Did Al-Bukhari interpret the verse: "Everything will perish except His Face" as "except His dominion"? And what is the refutation of Al-Albani's fatwa that no believing Muslim would say this?

Al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned two interpretations in his Sahih concerning the verse, "Everything will perish except His Face": "except His dominion (mulk)" and "except what is intended for the sake of Allah's Face." Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar mentioned that the interpretation of "the Face" as dominion is transmitted from Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Muthanna. This interpretation is not exclusive to Al-Bukhari; rather, a group of scholars have related it.

Al-Samarqandi is of the view that "except His Face" means that every deed is perishable and will have no reward except what is intended for the sake of Allah's Face, or that everything changes except His dominion, which does not vanish.

This is further supported by the fact that the Salaf sometimes interpret a word by congruence, entailment, or necessary implication. So, if Al-Bukhari interpreted the verse by saying, "except His dominion" or "except Him" or "except His essence," then this is not an allegorical interpretation (ta'wil) of the attribute of the Face, but rather an interpretation of the verse by its necessary implication, because the persistence of Allah's Face necessitates the persistence of His essence and His dominion.

Al-Bukhari affirmed the attribute of the Face in his book "Kitab al-Tawhid" with the hadith of Jabir ibn Abdullah, in which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sought refuge in the Face of Allah.

Shaykh Al-Albani believes that Al-Bukhari is free from allegorical interpretation (ta'wil) of this verse, and he doubts the attribution of this interpretation to him, given that he was an Imam in Hadith and a Salafi in creed.