Hadith · · 6 min read
Sahih al-Bukhari: The Book, Its Author and How to Read It Online
Sahih al-Bukhari is the best-known collection of the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Sunni scholars regard it as the most authentic book after the Quran.
Short answer: Sahih al-Bukhari is a collection of about 7,500 hadith (around 2,600 without repetitions) in 97 books, compiled by Imam Muhammad al-Bukhari of Bukhara (194–256 AH). Sunni scholars regard it as the most authentic book after the Quran.
Who was Imam al-Bukhari?
Muhammad ibn Isma‘il al-Bukhari was born in Bukhara — in today’s Uzbekistan — in 194 AH (810 CE). He began memorising hadith as a child and travelled for years through Khurasan, Iraq, the Hijaz, Syria and Egypt to hear narrations directly from their transmitters.
He died in 256 AH (870 CE) in Khartank, near Samarkand, where his memorial complex stands today.
What is in the collection?
Its full title is al-Jāmi‘ al-Musnad al-Ṣaḥīḥ al-Mukhtaṣar min Umūr Rasūl Allāh ﷺ wa Sunanihi wa Ayyāmihi. Imam al-Bukhari is reported to have spent about sixteen years selecting its contents.
- 97 books (chapters) covering faith, prayer, fasting, zakat, Hajj, trade, marriage, manners, the Prophet’s life, the Quran’s virtues and much more.
- Around 7,500 hadith including repetitions — he often repeats a narration in several chapters to draw out different lessons. Without repetitions there are roughly 2,600.
- It opens with the book of Revelation and the famous hadith of intentions: “The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions” (narrated by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab).
Hadith numbers differ slightly between editions. Noor’s edition has 7,589 numbered narrations.
Why it is called “Sahih”
Ṣaḥīḥ means authentic. Imam al-Bukhari accepted a narration only when each narrator in the chain was trustworthy and precise, and when there was evidence that each one had actually met the person he narrated from. This strictness is why scholars across the centuries have treated the book as the most reliable collection of hadith.
The best-known commentary on it is Fatḥ al-Bārī by Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani.
How to read Sahih al-Bukhari on Noor
- Open Sahih al-Bukhari and choose one of the 97 books — for example Book 1: Revelation.
- Each hadith is shown in Arabic with its English translation and its number.
- Open any hadith in the hadith reader to see its narrators and ask Noor AI to explain its meaning and lessons.
Frequently asked questions
How many hadith are in Sahih al-Bukhari?
About 7,500 with repetitions (7,589 in Noor’s edition) and roughly 2,600 without repetitions, arranged in 97 books.
Where was Imam al-Bukhari from?
He was born in Bukhara in present-day Uzbekistan in 194 AH and died near Samarkand in 256 AH.
What is the first hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari?
The hadith of intentions — “The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions” — narrated by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, in the book of Revelation.
