320—Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hafs al-Harawi informed us. He said: ⦗194⦘ Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Salamah narrated to us. He said: Abu al-Husayn Muhammad ibn Imran ibn Musa al-Jurjani narrated to us. He said: I heard Abu Muhammad Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Bukhari at Shash saying: I heard Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ismaʿil al-Bukhari say:

“I met more than one thousand men among the people of knowledge of the Hijaz, Mecca, Medina, Kufa, Basra, Wasit, Baghdad, Syria, and Egypt. I met them repeatedly, generation after generation. I encountered them while they were numerous for more than forty-six years. I visited the scholars of Syria, Egypt, and al-Jazirah twice, and Basra four times over a number of years; and I spent six years in the Hijaz. I cannot count how many times I entered Kufa and Baghdad with the hadith scholars of Khurasan, among whom were Makki ibn Ibrahim, Yahya ibn Yahya, Ali ibn al-Hasan ibn Shaqiq, Qutaybah ibn Saʿid, and Shihab ibn Maʿmar.

“In Syria, I met Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Firyabi, Abu Mushir Abd al-Aʿla ibn Mushir, Abu al-Mughirah Abd al-Quddus ibn al-Hajjaj, Abu al-Yaman al-Hakam ibn Nafiʿ, and many others after them. In Egypt, I met Yahya ibn Kathir, Abu Salih, the scribe of al-Layth ibn Saʿd, Saʿid ibn Abi Maryam, Asbagh ibn al-Faraj, and Nuʿaym ibn Hammad. In Mecca, I met Abd Allah ibn Yazid al-Muqriʾ, al-Humaydi, Sulayman ibn Harb, ⦗195⦘ the judge of Mecca, and Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Azraqi. In Medina, I met Ismaʿil ibn Abi Uways, Mutarrif ibn Abd Allah, Abd Allah ibn Nafiʿ al-Zubayri, Ahmad ibn Abi Bakr, Abu Musʿab al-Zuhri, Ibrahim ibn Hamzah al-Zubayri, and Ibrahim ibn al-Mundhir al-Hizami.

“In Basra, I met Abu Asim al-Dahhak ibn Makhlad al-Shaybani, Abu al-Walid Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, al-Hajjaj ibn al-Minhal, and Ali ibn Abd Allah ibn Jaʿfar al-Madini. In Kufa, I met Abu Nuʿaym al-Fadl ibn Dukayn, Ubayd Allah ibn Musa, Ahmad ibn Yunus, Qabisah ibn Uqbah, Ibn Numayr, and Abd Allah and Uthman, the two sons of Abi Shaybah. In Baghdad, I met Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Yahya ibn Maʿin, Abu Maʿmar, Abu Khaythamah, and Abu Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam. Among the people of al-Jazirah, I met Amr ibn Khalid al-Harrani; in Wasit, Amr ibn Awn and Asim ibn Ali ibn Asim; and in Merv, Sadaqah ibn al-Fadl and Ishaq ibn Ibrahim al-Hanzali.

“We have limited ourselves to naming these men in order to be brief and not prolong the matter. I did not see a single one of them differ regarding the following matters: that religion consists of statement and action, as Allah says:

‘And they were commanded only to worship Allah, devoting religion sincerely to Him, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and give zakah. That is the true religion.’ [al-Bayyinah: 5]

⦗196⦘ And that the Quran is the uncreated speech of Allah, as He says:

‘Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself above the Throne. He covers the night with the day, pursuing it swiftly; and the sun, the moon, and the stars are subjected by His command.’

Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ismaʿil said: Ibn Uyaynah said: “Allah has distinguished creation from command in His saying:

‘Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command. Blessed is Allah, Lord of the worlds.’ [al-Aʿraf: 54]

“And that good and evil are by divine decree, as He says:

‘Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak from the evil of what He has created.’ [al-Falaq: 2]

And as He says:

‘Allah created you and what you do.’ [al-Saffat: 96]

And as He says:

‘Indeed, We have created everything according to a decree.’ [al-Qamar: 49]

“They did not declare anyone among the people of the qiblah to be an unbeliever on account of a sin, for Allah says:

‘Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives anything less than that for whomever He wills.’ [al-Nisaʾ: 48]

“I did not see any among them speak ill of the Companions of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Aishah said: ‘They were commanded to seek forgiveness for them.’ This is in Allah’s saying:

‘Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not place in our hearts any resentment toward those who believe. Our Lord, You are indeed Most Kind, Most Merciful.’ [al-Hashr: 10]

“They prohibited innovations—anything not followed by the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and his Companions—⦗197⦘ as Allah says:

‘Hold firmly, all together, to the rope of Allah, and do not become divided.’ [Al Imran: 103]

And as He says:

‘If you obey him, you will be guided.’ [al-Nur: 54]

“They urged adherence to what the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and his followers were upon, as Allah says:

‘And this is My straight path, so follow it; and do not follow other ways, lest they lead you away from His way. This He has commanded you, so that you may become mindful of Him.’ [al-Anʿam: 153]

“And that we must not contest authority with those who hold it, for the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: ‘There are three matters concerning which the heart of a Muslim harbors no rancor: sincerity in action for Allah, obedience to those in authority, and holding fast to their community, for their supplication encompasses those beyond them.’ This is further affirmed in His saying:

‘Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you.’ [al-Nisaʾ: 59]

“And that the sword is not to be taken up against the Ummah of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Al-Fudayl said: ‘If I had one supplication that would certainly be answered, I would direct it only toward the ruler, for when the ruler is righteous, the lands and the people are secure.’ Ibn al-Mubarak said: ‘O teacher of goodness, who besides you would dare to do this?’”