The Methodology of Imām al-Bukhārī In al-Adab al-Mufrad

Imām al-Bukhārī is considered as one of the prominent ？adīth scholars, and he enriched the Islamic library with a great number of valuable books of prophetic ？adīth. Prophetic manners and character are considered as the pure source from which the entire Islamic nation derive their unchangeable moral system and nations are valued by their own morality. This is why the book of al-Bukhārī's book entiteled al-ādāb al-mufrad can be considered as a reference in terms of ？adīth and ethics for the entire Muslim nation. This study aims to show the prominent status of this book and the issues it tackles. It also proves the authenticity of its authorship and shows Imām al-Bukhārī's methodology as regards the isnād (narration) and matn (text) of prophetic ？adīth. The isnād is dealt with from the perspective of narrators, varieties of ascriptions, ways of reporting and reception of ？adīth, and comments on and judgment of ascriptions. As for the matn is studied from the viewpoint of division of topics, comments on texts, repetition of texts, and summing up of texts. The study also aims to show Imām al-Bukhārī's attitude as regards the use of weak ？adīth in good manners – an issue of great controversy and misunderstanding in modern times. The study further seeks to show the importance of the knowledge of the methodology of ？adīth scholars for students of sharī？a in general and for specialists of prophetic ？adīth in particular