Why Trust Hadith Compilers Like Bukhari

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Question:

Why should we trust hadith compilers like Bukhari, who were Persian converts from Zoroastrianism? - An analysis of hadith compilation, focusing on Imam Bukhari and other scholars, and whether their Persian backgrounds affect authenticity. :::

Answer:

Hadith in bukhari collection identified as saheeh or authentic is not authentic because imam bukhari rahimullah said so, rather it is authentic because it has the authentic chain of narrations.

Thats why some hadith scholars have even identified a few hadith of bukhari which are not considered same level of authenticity that imam bukhari had considered then to be. What this shows is:

  1. The scholars of hadith didn’t follow imam bukhari or any other muhaditheen blindly. Thats why they identified the errors (which were a miniscule part of overall collection) and still did not reject the entire collection due to these mistakes.

  2. The science of hadith is there using which the hadith can be evaluated and analysed

  3. the minor errors in few hadith does not make the entire hadith collection doubtful because those errors were identified. Identification of adulteration is preservation

  4. No book after Quran can be 100% perfect - however islam consists of Quran and Hadith and without one of them islam is incomplete.

Those who doubt hadith entirely or any hadith which is deemed authentic by the consensus of scholars then his islam/eeman is doubtful.