​Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī (d. 256/870) is one of the most distinguished figures in Islamic intellectual history. His Ṣaḥīḥ is revered as the most authoritative collection of Prophetic traditions in Sunni Islam and is the most cited book in Islamic history. For centuries it was more than a reference work. It was recited for blessing, to seek salvation, and even to pray for rain. Yet the man behind it has rarely been the subject of sustained critical study.

In this CIK Talk, Dr. Belal Alabbas presents his new monograph, Al-Bukhārī: The Life, Theology and Legal Thought of Islam's Foremost Traditionist (Edinburgh University Press, 2026). It is the first comprehensive critical biography of the Imam. Dr. Alabbas will take us through:

Life and context: al-Bukhārī's travels in collecting and teaching hadith, and the political and intellectual landscape that shaped him.
The making of the Ṣaḥīḥ: the purpose, composition, and early transmission of his works.
Hadith criticism: the methods and principles behind his judgements on reports and transmitters.
The jurist: his legal principles and his polemics with Ahl al-Raʾy, including the cases where he openly challenged Ḥanafī authorities.

The talk closes by looking beyond al-Bukhārī himself: what his career tells us about Ahl al-Ḥadīth and the formation of Sunni Islam. It will interest students of hadith, law, theology and early Islamic history, and anyone who wants to understand the scholar behind one of Islam's most revered books. A Q&A session will follow.