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

Sahih Bukhari & Sahih MuslimHis full name was Abul-Hussain Muslim-bin-Habaj alNishapuri. Very little is known about Imam Muslim's earlylife. It is said that he was born in 202 A.H. / 817 C.E., andthat having learnt and excelled in the usual disciplines at aprecocious age, focussed his attention on hadith. In itspursuit he travelled widely, visiting all the importantcentres of learning in Persia, Iraq, Syria and Egypt. Heattended the lectures of most of the great hadith scholarsof his day, including Ishaaq Ibn Raahawayh, Ahmad IbnHanbal, 'Ubaydullaah al-Qawaarifee Shuwayh Ibn Yoonus,'Abdullaah Ibn Maslamah, and Hamalah Ibn Yahyaa. Hesettled down at Neesaaboor, earning a living from a smallbusiness, and devoted the remainder of his time to theservice of the Prophetic Sunnah.As mentioned, Imam Muslim started his studies at the veryearly age of fourteen years. In the year 218 A.H. theatmosphere in Neesaaboor, his birthplace, was of areligious and knowledge type. Neesaaboor had greatpersonalities in this period such as Imam Rahiwe andImam Zohri. After travelling widely in search of hadith.Imam Muslim was much impressed by the vast knowledgeof Imam Bukhari, in the field of hadith and the deep insighthe possessed on this subject. He therefore attachedhimself to Imam Bukhari up to the end of his life. ImamMuslim was also an admirer of another great teacher ofhadith, Muhammed bin Yahya al Dhuli. He attended hislectures regularly. He visited Baghdad several times andhad the opportunity of delivering lessons there. His lastvisit to Baghdad was two years before his death.Page 177