Fath al-Bari: Commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari

Author: Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani

Among Ibn Hajar's greatest works in stature, deepest in knowledge, and most cherished by Muslims is his commentary on the Jami' Sahih – which Muslims agree is the most authentic book after the Book of Allah – namely, Sahih al-Imam al-Bukhari (d. 256 AH), which he titled "Fath al-Bari: Commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari." This work is truly considered one of the esteemed foundational texts of Islam and its significant scholarly sources. No student of knowledge or jurist, nor even a mufti or mujtahid, can do without it. The commentary came as a vast and magnificent work. It took him more than twenty-five years to compile, author, dictate, and revise it. He began it in early 817 AH, when he was 44 years old, and completed it on the first of Rajab in 842 AH. In it, he collected the commentaries of those who came before him on Sahih al-Bukhari, extensively clarifying the Sahih, explaining its difficulties, narrating issues of consensus, and elaborating on disagreements in jurisprudence, authentication, weakening, language, and readings, with clear attention to the precise wording of the Sahih. He also discussed Sahih al-Bukhari and its narrations, highlighting the differences therein, along with many benefits, rare gems, and useful digressions… and so on, to the extent that the sources cited by the Hafiz in this work exceeded (1200) books by previous authors.