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Reasons for superiority of Al-Bukhari and Muslim

Question

What is the difference between Saheeh Al-Bukhaari and Saheeh Muslim, and the difference between them and the other books of Hadeeth (narration) in terms of judging the degree of authenticity of a Hadeeth?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

Scholars of Hadeeth agreed that a Hadeeth is not judged as authentic except under certain conditions:

1. Uninterrupted chain of narration.

2. Uprightness of the narrator.

3. Veracity and accuracy of the narrator.

4. Lack of irregularities.

5. Lack of defects.

Differences in opinion among scholars occur in the manner of applying these conditions to a particular Hadeeth, not in the conditions themselves.

Al-Bukhari and Muslim  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them are distinguished from other narrators by stipulating that they do not narrate a Hadeeth in their books except the ones of the highest degree of authenticity and whose narrators are known for their formidable memory and accuracy. Other scholars of Hadeeth did not stipulate these conditions. Some scholars stipulated to narrate Saheeh Hadeeths regardless of being of the highest degree of authenticity, such as Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Hibbaan  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them; whereas, others collected the Saheeh and Hasan Hadeeths, such as the compilers of the Sunan (At-Tirmithi, Ibn Maajah, Abu Daawood, and An-Nasaa’i  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  them).

Allah Knows best.

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