Respected Moulana, What is meant when Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) says the following regarding a narrator?
‘fihi nazrun’ فيه نظر or ‘Fi Hadithi nazrun’” في حديثه نظر
Jazakallahu khayran.
Answer
When describing a narrator as such, Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) means that -according to him- that narrator is extremely weak.
However, several Hadith Masters have stressed that these terms should be viewed in context, as sometimes Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) could be referring to the Hadith being extremely weak (for other factors) and not that particular narrator himself is very weak.
Furthermore, since the field of validating the narrators of Hadith is open to difference of opinion, one should bear in mind that there would be occasions when other Muhaddithun differ with Imam Bukhari’s view on a narrator.
References for all of above:
Ar-Raf’u wat Takmil, with footnotes of Shaykh ‘Abdul Fattah, pgs.388-391 & Dirasatul Kashif of Shaykh ‘Awwamah, pgs.128-135.
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,
Answered by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar