The Jarh of Bukhari 'Feehi Nazr' explained by Shaykh Kifayatullah Sanabali

The Following is an abridged and slightly modified  translation from Shaykh Kifayatullah's risalah in his Majallah but also taken/ based on shaykh albani's tashreeh [http://www.ahlalhdeeth.com/vb/showthread.php?t=63360]

Shaykh Kifayatullah hafidhahullah begins saying that some muhadditheen have taken the jarh of Imam bukhari (i.e. Feehi Nazr/Nadhr) to mean that the narrator about whom Bukhari says that , he was severely weak and matrook near him. Whereas other Muhadditheen have opined otherwise. 


Imam Dhahabi (D. 748 A.H) said :


And the statement of Bukhari " Feehi Nadhr" . Bukhari says this only when the narrator near him is deficient or censured (متهم)

[Ref: Kaashif 1/68] 

Imam Ibn Katheer D. 774 A.H (rahimahullah) said 

((قال الحافظ ابن كثير في ((مختصر علوم الحديث)) (ص 118): ((إذا قال البخاري في الرجل : ((سكتوا عنه)) أو ((فيه نظر)) فإنه يكون في أدنى المنازل وأردئها عنده, ولكنه لطيف العبارة في التجريح فليعلم ذلك))

When Bukhari says about a narrator Sakatoo-Anhu (سكتوا عنه) (Silent about him in the sense he is not worth speaking about) or Feehi Nadhr (has deficiency) then that narrator near him is of the lowest of ranks or worst near him 

[Ref: Ikhtisaar Uloom al-hadeeth (page 106)] 

Imam zaynuddin al-`Iraqi (D. 806 A.H) said :

((هذه العبارة يقولها البخاري فيمن تركوا حديثه))

Feehi Nadhr and Sakatoo `anhu - these two ibarat/description are used by Bukhari for a narrator who is matrook near him  or whose hadeeth he rejects

[Ref: at-Taqyyid (page 163)] 

Hafidh ibn Hajar (Rahimahullah) said 

Bukhari used "Feehi Nadhr" regarding him and when he uses this description then the narrator near him is Matrook 

[Ref: Al-Qawlul-Musaddad fi Musnad Ahmad (a discussion of hadith of disputed authenticity in the Musnad of Ahmad) of Ibn Hajar page 10] 

imam Suyuti rahimahullah (D. 911 A.H) said 

Imam bukhari uses " Feehi Nadhr and Sakatu `anhu" only for that narrator which is matrook 

[Ref: Tadreeb ur-rawi 1/249] 

Mawlana `abdul Hay lakhnawi (D. 1304 A.H) said :

Imam bukhar's usage of "Feehi Nadhr" for a narrator is proof that he (the narrator) was mutham near him 

[Ref: Ar-raf` wat-takmeel page 388] 

`Allamah mu`alllami al-Yemeni (D 1386 A.H) said:

Bukhari's usage of "Feehi Nadhr" accounts to one of his severest criticism on a narrator 

[Ref: At-takmeel bima fi taneeb al-kawthari (the majnoon of abu hanifa who filthily abused atleast 300 imams of the salaf and the modern day hanafis venerate him like the romans did of their gods 2/495 ] 


Mawlana zafar ahmad thanvi hanafi (D. 1394 A.H) rahimahullah said 

Imam bukhari uses feehi nadhr and sakatu `anhu upon that narrator who is matrook

[Ref: Qawaid fi `Uloomul-Hadeeth page 254]