28/05/2026
How Did Imam Al-Bukhari Die?
Imam Al-Bukhari faced severe persecution towards the end of his life from the rulers of the Islamic cities in the eastern part of the Islamic world, specifically in Nishapur, Bukhara, and Samarkand.
This was for several reasons, including:
- His refusal to teach their children in their palaces. He would say, "Knowledge is sought, not brought to the doors."
- Envy from some due to his fame and reputation.
And other reasons.
When Al-Bukhari reached the age of 62, he received orders from the ruler of Nishapur to leave the city and that he was not welcome there. He migrated until he reached his birthplace, Bukhara. The people welcomed him at the gates of the city, throwing money and sugar upon him. Students of knowledge and hadith scholars gathered around him, abandoning the gatherings of other scholars, which caused some to harbor animosity towards him.
However, the ruler of Bukhara soon became angry about his fame, and messages arrived from the ruler of Nishapur demanding that Imam Al-Bukhari be expelled from Bukhara as he had been from Nishapur.
A messenger from the city’s ruler came to Al-Bukhari’s house urgently requesting him to leave the city. The orders were to leave "immediately."
The situation was such that the Imam did not have time to gather and organize his books. He left the city and stayed on its outskirts in a tent for three days, organizing his books and unsure of where to go.
He then moved towards the city of Samarkand but did not enter the city itself. Instead, he headed to a village called Khartank to stay as a guest with his relatives, accompanied by Ibrahim ibn Maqal.
It wasn’t long before guards arrived at the door of the house where the Imam was staying, with orders from the ruler of Samarkand this time to expel Imam Al-Bukhari from the vicinity of Samarkand and its villages. This happened on the night of Eid al-Fitr.
But the order was to leave "immediately," not after the Eid. The Imam feared he would cause harm to his relatives who had honored him. Ibrahim ibn Maqal arranged for the books to be placed on one of his mounts and prepared another for the Imam to ride.
Then, Ibn Maqal returned to the house and began to help Al-Bukhari out while supporting him. As they walked towards the mount, after about twenty steps, Imam Al-Bukhari felt increasingly fatigued and asked Ibn Maqal to give him a few minutes to rest. The Imam sat by the roadside and then fell asleep.
A few minutes later, when Ibn Maqal wanted to wake the Imam, he found that his soul had departed to Allah. May Allah have mercy on him.
Imam Al-Bukhari died by the roadside on the night of Eid al-Fitr, on the 1st of Shawwal in the year 256 AH, while he was expelled from one city, then another, and then a third, having reached the age of 62.
People today may not know the names of the rulers of Nishapur, Bukhara, and Samarkand, but everyone knows Imam Al-Bukhari.
May Allah have mercy on Imam Al-Bukhari and elevate his rank in the highest heavens with the prophets, martyrs, and righteous.
See: the book “Siyar A'lam al-Nubala”
