In the study of comparative religion, one returns to the source in order to study a respective sect’s view. The two main books, Saheeh Al-Bukhari and Al-Kulayni’s Al-Kafi have both received the highest form of praise from scholars of each respective sect, due to the sheer amount of narrations that are used in the legislation of the rules of the religion.
In this study, we delve into the two most important books of Hadith of the Sunni and Shia Madhhab, with the intention of understanding the way in which the texts, in this case, the traditions, have arrived to the compilers of these works. To be more specific, we have chosen to look into the level of the Shuyookh(teachers) of these two men in both of these books. By listing out firstly the names of these men, their places of origin, and level of trustworthiness, we shall arrive to several conclusions.
As we can see from the study below, we find that the quantity of teachers that Al-Bukhari relied on when authoring his book greatly outnumbers those relied on by Al-Kulayni. This leads the objective reader to the fact that Al-Bukhari put a much greater effort into authoring his book, since he did not rely on a small selective group. We can also see that his teachers were from several different cities. This too is significant since it demonstrates that Al-Bukhari travelled extensively in order to gain knowledge. He did not simply rely on the teachers of Bukhara, Samarqand, and Nisapur, but travelled all the way to Egypt and Syria, not missing out on the major centers of learning that existed at the time. Most importantly, the teachers that he relied upon were to build his work were known to be trustworthy scholars. This demonstrates Al-Bukhari’s keenness in relying on only those whom he believed was worthy of carrying the hadith of the Prophet (saw).
Al-Kulayni, on the other hand, relied on a small select group of people. As we can see from the list below, the vast majority of his teachers were from the city of Qum. We also know for a fact that those teachers have narrated what constitutes the majority of the narrations in Al-Kafi. It is also possible that Al-Kulayni may have also been to Al-Kufa. However, it is hard to say for certain since only two of his teachers were from there. Surely, Al-Kulayni would have narrated from more teachers in Al-Kufa, which was a center for hadith studies at the time, if he had been there. Furthermore, it should also be noted that the majority of the teachers that Al-Kulayni relied upon are of an anonymous status, as opposed to Al-Bukhari, who we have mentioned was very selective in only choosing reliable popular scholars.
THE RESEARCH:
The following is a list of the teachers of Al-Bukhari that he narrated through in his Saheeh, and the list of Al-Kulayni’s teachers from his Kafi. I have chosen to include a short statement regarding the reliability of each narrator next to his name. The opinions about the Shaykhs(teachers) of Al-Bukhari will be taken from Ibn Hajar’s Tahdheeb. The list of his Shaykhs are taken from Asami man Rawa `Anhum Mohammed bin Isma`eel Al-Bukhari, by Ibn `Adi (First edition, Dar Al-Bukhari, 1415). Readers should be aware that I benefited from the commentary of the editor Badr Al-Ammash in his criticism of some of Ibn Adi’s mistakes.
The list of the information regarding the Shaykhs(teachers) of Al-Kulayni, and their level of reliability is taken from Duroos Tamheediya fil Qawa`id Al-Rijaliyah by Mohammed Baqir Al-Ayrawani (Second edition, Intisharaat Madyan, 1428).
Results of the teachers of Al-Bukhari:
Thiqah = 188– This is the number of reliable scholars of Hadith he heard from.
Saduq = 88– The number of honest and trusted big scholars who aren’t as reliable as those above.
La Bas’a bihi = 2– Good famous scholars, there is no harm in narrating from them, they aren’t as good as those above.
Maqbool = 6– Acceptable virtuous scholars whose narrations are passable but require support and they can be a strong support.
Laysa bil Qawi = 1– Scholars whose narrations aren’t strong but can only be used as support.
Da`eef = 1– Scholars who are weak in narrating.
Note: Aseed bin Zaid, the sole weak narrator that Al-Bukhari took a Hadith from, his narration is also narrated through Imran bin Maysara so it supports it.
Variety among the teachers of Al-Bukhari:
Maru = 28 (Merv in Turkmenistan)
Baghdaad = 42 (Capital of `Iraq)
Bukhara = 12 (Province in Uzbekistan)
Masr = 15 (Land of Egypt)
Kufa = 42 (Central `Iraq)
Basra = 82 (South `Iraq)
Nisapur = 12 (Khorasan northern Persian)
Dimashq = 6 (Damascus the capital of Syria)
Hims = 6 (Homs a city in Syria)
Madeena = 9 (al-Madinah al-Munawwarah in Saudi)
Makkah = 7 (Makkah al-Mukarramah in Saudi)
Balkh = 6 (Northern Afghanistan)
Wasit = 11 (Eastern `Iraq)
The narrator that narrated the most Hadiths in Saheeh Al-Bukhari is Abdullah bin Yusuf Al-Taneesi with 352 narrations (out of a total of 7397), which amounts to 4%.
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Results of the teachers of Al-Kulayni:
Thiqah = 10– This is the number of reliable scholars of Hadith he heard from.
Majhool = 18– Number of unknown people he narrated from.
Variety in his teachers (excluding unknown narrators):
Qum = 6 (Qom Persian city)
Kufa = 2 (Central `Iraq)
Barqa = 1 (Village of Barq near Qum)
Azerbijan = 1 (Land of Azerbaijan north of Persia)
The narrator that narrated the most Hadiths in Al-Kafi is `Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Qummi with 4957 narrations (out of a total of 16199), which amounts to 30%.
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THE SHAYKHS OF AL-BUKHARI IN HIS BOOK:
1- Ahmad bin Abdullah bin Yunus Al-Kufi – Thiqa Hafith
2- Ahmad bin Mohammed bin Hanbal Al-Baghdaadi Al-Mirwazi – Imam
3- Ahmad bin Salih Al-Masri – Thiqa hafith
4- Ahmad bin Eisa Al-Masri – Saduq
5- Ahmad bin Al-Miqdam Al-Ijli Al-Basri – Saduq
6- Ahmad bin Shabeeb bin Sa’eed Al-Habati Al-Basri – Saduq
7- Ahmad bin Abdullah Ali bin Suwayid Al-Sadoosi Al-Basri – Saduq
8- Ahmad bin Mohammed bin Awn – Thiqa if he is Al-Azraqi / Saduq lahu awhaam if he isn’t
9- Ahmad/Mohammed bin Abi Dawud Al-Munadi Al-Baghdaadi – Saduq
10- Ahmad bin Othman bin Hakeem Al-Kufi – Thiqa
11- Ahmad bin Abi Raja’a Al-Maseesi Al-Harawi – Thiqa
12- Ahmad bin Abi Suraij Al-Razi – Thiqa
13- Ahmad bin Abdullah/Abdul Malik bin Waqid Al-Mirwazi/Al-Harani – Thiqa
14- Ahmad bin Ishaaq Al-Sulami Al-Bukhari – Saduq
15- Ahmad bin Sa’eed Al-Ribati Al-Mirwazi Al-Nisapuri – Thiqa
16- Ahmad bin Al-Hajjaj Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa
17- Ahmad bin Yaqoub Al-Mas’oudi Al-Kufi – Thiqa
18- Ahmad bin Abi Tayib Al-Mirwazi – Saduq
19- Ahmad bin Ishkaab Al-Saffar Al-Kufi – Thiqa hafith
20- Ahmad bin Hameed Al-Kufi – Thiqa hafith
21- Ahmad bin Al-Hasan Al-Tirmithi – Thiqa hafith
22- Ahmad bin Mohammed bin Musa Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa hafith
23- Ahmad bin Hafs Al-Nisapuri – Saduq
24- Ibrahim bin Hamza Al-Zubairi Al-Madani – Saduq
25- Ibrahim bin Musa Al-Razi – Thiqa hafith
26- Ibrahim bin Al-Munthir Al-Hizami Al-Madani – Saduq
27- Ibrahim bin Al-Harith Al-Nisapuri – Saduq
28- Isma’eel bin Abdullah Al-Madani – Saduq akhta’a fi ahadeeth hafithaha
29- Isma’eel bin Aban Al-Warraq Al-Kufi – Thiqa
30- Isma’eel bin Al-Khaleel Al-Kufi – Thiqa
31- Ishaaq bin Mohammed bin Isma’eel Al-Madani – Saduq kuf fasa’a hifthah
32- Ishaaq bin Rahawaih Al-Mirwazi Al-Nisapuri – Thiqa
33- Ishaaq bin Ibrahim Al-Baghawi – Thiqa
34- Ishaaq bin Mansour bin Bahraam Al-Kawsaj Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa thabt
35- Ishaaq bin Ibrahim bin Nasr Al-Mirwazi – Saduq
36- Ishaaq bin Shaheen Al-Wasiti – Saduq
37- Ishaaq bin Ibrahim bin Yazeed Al-Dimashqi Al-Faradeesi – Saduq
38- Ishaaq bin Yazeed Al-Khurasani – (The author states that he is the previous narrator)
39- Ishaaq bin Ibrahim Al-Sawwaf Al-Basri – Thiqa
40- Ishaaq bin Abi Eisa Al-Baghdaadi – Saduq
41- Adam bin Abi Iyaas Al-Asqalani Al-Khurasani – Thiqa aabid
42- Aseed bin Zaid Al-Kufi – Weak
43- Asbagh bin Al-Faraj Al-Masri – Thiqa
44- Azhar bin Jameel Al-Basri – Saduq yaghrib
45- Ayoub bin Sulaiman Al-Madani – Thiqa
46- Umaya bin Bistaam Al-Basri – Saduq
47- Bishr bin Mohammed Al-Mirwazi – Saduq
48- Bishr bin Khalid Al-Basri – Thiqa yaghrib
49- Bishr bin Ubais Al-Basri – Saduq yukhti’
50- Bishr bin Adam Al-Baghdaadi – Saduq
51- Bishr bin Al-Hakam Al-Nisapuri – Thiqa
52- Bishr bin Bakr Al-Bajali Al-Dimashqi – Thiqa yughrib
53- Badal bin Al-Muhabbar Al-Basri – Thiqa thabt
54- Bayan bin Amr Al-Bukhari – Saduq
55- Thabit bin Mohammed Al-Kufi – Saduq zahid yukhti’ fil hadith
56- Juma’a bin Abdullah Al-Balkhi – Saduq
57- Hakam bin Nafi’ Al-Himsi – Thiqa thabt
58- Hasan bin Al-Sabbah Al-Baghdaadi – Saduq yahim
59- Hasan bin Mohammed bin Al-Sabbah Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
60- Hasan bin Mudrik Al-Basri – La ba’sa bihi
61- Hasan bin Abdulaziz Al-Masri – Thiqa thabt
62- Hasan bin Bishr Al-Bajali Al-Kufi – Saduq yukhti’
63- Hasan bin Ali Al-Khallal – Thiqa hafith
64- Hasan bin Al-Rabee’ Al-Kufi – Thiqa
65- Hasan bin Omar bin Ibrahim Al-Basri – (Not a shaikh of Bukhari according to Al-Mizzi)
66- Hasan bin Omar bin Shaqeeq Al-Basri – Saduq
67- Hasan bin Khalaf Al-Wasiti – Saduq lahu awhaam
68- Hussain bin Huraith Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa
69- Hussain bin Eisa bin Humran Al-Nisapuri – Saduq
70- Hussain bin Mansoor Al-Nisapuri – Thiqa
71- Hussain (Hasaan) bin Abi Abbad (Abdullah) Al-Wasiti – Saduq yukhti’
72- Hasaan bin Hasaan Al-Basri – Saduq yukhti’
73- Hasaan bin Abi Abbas Al-Basri – (He is the previous narrator)
74- Harami bin Hafs Al-Basri – Thiqa
75- Hajjaj bin Minhaal Al-Basri – Thiqa
76- Hafs bin Omar Al-Azdi Al-Hawdhi – Thiqa
77- Hamid bin Omar Al-Basri – Thiqa
78- Hibban bin Musa Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa
79- Haywa bin Shuraih Al-Basri – Thiqa
80- Hammad bin Humaid Al-Khurasani – Maqbool
81- Khalid bin Mukhlid Al-Kufi – Saduq
82- Khalid bin Khalee Al-Himsi – Saduq
83- Khalid bin Yazeed Al-Makki – Saduq muqri’ lahu awhaam
84- Khalad bin Yahya Al-Muqri’ Al-Kufi – Saduq
85- Khaleefa bin Khayyat Al-Basri – Saduq rubama akhta’a
86- Khalaf bin Khalid Al-Masri – Saduq
87- Dawud bin Shabeeb Al-Basri – Saduq
88- Rawh in Abdul Mu’min Al-Basri – Saduq
89- Rabee’ bin Yahya Al-Basri – Saduq lahu awhaam
90- Zakariya bin Yahya bin Zakariya Al-Kufi – Saduq yukhti’
91- Zakariya bin Yahya Al-Ta’ee Al-Kufi – Saduq lahu awhaam
92- Zuhair bin Harb Al-Nasa’ee Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
93- Zaid bin Akhram Al-Ta’ee Al-Basri – Thiqa
94- Ziyad bin Yahya Al-Basri – Thiqa
95- Ziyad bin Ayoub Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
96- Sa’eed bin Katheer bin Ufair Al-Masri – Saduq
97- Sa’eed bin Al-Rabee’ Al-Basri – Thiqa
98- Sa’eed bin Eisa bin Taleed Al-Masri – Thiqa
99- Sa’eed bin Sulaiman Al-Wasiti – Thiqa hafith
100- Sa’eed bin Yahya Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa rubama akhta’
101- Sa’eed bin Mohammed Al-Kufi – Saduq
102- Sa’eed bin Al-Hakam Al-Masri – Thiqa thabt
103- Sa’eed bin Sharahbeel Al-Kufi – Saduq
104- Sa’eed bin Marwan Al-Nisapuri – Saduq
105- Sa’eed bin Al-Nadhr Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
106- Sulaiman bin Dawud Al-Basri – Thiqa
107- Sulaiman bin Abdulrahman Al-Dimashqi – Saduq yukhti’
108- Sulaiman bin Harb Al-Basri – Thiqa imam hafith
109- Sa’ad bin Hafs Al-Kufi – Thiqa
110- Suraij bin Al-Nu’man Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa yahim qaleelan
111- Sahl bin Bakkar Al-Basri – Thiqa rubama wahim
112- Saydan bin Mudharib Al-Basri – Saduq
113- Shihab bin Abbad Al-Kufi – Thiqa
114- Shuja’a bin Waleed Al-Bukhari – Maqbool
115- Sadaqa bin Al-Fadhl Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa
116- Salt bin Mohammed Al-Basri – Saduq
117- Dhahhak bin Mukhlid Al-Basri – Thiqa thabt
118- Talq bin Ghannam Al-Kufi – Thiqa
119- Abdullah bin Yazeed Al-Makki – Thiqa
120- Abdullah bin Al-Zubair Al-Humaidi Al-Makki – Thiqa hafith
121- Abdullah bin Yusuf Al-Taneesi – Thiqa
122- Abdullah bin Uthman bin Jabala Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa hafith
123- Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Bukhari – Thiqa
124- Abdullah bin Maslama bin Qa’nab Al-Basri – Thiqa
125- Abdullah bin Amr Al-Manqari Al-Basri – Thiqa
126- Abdullah bin Abdulwahab Al-Basri – Thiqa
127- Abdullah bin Muneer Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa
128- Abdullah bin Raja’a Al-Makki – Thiqa taghayar
129- Abdullah bin Al-Sabbah Al-Attar Al-Basri – Thiqa
130- Abdullah bin Sa’ad bin Ibrahim Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
131- Abdullah bin Abi Al-Aswad Al-Basri – Thiqa
132- Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Asma’a Al-Basri – Thiqa
133- Abu Bakr bin Abi Shayba Al-Kufi – Thiqa
134- Ubaidullah bin Musa Al-Kufi – Thiqa
135- Ubaidullah bin Sa’eed Al-Nisapuri – Thiqa
136- Ubaidullah bin Omar bin Maysara Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
137- Abdulrahman bin Yunus Al-Baghdaadi – Saduq
138- Abdulrahman bin Al-Mubarak Al-Basri – Thiqa
139- Abdulrahman bin Ibrahim Al-Dimashqi – Thiqa
140- Abdulrahman bin Shayba Al-Madani – Saduq yukhti’
141- Abdulrahman bin Hammad Al-Basri – Saduq rubama akhta’a
142- Abdulghaffar bin Dawud Al-Masri – Thiqa
143- Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Madani – Thiqa
144- Abdulsalaam bin Mutahar bin Husaim Al-Basri – Saduq
145- Ali ibn Al-Madeeni Al-Basri – Thiqa
146- Ali bin Al-Ja’ad Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
147- Ali bin Hafs Al-Baghdaadi – Saduq
148- Ali bin Muslim Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
149- Ali bin Abdullah bin Ibrahim Al-Baghdaadi – Maqbool
150- Ali bin Al-Hakam Al-Ansaari Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa yughrib
151- Ali bin Ayyash Al-Himsi – Thiqa thabt
152- Ali bin Al-Hasan bin Shaqeeq Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa
153- Ali bin Hujr Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa
154- Omar bin Hafs bin Ghiyath Al-Kufi – Thiqa rubama wahim
155- Omar bin Mohamed bin Al-Hasan Al-Kufi – Saduq rubama wahim
156- Uthman bin Abi Shayba Al-Kufi – Thiqa
157- Uthman bin Al-Haytham Al-Basri – Thiqa taghayar
158- Uthman bin Salih Al-Masri – Saduq
159- Amr bin Asim Al-Basri – Saduq fi hufthihi shay’i
160- Amr bin Al-Rabee’ bin Tariq Al-Masri – Thiqa
161- Amr bin Khalid Al-Masri – Thiqa
162- Amr bin Abbas Al-Basri – Saduq rubama wahim
163- Amr bin Ali bin Bahr Al-Basri – Thiqa
164- Amr bin Awn Al-Wasiti – Thiqa
165- Amr bin Zurarah Al-Nisapuri – Thiqa
166- Amr bin Musa (Eisa) Al-Basri – Thiqa
167- Amr bin Mohammed bin Al-Hasan – (Editor seems to believe it is #155)
168- Imran bin Maysara Al-Basri – Thiqa
169- Abda bin Sulaiman Al-Mirwazi – (Ibn Hajar denies that Al-Bukhari narrated from him)
170- Abda bin Abdullah Al-Saffar Al-Basri – Thiqa
171- Abdula’ala bin Hammad Al-Basri – La ba’sa bihi
172- Ubaid bin Isma’eel Al-Kufi – Thiqa
173- Asim bin Ali bin Asim Al-Wasiti – Saduq rubama wahim
174- Ayyash bin Al-Waleed Al-Basri – Thiqa
175- Al-Ala’a bin Abduljabbar Al-Makki – thiqa
176- Abdulraheem bin Abdulrahman Al-Muharibi Al-Kufi – Thiqa
177- Abbas bin Al-Hussain Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
178- Abdul Qudoos bin Al-Hajjaj Al-Himsi – Thiqa
179- Abdul Qudoos bin Mohammed Al-Basri – Saduq
180- Abdul Muta’aali bin Talib Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
181- Isam bin Khalid Al-Himsi – Saduq
182- Affan bin Muslim Al-Basri – Thiqa thabt
183- Fadhl bin Sahl Al-Baghdadi – Saduq
184- Fadhl bin Ya’qoub Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa hafith
185- Fadhl bin Dukain Al-Kufi – Thiqa thabt
186- Fudhail bin Hussain Al-Jahdari – Thiqa hafith
187- Farwa bin Abi Al-Maghra’a Al-Kufi – Saduq
188- Qais bin Hafs Al-Basri – Thiqa lahu afraad
189- Qabeesa bin Uqba Al-Kufi – Saduq rubama khalaf
190- Mohammed bin Minhal Al-Basri – Thiqa hafith
191- Mohammed bin Salam Al-Bikandi Al-Bukhari – Thiqa thabt
192- Mohammed bin Al-Muthana Al-Basri – Thiqa thabt
193- Mohammed bin Ubaidullah Al-Basri – Thiqa
194- Mohammed bin Al-Fadhl Al-Basri – Thiqa thabt taghayar fi akhir umurih
195- Mohammed bin Sinan Al-Basri – Thiqa thabt
196- Mohammed Bashar Bindaar Al-Basri – Thiqa
197- Mohammed bin Al-Ala’a Al-Kufi – Thiqa hafith
198- Mohammed bin Katheer Al-Abdi Al-Basri – Thiqa
199- Mohammed bin Abdulraheem Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa hafith
200- Mohammad bin Yusuf Al-Firyabi – Thiqa
201- Mohammed bin Mahboob Al-Basri – Thiqa
202- Mohammed bin Abi Bakr Al-Basri – Thiqa
203- Mohammed bin Hatim bin Bazee’ Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
204- Mohammed bin Mahran Al-Razi – Thiqa hafith
205- Mohammed bin Abaan Al-Wasiti – Saduq
206- Mohammed bin Abaan Al-Balkhi – Thiqa hafith
207- Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Hawshab Al-Kufi – Saduq
208- Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Al-Muthana Al-Basri – Thiqa
209- Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Numair Al-Kufi – Thiqa hafith
210- Mohammed bin Ja’afar Al-Faidi Al-Baghdaadi – Maqbool
211- Mohammed bin Al-Sabbah Al-Dulabi Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa hafith
212- Mohammed bin Musa Al-Wasiti – Saduq
213- Mohammed bin Ubaid bin Maymoon Al-Madani – Saduq yukhti’
214- Mohammed bin Miskeen Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
215- Mohammed bin Uqba Al-Shaybani Al-Kufi – Thiqa
216- Mohammed bin Eisa bin Al-Taba’a Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
217- Mohammed bin Khalid bin Jabala Al-Khorasani – Saduq
218- Mohammed bin Abi Ya’qoub Al-Kirmani Al-Basri – Thiqa
219- Mohammed bin Amr Zunaij Al-Razi – Thiqa
220- Mohammed bin Sa’eed bin Al-Asbahani Al-Kufi – Thiqa thabt
221- Mohammed bin Yazeed bin Rafa’a Al-Kufi – Laysa bil qawi
222- Mohammed bin Rafi’ Al-Nisapuri – Thiqa
223- Mohammed bin Yahya Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa
224- Mohammed bin Al-Hussain bin Ibrahim Al-Baghdaadi – Saduq
225- Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Isma’eel Al-Baghdaadi – Saduq
226- Mohammed bin Ar’ara Al-Basri – Thiqa
227- Mohammed bin Sabiq Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
228- Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Basri (Ahmad bin Ubaidullah) – Saduq
229- Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Raqashi Al-Basri – Thiqa
230- Mohammed bin Abbad bin Musa Al-Wasiti – Saduq yukhti’
231- Mohammed bin Abbad Al-Baghdaadi – Saduq yahim
232- Mohammed bin Sa’eed Al-Basri – Thiqa
233- Mohammed bin Abi Al-Hussain Al-Samnani – Thiqa
234- Mohammed bin Al-Nadhar Al-Hijazi – Maqbool
235- Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Ramli – Saduq yahim
236- Mohammed bin Al-Walid Al-Basri – Thiqa
237- Mohammed bin Al-Hakam Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa fadhil
238- Mohammed bin Khalaf Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
239- Mohammed bin Abada Al-Wasiti – Saduq fadhil
240- Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
241- Mohammed bin Harb Al-Wasiti – Saduq
242- Mohammed bin Ziyad Al-Basri – Saduq yukhti’
243- Mohammed bin Uthman bin Karama Al-Kufi – Thiqa
244- Mohammed bin Abi Ghalib Al-Baghdaadi – Saduq
245- Mohammed bin Muqatil Al-Makki – (Tawtheeq is made by Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdaadi)
246- Musaddad bin Musarhad Al-Basri – Thiqa
247- Musa bin Isma’eel Al-Basri – Thiqa thabt
248- Musa bin Mas’oud Al-Basri – Saduq say’I al-hifth
249- Musa bin Hizam Al-Balkhi – Thiqa
250- Muslim bin Ibrahim Al-Basri – Thiqa
251- Makki bin Ibrahim Al-Balkhi – Thiqa thabt
252- Mu’ath bin Fadhala Al-Basri – Thiqa
253- Malik bin Isma’eel Al-Kufi – Thiqa
254- Mu’ath bin Asad Al-Basri – Thiqa
255- Mutrif bin Abdullah Al-Madani – Thiqa
256- Mu’alla bin Asad Al-Kufi – Thiqa thabt
257- Matar bin Al-Fadhl Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa
258- Mu’awiyah bin Amr Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
259- Mithfar bin Mudrik Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
260- Mahmood bin Adam Al-Mirwazi – Saduq
261- Mahmood bin Ghaylan Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
262- Mukhlid bin Malik Al-Harani – (The author said that nobody mentioned him among the shaikhs of Al-Bukhari)
263- Mukhlid bin Malik Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa
264- Mu’mil bin Hisham Al-Basri – Thiqa
265- Munthir bin Al-Walid Al-Basri – Thiqa
266- Nasr bin Ali bin Nasr Al-Basri – Thiqa thabt
267- Al-Waleed bin Salih Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
268- Hisham bin Abdulmalik Al-Tayalsi Al-Basri – Thiqa thabt
269- Hisham bin Ammar Al-Dimashqi – Saduq
270- Hudba bin Khalid Al-Basri – Thiqa
271- Harun bin Al-Ash’ath Al-Kufi – Thiqa
272- Yahya bin Abdullah bin Bukhair Al-Masri – Thiqa
273- Yahya (Qutaiba) bin Sa’eed bin Jameel Al-Baghilani Al-Balkhi – Thiqa
274- Yahya bin Sulaiman Al-Masri – Saduq yukhti’
275- Yahya bin Salih Al-Himsi – Saduq
276- Yahya bin Musa Al-Balkhi – Thiqa
277- Yahya bin Yahya Al-Nisapuri – Thiqa
278- Yahya bin Mohammed bin Al-Sakan Al-Baghdaadi – Saduq
279- Yahya bin Bishr Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa Zahid
280- Yahya bin Abi Salama – (The editor says that it is narrator #274)
281- Yahya bin Ja’afar Al-Beekindi Al-Bukhari – Thiqa
282- Yahya bin Hammad Al-Basri – Thiqa ‘abid
283- Yahya bin Yusuf Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
284- Yahya bin Abdullah Al-Sulami Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa
285- Yusuf bin Musa bin Rashid Al-Razi – Saduq
286- Yusuf bin Ya’qoub Al-Kufi – Thiqa
287- Yusuf bin Rashid Al-Kufi – (The author believes that he is #285)
288- Yusuf bin Adi Al-Masri – Thiqa
289- Yusuf bin Bohlool Al-Kufi – Thiqa
290- Yusuf bin Eisa Al-Mirwazi – Thiqa fadhil
291- Ya’qoub bin Ibrahim Al-Dawraqi Al-Baghdaadi – Thiqa
292- Yasara bin Safwan Al-Dimashqi – Thiqa
293- Abu Bakr bin Asram Al-Mirwazi – Maqbool
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THE SHAYKHS OF AL-KULAYNI IN HIS BOOK:
1- Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Qummi – Thiqa
2- Mohammed bin Yahya Al-Attar Al-Qummi – Thiqa
3- Hameed bin Ziyad Al-Kufi Al-Ninuwi – Thiqa
4- Ahmad bin Idrees Al-Ash’ari Al-Qummi – Thiqa
5- Al-Hussain bin Mohammed Al-Ash’ari Al-Qummi – Thiqa
6- Mohammed bin Isma’eel Al-Nisapuri – Majhool
7- Mohammed bin Ja’afar Al-Razzaz Al-Kufi – Majhool
8- Ahmad bin Mohammed bin Ahmad Al-Kufi – Majhool
9- Ali bin Mohammed bin Bindar Al-Barqi – Thiqa
10- Ahmad bin Mahran – Majhool
11- Mohammed bin Ahmad bin Al-Salt Al-Qummi – Thiqa
12- Al-Hasan bin Ali Al-Hashimi – Majhool
13- Al-Hussain bin Ali Al-Alawi – Majhool
14- Al-Hussain bin Ali Al-Hussaini – Majhool
15- Al-Hussain bin Al-Hasan Al-Alawi – Majhool
16- Al-Hasan bin Khafeef – Majhool
17- Abu Dawud – Majhool
18- Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Ja’afar Al-Himyari Al-Qummi – Thiqa
19- Ahmad bin Abdullah – Majhool
20- Abu Abdullah Al-Ash’ari – Majhool
21- Ali bin Musa Al-Kamindani – Majhool
22- Mohammed bin Ali bin Ma’amar – Majhool
23- Ali bin Mohammed bin Ali bin Abbas – Majhool
24- Ali bin Al-Hussain Al-Mu’dib – Majhool
25- Al-Qasim bin Al-Ala’a Al-Azerbijani – Thiqa
26- Mohammed bin Aqeel – Majhool
27- Mohammed bin Al-Hasan – Majhool
28- Ahmad bin Mohammed bin Sa’eed ibn Uqdah Al-Kufi – Thiqa
OBSERVATION REGARDING HIS TEACHERS:
One should be aware that some of the Thiqaat that Al-Kulayni took Hadiths from aren’t ones that he relied on too much. For example:
25- Al-Qasim bin Al-Ala’a Al-Azerbijani, he is one of the Thiqah teachers of Kulayni yet he only narrates two Hadiths from him out of 16,199 narrations – (Two hadiths: Baab Nader Jami’ fi Fadhl Al-Imam – Baab Mawlid Al-Sahib Alaihi Al-Salam)
28- Ahmad bin Mohammed bin Sa’eed ibn Uqdah Al-Kufi, he is one of the Thiqah teachers of Kulayni yet he only narrates four Hadiths from him out of 16,199 narrations– (Four hadiths: Baab Fadhl Al-Jihad – Baab Ma Yastahabu Min Tazweej Al-Nisa’a – Baab Ikraam Al-Zawja – Baab Al-Fitra)
As you can see, Al-Qasim bin Al-Ala’a only narrated two Hadiths. Ibn Uqdah only narrated four. It seems as though Al-Kulayni based his whole book on the narration of the people of Qum in Persia.
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CONCLUSION:
With the above in mind, one is led to several conclusions. The most obvious is that Al-Bukhari put a much greater effort and was more rigorous with the authoring of his book. Though, there are other conclusions that one can arrive at that may not be as apparent. One of which is that the isolated nature of the narrations that Al-Kulayni relied upon, since they come from a small set of people that lived in the little town of Qum, allows a much greater chance for there to have been a conspiracy and that the Shia Hadith library of his teachers was a concoction of a few evil men. The same cannot be said about Saheeh Al-Bukhari which relied on almost three hundred men that lived throughout the Muslim world. In other words, if one was to point the finger at a sect, accusing its members of fabricating narrations, the one would easily choose to point it at the Shias, and the teachers of Al-Kulayni, instead of Al-Bukhari and his own teachers.
One might ask, can’t Bukhari have lied about narrating from 300 scholars? Can’t he have fabricated it all while at home? A scholar as popular and famous as Bukhari can’t have done that, for if he did then all of those 300 scholars from around the Islamic world would openly accuse him of lying and attributing fabrications to them, if not them then their students would as Bukhari can’t have heard something from any of those scholars which their regular students didn’t hear, but since Bukhari was praised and welcomed by the scholars and their students, and since not one single teacher or student accused him of lying and fabrications, then this is very far from possible. On the other hand, Kulayni took almost everything from the scholars of one area, majority of his teachers are not popular or known, it is not impossible for these people to have all came together and compiled a book containing lies and fabrications without much trouble, it could even be that some scholars never actually existed but are just names placed in the book so they can attribute lies to them, this is possible to say the least.
Another conclusion that one arrives at is the fact that the weight distributed throughout the teachers of Al-Bukhari in relation to the number of hadiths that they have narrated is significantly less than the teachers of Al-Kulayni. We mean by this that if we for example assume that one of Al-Bukhari’s teachers was in fact weak, and that he was mistaken in relying upon him, then we wouldn’t lose many narrations, since the weight that this teacher was given was not too high. We mentioned, for example Abdullah Al-Taneesi, who narrated 4% of Saheeh Al-Bukhari and that’s the narrator with the highest number of narrations in his book. On the other hand, Al-Kulayni relied on `Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Qumi for 30% of the narrations of his books. If one were to assume that `Ali bin Ibrahim was weak, meaning that those who deemed him reliable were mistaken, then it would almost be like destroying Al-Kafi in its entirety. In other words, Al-Bukhari’s book is a much safer option than Al-Kafi.
May Allah reward you; this was beautifully thought out and presented.