Lami al-Darari ala Jami al-Bukhari

Lami al-Darari ala Jami al-Bukhari (لامع الدراري على جامع البخاري) is a multi-volume commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, which is based on the teachings of Rashid Ahmad Gangohi. The original lessons were recorded in Arabic by Yahya Kandhlawi, a student of Gangohi, and later expanded upon by his son, Zakariyya Kandhlawi, with extensive footnotes at the insistence of Hussain Ahmed Madani. The commentary was completed in 1968. Its primary objective is to provide detailed explanations, discussions, and insights into the various sections, topics, and issues addressed in Sahih al-Bukhari. Additionally, it incorporates additional research, references to other scholarly works, and offers a defense of the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence.

Background
Zakariyya Kandhlawi explains that his mentor, Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, encouraged him to study his father's hadith collections. Yahya Kandhlawi, his father, was an early student of Darul Uloom Deoband, and he recorded various lessons of Deoband teachers. Zakariyya Kandhlawi first studied Sunan al-Tirmidhi, then Sunan Abu Dawood and the Sahih al-Bukhari related to his father's hadith collections, which were recorded from the teachings of Rashid Ahmad Gangohi. Gangohi's approach was to explain specific discussions, resulting in fewer discussions in each subsequent book. Zakariyya Kandhlawi received requests from companions and followers to publish this treasure for the benefit of the ummah. Hussain Ahmed Madani insisted on its publication, and Zakariyya Kandhlawi received intense instructions from other respected scholars as well. However, due to Husain Ahmed Madani's passing, Zakariyya Kandhlawi was unable to focus much on the book during his lifetime.

Content
Yusuf Banuri has written a scholarly introduction to Lami al-Darari ala Jami al-Bukhari, which has been separately published with 24 pages. In the introduction, Zakariyya Kandhlawi focuses on specific matters related to Sahih al-Bukhari and does not delve into the Hadith studies, as he has covered it in previous book introductions. The first chapter discusses the life and virtues of Muhammad al-Bukhari, highlighting nine benefits. The seventh and eighth benefits touch on the methodology of Muhammad al-Bukhari and his critics, emphasizing the importance of comparing present scholars to their predecessors due to limitations in knowledge and memory. The second chapter extensively discusses Muhammad al-Bukhari, and the last benefit provides a brief introduction to the 110 chapters of Sahih al-Bukhari. Following this 52-page introduction, the commentary of Sahih al-Bukhari begins in the style of Al-Kawakib al-Durri sharh Jami al-Tirmidhi, emphasizing the alignment of Muhammad al-Bukhari's arrangements and the narrations of Hadith. Lami al-Darari ala Jami al-Bukhari not only contains detailed discussions on various sections, topics, and issues of Sahih al-Bukhari but also consolidates scattered information, benefits, and points from thousands of pages regarding narrators, principles, and reminiscences. It also includes research on Hadith chapters, speeches, ijtihad, and defense of the Hanafis.

Methodology
It attributes jurisprudential schools to their sources and incorporates criticism and corrections from previous editions. Quranic verses are included alongside Hadith for verification, and phrases within the Hadith are explained with reference to renowned Arabic linguists. Explanations are provided for words that may have different dialects from various Arab tribes. The text pays homage to the author's elders and teachers, mentioning their names and highlighting their contributions. It incorporates Arabic and Urdu poetry.

Reception
According to Muhammad Usman Shah, a PhD scholar at Gomal University, the literary style and manner of this book are very clear and lucid. Muhammad Nawaz Chaudhary, a PhD scholar at the University of the Punjab, considers this commentary a valuable tool for seekers of hadith knowledge, especially for students of knowledge and scholars in the field of Hadith studies. In his introduction, Yusuf Banuri praises Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, stating that he possessed a unique combination of knowledge from scholars and the spiritual insight of the Sufis. Despite his engagement in spiritual training and purification, Gangohi tirelessly taught Hadith and Sunnah for almost fifty years, providing explanations for intricate matters of Fiqh and Hadith that were not found in extensive works. He successfully defended the Hanafi school, interpreting and explaining conflicting Hadiths, surpassing the explanations of previous commentators like Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani and Badr al-Din al-Ayni, particularly in the chapter headings of Bukhari.

Legacy
In 2019, Hafiz Ghulam Sarwar completed his PhD thesis titled An Analytical Study of Fiqh al-Hadith in Lami al-Darari and Al-Kawakib al-Durri in Urdu at the Sheikh Zayed Islamic Centre, University of the Punjab.