Sahih Muslim

Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim

Author	Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj (c. 822–875)
Language	Arabic, Persian
Series	Kutub al-Sittah
Genre	Hadith collection
Published	9th century

Sahih Muslim (Arabic: صحيح مسلم, romanized: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim) is the second hadith collection of the Six Books of Sunni Islam. Compiled by Islamic scholar Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj (d. 875) in the musannaf format, the work is valued by Sunnis, alongside Sahih al-Bukhari, as the most important source for Islamic religion after the Qur'an.

Sahih Muslim contains approximately 5,500 - 7,500 hadith narrations in its introduction and 56 books. It consists of approximately 7,500 hadith narrations across its introduction and 56 books. Kâtip Çelebi (died 1657) and Siddiq Hasan Khan (died 1890) both counted 7,275 narrations. Muhammad Fuad Abdul Baqi wrote that there are 3,033 narrations without considering repetitions. Mashhur ibn Hasan Al Salman, a student of Al-Albani (died 1999), built upon this number, counting 7,385 total narrations, which, combined with the ten in the introduction, add up to a total of 7,395. Muslim wrote an introduction to his collection of hadith, wherein he clarified the reasoning behind choosing the hadith he chose to include in his Sahih.

Development

According to Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Muslim began writing the Sahih for Ahmad ibn Salamah an-Naysaburi. He was also compelled to write the Sahih for what he observed to be the poor character of his contemporary hadith scholars, and their lack of reluctance to spread daʻīf (weak) narrations. Muslim collected 12,000 narrations and chose 4,000 to be included in his book.

He divided narrators of hadith into three tiers based on their memory and character:

• those who possessed authentic memory and were of perfect character, honest and trustworthy.
• those of slightly weaker memory and perfection, trustworthy, knowledgeable and honest.
• those whose honesty was disputed or was a subject of discussion.

Muslim did not include hadith which were narrated by those who belonged to the last tier. Moreover, Muslim only recorded hadith that were narrated to him by an unbroken isnad (chain) of narrators through two reliable tabi'un, each of which had to be narrated through two companions of Muhammad.

Reception

Sunni Muslims regard Sahih Muslim as the second most important book of the Kutub al-Sittah. Sahih Muslim and Sahih al-Bukhari are together referred to as the Sahihayn (The Two Sahihs). In the Introduction to the Science of Hadith, Ibn al-Salah wrote: "The first to author a Sahih was Bukhari [...]", followed by Abū al-Ḥusayn Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj an-Naysābūrī al-Qushayrī, who was his student, sharing many of the same teachers. These two books are the most authentic books after the Quran. As for the statement of al-Shafi'i, who said, "I do not know of a book containing knowledge more correct than Malik's book [Muwatta Imam Malik]", [...] he said this before the books of Bukhari and Muslim. The book of Bukhari is the more authentic of the two and more useful."

Al-Nawawi wrote about Sahih al-Bukhari, "The scholars, may God have mercy on them, have agreed that the most authentic book after the dear Quran are the two Sahihs of Bukhari and Muslim." Siddiq Hasan Khan (died 1890) wrote, "All of the Salaf and Khalaf assert that the most authentic book after the book of Allah is Sahih al-Bukhari and then Sahih Muslim." This sentiment is echoed by both contemporary and past Islamic scholars, including Ibn Taymiyya (died 1328), Al-Maziri (died 1141), and Al-Juwayni (died 1085). Amin Ahsan Islahi praised the scientific arrangement of the narrations in Sahih Muslim. He also praised Muslim's particularity in highlighting differences in wording between two narrations, even when it came to a single letter that held no semantic significance, or if they differed about any facts relating to a narrator in the isnad.

Despite the book's reputation and the consensus of scholars that it is the second most authentic collection of hadith after Sahih al-Bukhari, it is agreed upon that this does not mean that every hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari is more valid than every hadith in Sahih Muslim, but that the total of what is contained in Sahih al-Bukhari is more valid than the total of what is contained in Sahih Muslim.

Derived works

Commentaries

More than 60 commentaries have been written on Sahih Muslim, some of which are Siyānah Sahīh Muslim by Ibn al-Salah, of which only the beginning segment remains, Al-Mu'allim bi Fawā'id Muslim by Al-Maziri, Al Minhāj Sharḥ Sahīḥ Muslim by Al-Nawawi, Fath al-Mulhim bi-Sharh Sahih al-Imam Muslim by Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, Takmilah Fath al-Mulhim bi-Sharh Sahih al-Imam Muslim by Taqi Usmani, and Tafsir al-Gharīb mā fi al-Sahīhayn by Al-Humaydī. Translations of commentaries of Sahih Muslims are available in numerous languages.

Arabic commentaries & annotations

(ألف)

1. Ikmāl al-Muʿlim bi Fawāʾid Muslim, by Qāḍī Abu ’l-Fadhl ʿIyād al-Yaḥṣubī (d. 544 AH). It is the completion of Imām Māzirī’s commentary by Qāḍī ʿIyād and is considered to be the first commentary of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim that was properly revised and organised. It was the primary source for Imām Ibn aṣ-Ṣalāḥ (raḥimahullāh), followed by Imām Nawawī (raḥimahullāh), and many scholars after that.  It is published by Dār al-Wafāʾ in nine volumes with the taḥqīq (research) of Dr. Yaḥyā Ismāʿīl.
2. Ikmāl Ikmāl al-Muʿlim bi Fawāʾid Kitāb Muslim, by Imām Muḥammad ibn Khalīfah Ubayy al-Mālikī (d. 827-8 AH). The author combined four commentaries of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: Al-Muʿlim of Imām Māzirī, Ikmāl al-Muʿlim of Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ, al-Mufhim of Imām Qurṭubī, and Al-Minhāj of Imām Nawawī, and made some additions. It is published by DKI in seven volumes with the commentary of Imām Sanūsī (d. 892-5 AH).

(ت)

1. Tuḥfat al-Munjid wa ’l-Muthim fī Gharīb Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, by Imām Sibṭ ibn al-ʿAjamī (d. 841 AH). It is published by Muʾassasat ʿIlm li Iḥyāʾ at-Turāth in two volumes with the taḥqīq (research) of the ʿIlm li Iḥyāʾ at-Turāth board under the guidance of ʿAbd al-ʿĀṭī Muḥyī ash-Sharqāwī.
2. Takmilah Fatḥ al-Mulhim bi Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Imām Muslim, by Muftī Taqī al-ʿUthmānī (b. 1943 CE). It is published by Dār al-Qalam in six volumes. This commentary is the completion of Fatḥ al-Mulhim, by Mawlānā Shabbīr Aḥmad al-ʿUthmānī.

(خ)

Khulāṣah al-Qawl al-Mufhim ʿalā Tarājim Rijāl Jāmiʿ al-Imām Muslim, by Imām Muḥammad Al-Amīn ibn ʿAbdullāh al-Buwayṭī (d. 1441 AH). It is published by Dār Al-Minhāj and Dār Ṭawq an-Najāh in two volumes.

(د)

Ad-Dībāj ʿalā Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim ibn al-Ḥajāj, by Al-Ḥāfiẓ Jalāl ad-Dīn as-Suyūṭī (d. 911 AH). This work is an annotation of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. Imām Suyūṭī very seldom discusses juridical rulings and does not respond to seemingly contradictory narrations, except minimally. It is published by Dār Ibn ʿAffān and Dār al-Arqam in six volumes and is available online.

(س)

As-Sirāj al-Wahhāj fī Kashf Maṭālib Mukhtaṣar Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj, by Shaykh Ṣiddīq Ḥasan Khān al-Qannūjī (d. 1307 AH). The author comments on Mukhtaṣar Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim by Imām al-Mundhirī (d. 656 AH). It is a medium-sized commentary; Imām Qannūjī does not discuss anything regarding the chains of transmission because he has commented on the abridged version by Imām Mundhirī which does not include the chains.[1]

(ص)

Ṣiyānah Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim min al-Ikhlāl wa ’l-Ghalaṭ wa Ḥimāyatihi min al-Isqāṭ wa ’s-Saqaṭ, by Imām Ibn aṣ-Ṣalāḥ ash-Shahrazūrī (d. 643 AH). This is not a commentary on the Ṣaḥīḥ per se; rather the author mainly seeks to correct errors, omissions, inaccuracies, and the likes that have occurred in the Ṣaḥīḥ from different scribes and in different copies of the Ṣaḥīḥ. It is published by Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī with the taḥqīq (research) of Muwaffaq ibn ʿAbdillāh ibn ʿAbd al-Qādir, by Dār al-Ḥadīth wa ’s-Sunnah, Mogadishu, and by DKI with the taḥqīq (research) of Farīd ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-Jundī.

(ف)

1. Faḍl al-Munʿim fī Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, by Imām Shams ad-dīn al-Harawī (d. 829 AH). It is published by Dār an-Nawādir in six volumes, with the taḥqīq (research) of Nūr ad-Dīn Ṭālib and his committee of researchers.
2. Fatḥ al-Mulhim bi Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ al-Imām Muslim, by ʿAllāmah Shabbīr Aḥmad ʿUthmānī (d.  1369 AH). The introduction to the commentary is beneficial in aiding one’s acquaintance with the sciences of ḥadīth. However, the actual commentary of the muqaddimah (introduction) is predominantly based on the earlier commentaries, thus, there are few places containing new information. Shaykh Ithyūbī’s commentary and Shaykh Jonwpūrī’s notes have incorporated the muqaddimah. It is published by Dār al-Qalam Damascus in six volumes.

(ق)

Qurrat ʿAyn al-Muḥtāj fī Sharḥ Muqaddimat Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj, by Shaykh Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī ibn Ādam al-Ithyūbī (d. 1442 AH/2020 CE). This two-volume book is the most comprehensive commentary on the muqaddimah (introduction) with commentary on each word. It incorporates all the main commentaries on the muqaddimah (introduction), including Fatḥ al-Mulhim and Al-Ḥall al-Mufhim by Mawlānā Rashīd Aḥmad Gangohī (raḥimahullāh) (d. 1323 AH). It also incorporates some useful discussions on Uṣūl al-Ḥadīth, and includes detailed profiles of every narrator in the Muqaddimah (introduction) which is useful to obtain acquaintance with the science of Asmāʾ al-Rijāl and character discernment.

(م)

1. Al-Mufhim li mā Ashkala min Talkhīṣ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, by Imām Ibn al-Muzayyin al-Mālikī al-Qurṭubī (d. 656 AH). The author benefitted from the two previous works of Imām Māzirī and Qāḍī ʿIyād, and produced a more excellent commentary after supplementing his additional benefits. It was published by Dār Ibn Kathīr, Damascus, for the first time in 1996 with the taḥqīq (research) of four researchers. Recently, in 2017, it was revised and published for the seventh time with the same taḥqīq (research), and so this seems to be the most promising print. This print is available online.
2. Al-Muʿlim bi Fawāʾid Muslim, by Imām Abū ʿAbdillāh Muḥammad ibn ʿAlī al-Māzirī (d. 536 AH). These are lessons that the author dictated to his students during his lessons on Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. This commentary is considered one of the first commentaries, if not the first commentary written on Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, as no earlier commentary is known from the author’s era. It is published by Bayt al-Ḥikmah, Tunisia, in three volumes with the taḥqīq (research) of Muḥammad ash-Shādhilī and is available online.
3. Al-Minhāj fī Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj, by Imām Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf an-Nawawī (d. 676 AH). The author has incorporated most of Qāḍī ʿIyād’s commentary. It is one of the most comprehensive, precise, and excellent commentaries of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. The author has not left any question that comes to the reader’s mind, except that he has answered it. He discusses the chains of transmission, grammatical points, the ambiguous or unknown names of narrators, the issues and verdicts that can be extracted from the ḥadīth, those who have taken the ḥadīth as their evidence and those who have opposed it, among many more benefits that cannot be listed in their entirety. Imām Nawawī (raḥimahullāh) read the previous commentaries, provided their summary in his work, and added additional points. It has been published by several publishing houses. Dār ibn Ḥazm published it in seven volumes. Dār Ibn Rajab and Dār al-Fawāʾid published it in nine volumes. They compared the text of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim with fourteen manuscripts and three prints and the commentary of Imām Nawawī with eight manuscripts and four prints. Muʾassasat ar-Risālah Nāshirūn published it in eight volumes with the taḥqīq (research) of the committee of Markaz ar-Risālah. They compared the commentary to two manuscripts and two previous prints. Dār al-Fayḥā and Dār al-Manhal published it in six volumes with the taḥqīq (research) of Muwaffaq Marʿī. Finally, in 2020, Dār al-Minhāj al-Qawīm published the book in fifteen volumes with the taḥqīq (research) of Māzin ibn Muḥammad as-Sirsāwī. They compared it to thirty previous manuscripts, and Dr. Bashshār ʿAwwād Maʿrūf and Dr. Ibrāhīm al-Lāḥim both praised the book in its introduction.
4. Mukammal Ikmāl al-Ikmāl, by ʿAllāmah Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad as-Sanūsī (d. 892-5 AH). The author wrote an introduction for the work of Imām Ubayy, thus, both of their works combined are the finest and one of the most comprehensive commentaries of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. They are both published by DKI with the title, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim bi Sharḥ al-Ubayy wa ’s-Sanūsī, in nine volumes.
5. Al-Mufḥim li Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, by Imām Abū ’l-Ḥasan ʿAbd al-Ghāfir ibn Ismāʿīl al-Fārisī (d. 529 AH). It is published by Asfār in three volumes with the taḥqīq (research) of Dr. Mashhūr ibn Marzūq al-Ḥarāzī.
6. Minhāj al-Muḥaddithīn wa Sabīl Ṭālibīh al-Muḥaqqiqīn fī Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Abī al-Ḥusain Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj al-Qushayrī, by Imām Muḥy ad-Dīn Yaḥyā ibn Sharaf an-Nawawī (d. 676 AH). It is published by Dār al-Minhāj al-Qawīm with the taḥqīq (research) of Māzin ibn Muḥammad as-Sirsāwī in fifteen volumes. It has been compared with thirty manuscripts and includes the marginalia of Hāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar titled, Iltiqāṭ Iʿtirāḍ al- Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ʿAbd al-Hādī ʿalā Sharḥ an-Nawawī.
7. The Introduction to Imām Muslim and his Ṣaḥīḥ, as well as notes on the Muqaddimah by Muḥaddith al-ʿAṣr Mawlānā Muḥammad Yūnus Jawnpūrī (d. 1438 AH), published in the third volume of al-Yawāqīt al-Gāliyah.

Urdu commentaries & annotations

(ألف)

Inʿāmāt al-Munʿim li Ṭālibāt al-Muslim, by Mawlānā Maḥbūb Aḥmad. It is published by Maktabah Raḥmāniyyah and is available online.

(ت)

1. Tuḥfat al-Munʿim Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, by Mawlānā Faḍl Muḥammad Yūsufzai. It is published by Maktabah Uways al-Qarnī, Karachi, in three volumes.
2. Tafhīm al-Muslim Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, by Mawlānā Muḥammad Zakariyyā Iqbāl. It is published by Dār al-Ishāʿah in three volumes.

(د)

Dars-i-Muslim, by Muftī Muḥammad Rafīʿ ʿUthmānī, the head of Dār al-ʿUlūm Karachi. It is published by Idārat al-Maʿārif Karachi in two volumes.

(ر)

Rawḍat al-Muslim Sharḥ Muqaddimat al-Muslim, by Shaykh Muḥammad Ḥusayn Ṣiddīqī, a teacher of ḥadīth at Jāmiʿah Binnoriyyah. It is published by Zam Zam Publishers, Karachi, in 330 pages.

(ن)

1. Niʿmat al-Munʿim Sharḥ aṣ-Ṣaḥīḥ li Muslim, by Mawlānā Niʿmatullāh Aʿẓamī, a teacher of ḥadīth at Dār al-ʿUlūm Deoband. It is published by Maktabat al-Badr, Deoband, in two volumes.
2. Nafʿ al-Muslim Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, by Mawlānā Ikrām ʿAlī Bhāghalpūrī, the Shaykh al-Ḥadīth of Jāmiʿah Taʿlīm ad-Dīn, Dabhel. It is published by Zam Zam Publishers Karachi.

See also

• Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj – author of Sahih Muslim
• Sahih al-Bukhari – another Sahih collection of hadith narrations and the other of the Sahihayn
• Muhammad al-Bukhari – another hadith scholar, one of Muslim's teachers, and the author of Sahih al-Bukhari
• Kutub al-Sittah – six most highly-regarded collections of hadith in Sunni Islam, including Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and:
  • Sahih al-Tirmidhi – compiled by Al-Tirmidhi (824–892)
  • Sunan ibn Majah – compiled by Ibn Majah (824–887)
  • Sunan Abu Dawood – compiled by Abu Dawud al-Sijistani (died 889)
  • Al-Sunan al-Sughra, also known as Sunan an-Nasa'i – compiled by Al-Nasa'i (829–915)

External links

• English translation with Arabic text (Sunnah.com)
• English translation with Arabic text (QuranX.com)