Fiqh followed by famous muhaddith
whether Imams al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmizi, al-Nasiae, Ibn Majah, Abu Dawood, al-Tayalisi, al-Darumi, al-Bazzar, al-Dara Qutni, al-Baihaqi, Ibn Khuzaimah, and Abu Ya’la al-Musili were Mujtahid (scholar who has reached a level of knowledge whereby he can choose the opinion which he thinks is more appropriate and more supported by evidence from al-Qur’an and Sunnah hence not following a given Mazhab) or were they Muqallid (who follows a given Mazhab)?
I like to know if Imam Muslim (Sahih Muslim) and Imam Bukhari (Sahih Bukhari) followed any of the Madhabs i.e. Shafiyee, Maliki, Hanafi, or Hanbali?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Respected brother,
Most muhadithoon either belonged to the madhab of ahlul Hadith or to the shafi’i or Hambali madhab.
Imām Tayalisi, a second century scholar who passed away before the four madhahib were documented.
The madhab of al-Bazzar and Abu Ya’la al-Mawsili could not be ascertained.
Ad-Darimi, Ibn Khuzaimah, Ad-Dara Qutni, Al-Baihaqi, At-Tirmidhi are considered shafii.
Imām Muslim and Ibn Majah are famous to be shafi’i but opinion is not ascertained, some considered imām Muslim to be Maliki.
Imām Abu Dawood and Imam Nasai are considered Hambali but others considered him shafi’i.
Imām Bukhari is considered to be a mujtahid.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best