Radio Islam Newsletter

Imam Muslim (RA)

When we talk about Hadith and Muhadditheen then after Imam Bukhari (RA), the second name which comes to mind is Imaam Muslim (RA). His full name is Abu'l Husain Asakir-ud-Din Muslim bin Hajjaj al-Qushayri al-Naisaburi. Imam Muslim, as his lineage shows, belonged to the Qushayr tribe of the Arabs, an off-shoot of the great clan of Rabi'a. He was born in Naasabur (Nishapur) in 202/817 or 206/821. His excellent moral character can be well judged from the simple fact that he never indulged in backbiting, a very common human failing.

He has been amongst the most prominent scholars of the Ummah particularly in the field of Hadith. He was the great personality having a very high degree of Taqwa. He is considered among the Imams (chiefs) of scholars of Hadith. Imam Muslim (RA) dedicated his life for acquiring and then teaching Hadith. He left his native place and then travelled far and wide to collect traditions in Arabia, Egypt, Syria and Iraq, where he attended the lectures of some of the prominent Traditionists of his time. He learned Hadith from Yahya bin Yahya and Ishaq bin Rahovia in Khurasan; from Muhammad bin Mehran in Ray; from Ahmad bin Hanbal and Abdullah bin Muslim Qutiaba bin Sa 'id in Iraq; from Syed bin Mansoor and Abu Musaib in Hijaz; from Umar bin Aswad and Hammala bin Yahya in Egypt and also from numerous scholars of Hadith of those days.

Having finished his studies, he settled down at Nishapur. There he came into contact with Imam Bukhari (RA), and was so much impressed by his vast knowledge of Hadith and his deep insight into it that he kept himself attached to him to the end of his life. He was an ardent admirer of another great teacher of Hadith, Muhammad bin Yahya-al-Dhuhali and attended his lectures regularly, but when the difference of opinion rose between Muhammad bin Yahya and Imam Bukhari, on the issue of the creation of the Holy Qur'an, which sharpened into hostility, Imam Muslim with Imam Bukhari abandoned Muhammad bin Yahya altogether. He was thus a true disciple of Imam Bukhari.

He went to Baghdad several times and taught Hadith there. Many scholars of Hadith of his status or even of higher status as regards the knowledge of Hadith, have narrated Hadith from Imam Muslim (RA), some of them include Abu Hatam Razi, Musa bin Haroon, Ahmad bin Salma, Abu Isa Tirmizi and Abu Bakr bin Khuziama etc.

Imam Muslim (RA) like Imam Bukhari compiled only those Hadith in the book called Muslim Shareef, which were most authentic called Sahih. Like Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim has also been accepted by all the Ulema of the Ummah as the most reliable book on authentic Hadith.

As Imam Bukhari said about his book that he had not quoted every Sahih Hadith in his book but had quoted only those Hadith on the authenticity of which there was consensus (Ijma). Imam Muslim (RA) adopted the same method for his book Sahih Muslim.

Abu Umar bin Ahmad bin Hanidan says that he asked Abu Abass bin Uqba about Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim (RA) of Nishapur and that who was having more knowledge among these two. He replied that both were scholars, he says that he asked repeatedly the same question then he said: "O! Abu Umar, occasionally Imam Bukhari adopts wrong procedure about the people of Syria (Ahle-Sham) that he calls someone by his sir name and at other place gives the reader his first name which gives the impression that probably they are the two persons. This has happened with Imam Muslim (RA) verv rarely". (A'seeh atul-lam'aat)

Khatib Baghdadi says that Imam Muslim (RA) studied Imam Bukhari and then followed his path righteously. When Imam Bukhari came to Nishapur in his late life, Imam Muslim (RA) remained closely attached with him and imbibed a lot from him. The excellence of Sahih Muslim lies in those Ahaadith which have only four steps in the chain of narrators from Imam Muslim (RA) to Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and there are around eighty such Ahaadith in Sahih Muslim.

Imam Nawawi says that one who will study Sahih Muslim very minutely, its Hadith, authenticity of narrators, sequence, beauty of phraseology, depth of research and very high degree of caution and piety exercised, he will definitely not find anyone of such qualities in the latter Ummah. There is consensus amongst the Ulema of the Ummah that Sahih Muslim is the most authentic book on Hadith after Sahih Bukhari. Some scholars rate Sahih Muslim higher than Sahih Bukhari.

Imam Muslim (RA) lived for fifty-five years in this world. In this short span of lifetime, he spent most of his time in-learning Hadith, its compilation, its teaching and transmission. He always remained absorbed in this single pursuit and nothing could distract his attention from this pious task. He passed away on Sunday 24th Rajab, 261 Hijrah, and was buried in the suburbs of Nishapur. May Allah bless his soul.