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

Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslimevident from the fact that Tirmidhi reported traditionsfrom forty-two Kufan teachers. In his compilation he usedmore reportings of Kufan teachers in comparison to thenumber of reportings used of teachers from any othertown.Baghdad was also considered as a major centre oflearning. A.J. Wensinck has mentioned that Ahmad b.Hanbal (d.241 A.H.) was Tirmidhi's teacher. According tothe most reliable sources, Tirmidhi never went to Baghdadand did not attend any lectures of Ahmad b. Hanbal.Furthermore, Imam Tirmidhi, whenever narrating a sanadwherein the name of Ahmad b. Hanbal is mentioned,always names a transmitter between himself and Ahmadb. Hanbal, that is, Imam Tirmidhi never directly narratedfrom Ahmad b. Hanbal anywhere in the Jami'. Hence, ameeting between the two was highly improbable.Another great centre of learning was Basra. Thecompanions of the Prophet (SAW) who resided here, wereAnas b. Malik (d.91 A.H.), 'Abd Allah b. 'Abbas (d.68 A.H.)and 'Imran b., Husain (d.52 A.H.). During the time of ImamTirmidhi, Zayd b. Akhzarn (d.257 A.H.) was the famoustraditionist of Basra. He was the teacher of Imam Bukhari,Imam Nasa'i, Imam Abu Dawud, Imam Tirmidhi and Imamibn Maja. Other famous traditionists of Basra were 'Abbas'Anbari (d.246 A.H.), Muhammad b. Bashshar Bundar(d.252 A.H.), Muhammad b. al-Muthanna (d.252 A.H.) andMuhammad b. M'amar (d.250 A.H.). Each of the sixcanonical traditionists attended the discourses of theabove mentioned traditionists.Page 187