Yahyā ibn al-Bukayr's Muvatta' narration and its comparison to Yahyā al-Laysī's

Yahyā b. Abdullah b. Bukayr (d. 231/845), a grandson of an Egyptian scholar, was a disciple of Mālik b. Anas (d. 179/795). Ibn Bukayr gained fame by residing in Medina for a period and transmitting Imam Malik's Muvatta' through oral narration 17 times, distinguishing himself among the narrators of Muvatta'. Presumably, this led to his acceptance by numerous students for the transmission of hadiths. This study will delve into Ibn Bukayr's life, his role in hadith scholarship, and his narration of Muvatta'. Ibn Bukayr's narration of Muvatta' holds great significance in the field of hadith. The presence of its copies in various manuscript collections, particularly in Istanbul, is a significant indicator of the importance attributed to the work. Moreover, the existence of complete and unabridged copies reaching the present day facilitates comprehensive research on the narration, making it a necessary endeavor. The fact that the manuscripts were not scrutinized until 2020, despite their abundance and completeness, raises questions about the delayed verification process. In this thesis, Ibn Bukayr's narration was compared to the most famous narration of Muvatta', that of Yahyā b. Yahyā al-Laysī (d. 234/849), with the aim of highlighting the importance of the narration and identifying differences from other transmissions. To ensure a consistent comparison, the meticulously edited versions by Beshār Avvād Marūf for both narrations were utilized. To narrow down the scope of the study, specific sections were selected for comparison, with a focus on identifying differences in the "kitab al jāmi'" section. Through this comparison, the study aims to identify chapters and hadiths present in one narration but not the other, as well as those that are additional, or differently placed in Ibn Bukayr's narration.