2) Selected 500 Hadith from Sahih Bukhari & Muslim - The Message

Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslimhis long journey of writing this great book in 217 AH whenhe was twenty three.Because of that dream, Al-Bukhaari traveled thousands ofmiles moving from one Islamic territory to another,undergoing all sorts of difficulties, hardships, andweariness, sometimes to obtain only one narration of theProphe. He sometimes even had to eat grass to satisfy hisextreme hunger after he had spent all his money. Even thefew hours of night in which he snatched short naps to resta while, were not so resting for him, as he used to wake upfifteen to twenty times a night to lit his lamp and sit toclassify the narrations he had collected. Al-Bukhaari madea pact with himself that he wouldn’t include a narrationfrom any narrator until he had personally met him, andlistened to the narration with his own ears. He neveraccepted narrations except from the ones who wereknown for being honest, diligent, accurate, fearing Allaah,and having a sharp memory. After this process, he wouldhave a ritual bath; pray two Rak'as and then include onlythe narration that had met all these conditions in his book.After sixteen years of continuous effort and hard work, Al-Bukhaari finished his valuable book that comprised around7000 authentic narrations which he selected fromamongst 600,000 authentic and non-authentic narrations.He overlooked many authentic narrations so that his bookwouldn’t be too long. He chose to name the book "TheAuthentic Book Encompassing a Brief Authentic Narrationsof the Prophet, his Tradition and Life" to become the titleof the most authentic book after the Quran. The book isPage 173