Hundred Great Muslims

IMAM BUKHARI
Few persons in the world have ever been endowed with a proverbial
memory. One of these was Imam Bukhari, the greatest Traditionist that Islam
has produced. He is said to have retained in his memory one million Traditions
with full details of all the different sources and reporters of each Tradition
which came down to him. His Sahih Bukhari (Collection of Traditions) is
universally recognised as the most authentic collection of Traditions of the Holy
Prophet of Islam.
Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismail, later known as Imam Bukhari, was
born in Bukhara on Shawwal 13, 194 A.H. (July 21, 810 A.C.) He was the
grandson of a Persian, named Bradizbat.
The newly-born child had scarcely opened his eyes in the world when he
lost his eyesight. His father was immensely grieved by it. His pious mother
wept and prayed to God to restore the eyesight of her newly-born child. During
her sleep, she dreamt Prophet Abraham, who said: "Be pleased, your prayer
has been accepted by God." When she got up, the eyesight of the newly-born
child was fully restored.
He lost his father when he was still a child. He was brought up by his
illustrious and virtuous mother.
He began his study of the Traditions at the early age of eleven. In his 16th
year he made pilgrimage of the Holy places along with his mother and elder
brother. There he attended the lectures of the great teachers of Traditions in
Makkah and Medina. He was still 18 years old, when he wrote a book, "Kazayai
Sahaba wa Tabain. "
His elder brother, Rashid ibn Ismail reports that the young Bukhari used
to attend the lectures and discourses of learned men of Balkh along with him
and other pupils. But, unlike other pupils he never took notes of these discourses.
They criticised him for not taking notes of the lectures and thus wasting his
time. Bukhari did not give any reply. One day, being annoyed by their consistent
criticism of his carelessness, Bukhari asked his fellow pupils to bring all
they had noted down. By that time, his fellow pupils had taken down more:
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