop any person from hearing Ahadith.” That infuriated the governor of Bukhara and got a fatwa (verdict) from the misguided `Ulama’ against Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah and Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah left the city of his birth en route for Samarqand. According to the guide who was taking me around the maqbarah of Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah, the Amir of Bukhara immediately dispatched an emissary to the Amir of Samarqand to close the gate of Samarqand and not to allow Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah to enter.

Upon reaching the outskirts of Samarqand, Imam al-Bukhari Rahimahullah settled down there, barely for a month, where he taught Hadith for a while and fell ill during the holy month of Ramadan and returned to His Creator on the night of `Id al-Fitr, the first night of Shawwal in the year at the age of 62. May Allah (SWT) amply reward his blessed soul, amin. The legend, according to the the guide is that Imam al-Bukhari had requested to be buried next to Qussam Ibn `Abbas Rahimahullah, the cousin of our beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alayhi wassallam but that his request was not fulfilled since he was not allowed to enter into Samarqand.

Shaykh Abulfadl Mohsin Ebrahim is the Professor of Islamic Studie of the School of Religion and Theolog at the, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban

Article by Shaykh Abulfadl Mohsin Ebrahi