Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim as Contemporaries

Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim were contemporaries. Both felt the need during the same era to compile collections of authentic Hadith based on juristic (fiqhi) order, and thus each compiled their respective collections. There is a consensus (ijma) of the Ummah on the authenticity of both Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.

Alongside this, the discussion has continued as to which of the two books holds greater merit. The commentator of Sahih Muslim, Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him), states: "The scholars unanimously agree that after the Noble Qur'an, the most authentic books are Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The Ummah has accepted them in this status. Sahih Bukhari is more authentic of the two. It surpasses in both manifest and subtle points of benefit and insight."

It is also a fact that Imam Muslim benefited from Imam Bukhari and used to say that there is no parallel to him in the science of Hadith. Overall, Sahih Bukhari is preferred over Sahih Muslim, and this is the correct viewpoint upheld by the majority of scholars, experts of the field, and discerning critics of Hadith.

Imam Abu Ali al-Husayn al-Naysaburi and some scholars from the Maghreb (North African Muslim countries) preferred Sahih Muslim, but the majority view is that Sahih Bukhari holds the preference. The well-known jurist and Hadith critic, Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Isma‘ili (may Allah have mercy on him), clarified this position with evidence in his book "Al-Madkhal."

However, Sahih Muslim does possess certain distinctive features that are unique to it. Those who preferred Sahih Muslim over Sahih Bukhari had these very unique features in mind.

Unique Merit of Sahih Muslim

Imam Nawawi states: "Imam Muslim had a highly beneficial unique feature that was befitting only for him. That is, his book is easy to benefit from. He placed each Hadith only once in the appropriate chapter and listed its multiple chains of transmission (isnads) and varying wordings alongside it. This made it easy for the student to examine all the versions of a particular Hadith and derive benefit from them."

In this manner, the chains of narration presented by Imam Muslim inspire greater trust in the reader.