Bukhari
By: Ghassan Abdul-Jabbar.
Contributors: Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.
Series: Makers of Islamic civilization
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2007
Place of publication: New Delhi; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 145
ISBN-13: 9780195676563
Subjects: Bukhārī, Muḥammad ibn Ismāʻīl, -- 810-870; Hadith -- Texts -- Early works to 1800; Hadith -- Authorities
Genres: Texts; Early works to 1800.
Description: Chiefly study on Jāmiʻ al-ṣaḥīḥ by Muḥammad ibn Ismāʻīl Bukhārī, 810-870; includes his brief biography.

The book places Bukhari in the context of an intellectual history of the period: yes it uses a careful study of the Sahih as its primary source. Here are some excerpts from the introduction and conclusion that describe the book quite well:

[FROM the introduction]

I have chosen to deal with two important issues relating to Bukhari’s scholarly life. Literary criticism has trained the modern mind in a way that should make discussion of how text yields meaning familiar to the reader. Bukhari’s approach to verification should be familiar to the modern reader since it is like the modern concern for verifying the academic apparatus supporting a text. These two issues seemed close at hand so I have limited myself to dealing with them.

[FROM the introduction]

the substance of this book is in Chapters 3–5. Chapters speak 3 and 4 address the problem of assigning meaning to Hadith texts, Bukhari’s way of doing this, and of how others approached this issue. Chapter 5 describes the problem of verifying the authenticity of texts: how Bukhari did this and how others did it differently. In this brief work I have limited the discussion to the two issues of meaning and verification. In each case, I have used instances from Bukhari’s works to show how he has dealt with these issues, and I have tried to put his work in the context of approaches other scholars have taken.

[FROM the introduction: on approach:]

Modern Muslims are interested in Bukhari’s Sahih primarily as a collection of texts that come to us with sound documentation. They have only mild curiosity about why Bukhari chose to record a certain Hadith or what he was trying to say in recording the Hadith in a certain way. They would treat Bukhari and his Sahih as a perfectly transparent medium through which they can view the Prophet directly.
Non-Muslim scholars are also only indirectly interested in Bukhari's work. Goldziher...stated "The hadith... [will serve as a] ... reflection of tendencies which appeared in the community during the later stages of its development."
I have tried to provide Bukhari and his work contexts that are contemporary to his work. I have reserved centre stage for what Bukhari thought he was doing, the controversies he was addressing, the stand he took in them, and how his work affected the progress of these controversies.

[FROM the Conclusion:]

...two very important intellectual projects ... constitute the framework for the intellectual efforts of the second century: how should one preserve the ways of life of the Prophet, and how should one document them? Bukhari’s Sahih marks a watershed in the history of both of these projects.
Notes: "Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies."

Includes bibliographical references (p. [133]-134) and index.
Table of contents: label: I
title: Introduction
pagenum: 1; label: 1
title: What this book covers; label: 2
title: What this book leaves out; label: a
title: Doctrinal Controversies; label: b
title: Source criticism and the hadith literature; label: c
title: Love for the Prophet and piety; label: II
title: Life of Bukhari
pagenum: 9; label: 1
title: Early life; label: 2
title: The middle years; label: a
title: Bukhari's travels and his memory for hadiths; label: b
title: Bukhari's thoroughness in acquiring hadiths; label: c
title: The Sahih and its composition; label: 3
title: The final years; label: a
title: Nishapur and the creation of the Quran; label: b
title: Bukhari and the ruler of Khurasan; label: 4
title: Bukhari's scholarly contribution; label: III
title: Understanding texts: chapter titles and the Sahih
pagenum: 23; label: 1
title: Deeds rely on intention; label: a
title: Intention and revelation: the context; label: b
title: Intention and revelation: the text; label: c
title: The intentions hadith and the importance of marriage; label: d
title: The intentions hadith and history; label: e
title: Intention and the composition of faith; label: f
title: Intentions and contracts: Hijazi and Iraqi scholarship; label: g
title: Intentions and legal artifice; label: 2
title: Women in the morning ritual prayers; label: a
title: Women's dress in ritual prayers; label: b
title: Material in the Sahih other than the 'soundest of sound hadiths'; label: c
title: The leaders of prayers getting up after prayers; label: d
title: The transmission of the text; label: 3
title: 'A flag for every treacherous person'; label: 4
title: The significance of the chapter titles; label: IV
title: Discovering practice: textual and non-textual sources
pagenum: 57; label: 1
title: The significance of the Prophet's example; label: 2
title: Well-verified texts; label: 3
title: Problems in the textual approach; label: 4
title: Malik and the practice of Madina; label: 5
title: The fiqh of Iraq: The logic of God's commands; label: 6
title: Bukhari's understanding of hadith and sunnah; label: 7
title: Bukhari's Sahih and the 'six books'; label: V
title: Verifying the attribution of texts: the chain of narration
pagenum: 91; label: 1
title: Narrators: weak and strong; label: a
title: A 'worst case' among narrators; label: b
title: A confused narrator; label: c
title: Doctrinal eccentricity; label: 2
title: The development of the hadith-critical method; label: 3
title: Continuity in chains of narration; label: a
title: Dangling chains; label: b
title: Deceptive reference; label: c
title: Concealed dangling chains and deceptive reference; label: d
title: Dangling chains and early hadith scholars; label: e
title: Muslim's wrath; label: 4
title: Bukhari and Hadith criticism; label: VI
title: Conclusion
pagenum: 121; label: 1
title: Capturing the knowledge of the ways of the Prophet; label: 2
title: The development of hadith studies and hadith criticism; label: VII
title: Further Study
pagenum: 127; label: a
title: Work in Western academia; label: b
title: Partisan literature; label: c
title: Understanding Bukhari's work; label: d
title: Further reading; label: VIII
title: Bibliography
pagenum: 133; label: IX
title: Index
pagenum: 135