Nuzhat al-Nazar fi Tawdih Nukhbat al-Fikar - Tahqiq al-Qasim - Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani - (113)

Nuzhat al-Nazar fi Tawdih Nukhbat al-Fikar - Tahqiq al-QasimIbn Hajar Al-Asqalani

[The Soundest Chains of Transmission]
The first tier is the one that some leading scholars have described as comprising “the soundest isnāds,” yet the authoritative view is not to ascribe that label absolutely to any single chain in particular (1). Admittedly, when all the isnāds to which the scholars did apply that description are considered together (2), their collective weight shows them to be preferable to those chains that were not so designated (3).

[Comparing al-Bukhārī and Muslim]
A related question of preference (4)(5) concerns the material that both of the two Shaykhs—al-Bukhārī and Muslim—include, as against what is reported by only one of them, and likewise what al-Bukhārī alone narrates in relation to what Muslim alone narrates (6)(7). Because the scholars who came after them unanimously received both of their compilations with acceptance, while differing (8) over which of the two is weightier (9), whatever the two agree upon enjoys, from this standpoint, a stronger claim to authenticity (10) than that over which they did not concur (11).

The majority have stated explicitly that Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī is superior in overall soundness, and no one has been found to have asserted the opposite outright.

(1) Al-ʿIraqi said in his Sharh al-Tabsira wa al-Tadhkira (1/106): “The variation in the ranks of soundness is determined by how firmly an isnad meets the conditions of authenticity, and it is rare to find the highest degree of acceptability in every individual narrator within a single chain.” (2) MSS W, Z, and L read: “ʿalayhi al-aʾimma” (the leading imams agree on it), with the words transposed. (3) MS D reads: “yutliqunahu” (they apply it unrestrictedly). (4) MSS A and H read: “yulhaq” (it is appended). (5) MS D reads: “al-tafsil” (the detailed discussion). (6) MS Z reads: “aw ma” (or what). (7) From the phrase “aḥaduhumā” (one of the two) to this point is missing in H. (8) In W the word appears as “wa-ikhtilāfu” in the nominative; the adopted reading follows D, L, and M. (9) MS M has “annahumā,” a scribal error. (10) In H “lamā” appears instead of “mimmā.” (11) In the margin of A, in the author’s own hand, is written: “thumma balagha kadhālik” (then it likewise reached).

[أصح الأسانيد] وَالمَرْتَبَةُ الأُولَى: هِيَ الَّتِي أَطْلَقَ عَلَيْهَا بَعْضُ الأَئِمَّةِ أَنَّهَا أَصَحُّ الأَسَانِيدِ، وَالمُعْتَمَدُ عَدَمُ الإِطْلَاقِ لِتَرْجَمَةٍ مُعَيَّنَةٍ مِنْهَا (١). نَعَمْ؛ يُسْتَفَادُ مِنْ مَجْمُوعِ مَا أَطْلَقَ الأَئِمَّةُ عَلَيْهِ (٢) ذَلِكَ أَرْجَحِيَّتُهُ عَلَى مَا لَمْ يُطْلِقُوهُ (٣). [المفاضلة بين البخاري ومسلم] وَيَلْتَحِقُ (٤) بِهَذَا التَّفَاضُلِ (٥): مَا اتَّفَقَ الشَّيْخَانِ عَلَى تَخْرِيجِهِ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَى مَا انْفَرَدَ بِهِ أَحَدُهُمَا، وَمَا (٦) انْفَرَدَ بِهِ البُخَارِيُّ بِالنِّسْبَةِ إِلَى مَا انْفَرَدَ بِهِ (٧) مُسْلِمٌ؛ لِاتِّفَاقِ العُلَمَاءِ بَعْدَهُمَا عَلَى تَلَقِّي كِتَابَيْهِمَا بِالقَبُولِ، وَاخْتِلَافِ (٨) بَعْضِهِمْ فِي أَيِّهِمَا (٩) أَرْجَحُ، فَمَا اتَّفَقَا عَلَيْهِ أَرْجَحُ مِنْ هَذِهِ الحَيْثِيَّةِ مِمَّا (١٠) لَمْ يَتَّفِقَا عَلَيْهِ (١١). وَقَدْ صَرَّحَ الجُمْهُورُ بِتَقْدِيمِ «صَحِيحِ البُخَارِيِّ» فِي الصِّحَّةِ، وَلَمْ يُوجَدْ عَنْ أَحَدٍ التَّصْرِيحُ بِنَقِيضِهِ.

(١) قال العراقيُّ ﵀ في شرحِ التَّبصرة والتَّذكرة (١/ ١٠٦): «لأنَّ تفاوتَ مراتبِ الصِّحة مُتَرَتِّبٌ على تَمَكُّنِ الإسنادِ من شروطِ الصِّحة، ويَعِزُّ وجودُ أعلى درجات القبول في كل فرد من ترجمَةٍ واحدة بالنِّسبة لجميع الرُّواة». (٢) في و، ز، ل: «عليه الأئمة» بتقديم وتأخير. (٣) في د: «يطلقونه». (٤) في أ، هـ: «يلحق». (٥) في د: «التفصيل». (٦) في ز: «أو ما». (٧) من قوله: «أَحَدُهُمَا» إلى هنا سقط من هـ. (٨) في و: «واختلافُ» بالرَّفع، والمثبت من د، ل، م. (٩) في م: «أنّهما»، وهو تصحيف. (١٠) في هـ: «لما» بدل: «مِمَّا». (١١) في حاشية أ - بخطِّ المُصنِّف -: «ثم بلغ كذلك».