Sunnis Call Upon Bukhari
Last updated
Last updated
TLDR: A common practice that was advocated by Sunni scholars in the past was reciting Bukhari at times of distress and supplicating to him because he was closer to God.
The late 18th and 19th centuries saw Egypt invaded by European powers, beginning with Napoleon’s 1798 campaign to disrupt British trade routes to India. Then, in 1882, the British invaded to secure control over the Suez Canal. To combat these attacks, Al-Azhar scholars are said to have advocated for the Muslim population to recite Sahih Bukhari to ward off the invasion.1
This practice reflects a broader phenomenon within Sunni Islam known as Istighāthah ( استغاثة ): Seeking help or relief from Allah, sometimes through an intermediary, during times of distress or need for divine intervention. This is a clear act of associating partners with God (shirk), as our supplications and seeking of help should be to God alone.
[10:106] “You shall not call upon beside GOD what possesses no power to benefit you or harm you. If you do, you will be a transgressor.”
وَلَا تَدْعُ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُكَ وَلَا يَضُرُّكَ فَإِن فَعَلْتَ فَإِنَّكَ إِذًا مِّنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
[35:13] He merges the night into the day, and merges the day into the night. He has committed the sun and the moon to run for a predetermined period of time. Such is GOD your Lord; to Him belongs all kingship. Those you call upon beside Him do not possess as much as a seed’s shell. [35:14] If you call on them, they cannot hear you. Even if they hear you, they cannot respond to you. On the Day of Resurrection, they will disown you. None can inform you like the Most Cognizant.
يُولِجُ ٱلَّيْلَ فِى ٱلنَّهَارِ وَيُولِجُ ٱلنَّهَارَ فِى ٱلَّيْلِ وَسَخَّرَ ٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِى لِأَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَهُ ٱلْمُلْكُ وَٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِن قِطْمِيرٍ
إِن تَدْعُوهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُوا۟ دُعَآءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا۟ مَا ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟ لَكُمْ وَيَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ وَلَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ
These verses make it clear that supplications should be directed to God alone. By elevating the status of individuals like Bukhari or treating a book like Sahih al-Bukhari as a source of divine intervention, Sunni Muslims end up setting up partners with God—partners who are powerless to benefit or respond.
The prominent Sunni scholar Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (1372–1449 CE) wrote the most respected commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari among Sunnis entitled Fath al-Bari. In his Hady al-Sari—the introduction to Fath al-Bari—he has the following to say regarding how people used the recitation of Sahih al-Bukhari and supplicating of Bukhari himself for help during times of distress.
“What pertains to the unique excellence of Sahih al-Bukhari is what was mentioned by the exemplary Imam, Abu Muhammad ibn Abi Jamrah, in his abridgment of Sahih al-Bukhari. He said: ‘Those among the knowledgeable people I encountered, who had met with the esteemed masters recognized for their virtue, informed me that Sahih al-Bukhari has never been recited in a time of distress without it being relieved, nor taken aboard a vessel without that vessel being protected from sinking.’ He added, ‘Imam al-Bukhari was one whose supplications were answered, and he supplicated for the one who reads his work, may Allah have mercy upon him.’“
ما يرجع إلى نفس الصحيح وهي ما ذكره الإمام القدوة أبو محمد بن أبي جمرة في اختصاره للبخاري، قال: قال لي من لقيته من العارفين عمن لقي من السادة المقر لهم بالفضل، أن صحيح البخاري ما قرئ في شدة إلا فرجت، ولا ركب به في مركب فغرق. قال: وكان مجاب الدعوة، وقد دعا لقارئه رحمه الله تعالى.
The Book: Hady al-Sari, Introduction to Fath al-Bari Published by Al-Salafiyyah Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani https://shamela.ws/book/1224/11
According to this account, the people of knowledge, according to Ibn Hajar, were those who recited Sahih al-Bukhari in times of distress to protect them from disaster. Additionally, since God answered the prayers (du‘a) of Bukhari, therefore anyone who makes du‘a to Bukhari God will have mercy upon them. These kinds of practices should never be replicated, for it is blasphemous and will cause the people who partake in this to have all their works nullified, securing their place in Hell.
[7:138] We delivered the Children of Israel across the sea. When they passed by people who were worshiping statues, they said, “O Moses, make a god for us, like the gods they have.” He said, “Indeed, you are ignorant people. [7:139] “These people are committing a blasphemy, for what they are doing is disastrous for them. [7:140] “Shall I seek for you other than GOD to be your god, when He has blessed you more than anyone else in the world?”
وَجَـٰوَزْنَا بِبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلْبَحْرَ فَأَتَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَصْنَامٍ لَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ يَـٰمُوسَى ٱجْعَل لَّنَآ إِلَـٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ ءَالِهَةٌ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ إِنَّ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ مُتَبَّرٌ مَّا هُمْ فِيهِ وَبَـٰطِلٌ مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ قَالَ أَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَبْغِيكُمْ إِلَـٰهًا وَهُوَ فَضَّلَكُمْ عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
The legacy of practices such as seeking aid through Sahih al-Bukhari or invoking the memory of Imam al-Bukhari highlights how Sunni Islam has deviated from the message of monotheism (Tawhid) of the Quran. This is because Sunnis have abandoned the Quran in favor of their traditions.
[25:27] The day will come when the transgressor will bite his hands (in anguish) and say, “Alas, I wish I had followed the path with the messenger. [25:28] “Alas, woe to me, I wish I did not take that person as a friend. [25:29] “He has led me away from the message after it came to me. Indeed, the devil lets down his human victims.” [25:30] The messenger said, “My Lord, my people have deserted this Quran.”
وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ ٱلظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى ٱتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًا
يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰ لَيْتَنِى لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلًا
لَّقَدْ أَضَلَّنِى عَنِ ٱلذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَآءَنِى وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ خَذُولًا
One would expect to find these practices in Catholicism, not from supposed followers of the Quran. Muslims must renounce these acts of shirk and reflect deeply on how such distorted practices crept into their religion.
[43:20] They even said, “If the Most Gracious willed, we would not have worshiped them.” They have no basis for such a claim; they only conjecture. [43:21] Have we given them a book before this, and they are upholding it? [43:22] The fact is: they said, “We found our parents carrying on certain practices, and we are following in their footsteps.” [43:23] Invariably, when we sent a warner to any community, the leaders of that community would say, “We found our parents following certain practices, and we will continue in their footsteps.” [43:24] (The messenger) would say, “What if I brought to you better guidance than what you inherited from your parents?” They would say, “We are disbelievers in the message you brought.” [43:25] Consequently, we requited them. Note the consequences for the rejectors.
وَقَالُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ مَا عَبَدْنَـٰهُم مَّا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ
أَمْ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمْ كِتَـٰبًا مِّن قَبْلِهِۦ فَهُم بِهِۦ مُسْتَمْسِكُونَ
بَلْ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَـٰرِهِم مُّهْتَدُونَ
وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ فِى قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَىٰٓ أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَـٰرِهِم مُّقْتَدُونَ
قَـٰلَ أَوَلَوْ جِئْتُكُم بِأَهْدَىٰ مِمَّا وَجَدتُّمْ عَلَيْهِ ءَابَآءَكُمْ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُم بِهِۦ كَـٰفِرُونَ
فَٱنتَقَمْنَا مِنْهُمْ فَٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ
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