Comparison of al-Khaṭṭābī and Kashmīrī's commentaries on Saḥīḥ al-Būkhārī ın the context of Kitāb al-Tawḥīd

Among the most distinguished works of the Jāmiʿ type in the Hadith corpus, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī is the first book where a hadith scholar compiled authentic hadiths according to his own criteria. Over 130 commentaries have been written on Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, and studies on this work continue in various fields. Undoubtedly, one of the most important of these commentaries is the ʾĀʿlāmu'l-Ḥadīth by the first commentator of this book, al-Khaṭṭābī (d. 388/998); another is the work named Fayḍu'l-Bārī by the recent scholar Kashmīrī (1875-1933). These two works, separated by approximately ten centuries, will be compared in various aspects. This comparison will focus on eight hadiths from the Kitāb al-Tawḥīd chapter of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, a section that has been the subject of extensive study, and two additional hadiths related to the topics covered. This will shed light on the differences in context when the same hadiths are explained at different times. Additionally, the influence of the political, cultural, and religious perceptions of the societies in which the commentators lived on their treatment of the hadiths will be examined. The methodological differences in the commentaries will also be addressed. The review shows that the hadiths in the Kitāb al-Tawḥīd, along with their repetitions in other sections, account for about 1/10 of the book. While examining these two commentaries, the explanations of the hadiths in the Tawḥīd chapter and their repetitions in Bukhārī were considered. Where necessary, the interpretations of other commentators were also consulted. Since the analyzed hadiths fall within the scope of theoretical thought, the views of philosophers and theologians were included where relevant. In terms of approach, comparing the different time and place experiences of the two commentators, it is seen that al-Khaṭṭābī gives less emphasis to socio-political phenomena compared to Kashmīrī in their treatment of topics. Additionally, both commentators adopt a common methodological stance in explaining doctrinal issues, particularly about anthropomorphism (tashbīh) and corporealism (tajsīm). Keywords: Al-Khaṭṭābī, Comparative Analysis, Hadith, Kashmīrī, Kitāb Al-Tawḥīd, Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Būkhārī.