The Harmony of Hadith and Tafsir in the Scholarly Legacy of Imam Bukhari

Muhammad Alparslan Kartal, Associate Professor at Caucasus University in Turkey and a recipient of the Imam Bukhari International Scholarship Program currently undergoing practical training at the Center, presented his research on the influence of Imam Bukhari’s works on tafsir literature.

The scholar shared insights into his ongoing research aimed at identifying the impact of Imam Bukhari’s monumental work Sahih al-Bukhari on tafsir books written during the 7th–8th centuries AH. He highlighted how excerpts from this authoritative hadith collection were frequently cited in prominent exegeses, revealing its wide-ranging influence and enduring prestige in the Islamic scholarly tradition.

Although Sahih al-Bukhari began to attract the attention of mufassirs (Qur’anic exegetes) around the mid-4th century AH, its reputation continued to grow in subsequent centuries, deeply influencing numerous works in the field of hadith studies. Particularly during the 7th century AH, the prominence of the collection was reinforced by scholars such as Ibn al-Salah, whose views on ijmaʿ (scholarly consensus) further affirmed its significance. Many scholars have described Imam Bukhari as the greatest muhaddith (hadith scholar), with the famous 18th-century scholar Davud-i Karsi (d. 1169 AH / 1756 CE) stating, “A hadith unknown to Bukhari is not a hadith at all” — a declaration that epitomizes the height of scholarly acclaim.

During the presentation, Kartal cited references to Sahih al-Bukhari found in major tafsir works written in the 7th–8th centuries AH, including Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb, Jāmiʿ al-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, Anwār al-Tanzīl, Madārik al-Tanzīl, Baḥr al-Muḥīṭ, and Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr. These references clearly demonstrate that the Sultan of Hadith contributed not only to the development of hadith science but also significantly enriched the field of Qur’anic exegesis.

Participants of the event highly praised the researcher’s findings, emphasizing that such analytical studies pave the way for a deeper understanding of Imam Bukhari’s intellectual heritage.