Sahih al-Bukhari

Audience

Al-Bukhari’s target audience was the Muslim community as a whole, the faithful of his own and later generations. It is not meant for an audience of readers but for seekers in search of knowledge and guidance. The Sahih is meant to provide Muslims with what al-Bukhari believed to be the most reliable and authentic stories about Muhammad’s life. The content and arrangement of the work is designed to give Muslims a concise but comprehensive collection of reliable stories that serve as a basis of religious belief, law, and practice. The vast majority of Muslims do not learn Hadith by reading from the Sahih or any of the canonized collections. They learn Hadith from other Muslims, parents, teachers, and imams, who relate them orally when giving advice, lectures, and sermons.