Are All Narrations in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad Authentic?
Fatwa No: 375457

Question

I want to ask if all the ahadith mentioned in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad by Imam Bukhari are Saheeh and why did Al-Albani removed aprox 400 ahadith from Al-Adab Al-Mufrad like those of kissing hands and feet because they should not have been removed due to Imam Bukhari made a Bab on these ahadith that were removed by Al-Albani ?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

First of all, we say that we have highlighted in many Fataawa in our Arabic site that Imaam Al-Bukhaari did not commit himself in his book Al-Adab Al-Mufrad to listing only authentic narrations, nor did he mention this in the book [Al-Adab Al-Mufrad]. However, he mentioned the chain of narrators and it is for the reader to look at this chain.

We clarified that this matter does not undermine the status of Al-Bukhaari, as many Imaams listed in their books both the authentic and inauthentic narrations, and this is not something they are to be blamed for, because they did not commit themselves to only stating the authentic narrations; among whom was Imaam Ahmad, Abu Daawood, At-Tirmithi, An-Nasaa’i, Ibn Maajah, and others. Imaam Al-Bukhaari committed himself to mentioning the authentic narrations only in his book Al-Jaami’ As-Saheeh.

In order to know the authentic and the inauthentic narration in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, you check the classification of the scholars and their ruling on the chain of narrators mentioned in the book; the most important of which is the review of Shaykh Al-Albaani on this book [Al-Adab Al-Mufrad].

The Chapter to which you referred to –dear questioner, is the chapter of “Kissing the Foot”, in which Imaam Al-Bukhaari mentioned a Hadeeth and a statement of a companion. The Hadeeth was narrated by Az-Zaari’ ibn ‘Aamir, who said: "We came and we were told, 'That (over there) is the Messenger of Allah.' We took his hands and feet and kissed them." The chain of narrators of this Hadeeth includes Umm Abaan bint Al-Waazi’ who is unknown.

As for the statement of the companion, it was of Suhayb, who said: “I saw ‘Ali kissing the hands and feet of Al-‘Abbaas.” [End of quote]

Shaykh Al-Albaani considered it as Dha’eef (inauthentic) due to Suhayb (who is unknown and) who was the servant of Al-‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib.

The fact that Al-Bukhaari mentioned this Chapter does not necessary mean that what is mentioned in it is authentic.

As for the reason why Shaykh Al-Albaani removed that number of narrations, then this is something he did and it is his won judgment. He thought that it is better to separate the authentic narrations from the inauthentic ones and put each set in a separate book. He did the same thing in the four books of Sunan, and people may differ with him on that, as it was possible to classify the authentic and inauthentic narrations while keeping the book in its original version as authored by its author.

Allah knows best.

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