Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
Compiler of Sahih Muslim, a canonical hadith collection.
Imam Muslim, whose full name was Abū al-Ḥusayn Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj ibn Muslim ibn Ward al-Qushayrī an-Naysābūrī, lived from sometime after 815 until May 875 CE. He was a hadith scholar from Nishapur, a city in what is now northeastern Iran. His major work, *Sahih Muslim*, is counted among Sunni Islam's six principal hadith collections and is considered one of the two most reliable, alongside *Sahih al-Bukhari*.
He was born in Nishapur, which was then part of the Abbasid province of Khorasan. Historians disagree on his exact birth year, suggesting 817/818, 819/820, or 821/822. Al-Dhahabi noted a common claim of 819/820 but thought he might have been born earlier. Ibn Khallikan reported that hadith masters only agreed he was born after 815/816. Citing al-Hakim al-Nishapuri, Ibn Khallikan stated Muslim was 55 when he died on 25 Rajab 261 AH (May 875), placing his birth in 821/822. Ibn al-Bayyiʿ recorded his burial in Nasarabad, a suburb of Nishapur.
Scholars describe Muslim as of Arab origin. His nisba "al-Qushayri" indicates he belonged to the Banu Qushayr tribe, whose members migrated to Persian territory during the Rashidun Caliphate's expansion. Ibn al-Athir and ibn al-Salah both affirmed his tribal membership. His family had moved to Persia nearly two centuries earlier after the conquest.
His teachers included Harmala ibn Yahya, Sa'id ibn Mansur, Abd-Allah ibn Maslamah al-Qa'nabi, al-Dhuhali, al-Bukhari, ibn Ma'in, and Yahya ibn Yahya al-Nishaburi al-Tamimi, among others. His students included al-Tirmidhi, ibn Abi Hatim al-Razi, and Ibn Khuzayma, all of whom also authored hadith works. After studying across the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Iraq, and Syria, he settled in Nishapur, where he met and became a lifelong friend of al-Bukhari.
Key sources for Muslim's biography include al-Khatib al-Baghdadi's 11th-century *History of Baghdad*, which forms the basis of later accounts. Al-Dhahabi's *History of Islam* contains 27 reports about Muslim, 11 of which (41%) come from al-Baghdadi. The second most important source is al-Hakim al-Nishapuri's *History of Nishapur*. The *History of Baghdad* itself includes 14 reports about Muslim, half taken from the *History of Nishapur*.
In the mid-9th century, Muslim compiled *Sahih Muslim*, a collection of what he deemed entirely authentic hadith. It is now one of Sunni Islam's six canonical hadith books, and along with *Sahih al-Bukhari*—together called the *Sahihayn*—it is considered pre-eminent. Estimates of its hadith count range from three to twelve thousand, depending on whether duplicates are counted. According to al-Jawzaqi, 2,326 traditions are shared with *Sahih al-Bukhari*. The two collections share roughly 2,400 narrators; only 430 narrators in *Sahih al-Bukhari* are absent from *Sahih Muslim*, and only 620 narrators in *Sahih Muslim* are absent from *Sahih al-Bukhari*.
The scholar Ishaq ibn Rahwayh was the first to recommend Muslim's work. His contemporaries were initially hesitant; Abu Zur‘a al-Razi objected that Muslim omitted much material he himself considered authentic and included weak transmitters. Ibn Abi Hatim later called Muslim "trustworthy, one of the hadith masters with knowledge of hadith," though this praise was less enthusiastic than that given to Abu Zur‘a and his father Abu Hatim. Ibn al-Nadim expressed similar views. Over time, Muslim's book gained stature and is now considered by Ahlus-Sunnah the second most authentic hadith collection, after *Sahih al-Bukhari*.
Muslim's other works include *Al-Kuna wa al-Asma*, a collection of narrator names and kunyas, and *Al-Tamyiz*, a study of hidden defects in hadith (illal).
- field
- Hadith studies (muhaddith)
- nationality
- Persian region, of Arab origin (Banu Qushayr tribe)
- known_for
- Compilation of Sahih Muslim
Quick Facts
- Title
- Imām Muslim
- Birth Date
- after 815
- Birth Place
- Nishapur, Abbasid Caliphate
- Death Date
- May 875
- Death Place
- Nasarabad, Abbasid Caliphate
- Resting Place
- Nasarabad
- Jurisprudence
- Shafi'i/Mujtahid
- Era
- Islamic Golden Age / (Abbasid era)
- Region
- Abbasid Caliphate
- Occupation
- Islamic scholar, Muhaddith
- Religion
- Islam
- Denomination
- Sunni
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj was born in the town of Nishapur in the Abbasid province of Khorasan, in what is now northeastern Iran. Historians differ as to his date of birth, though it is usually given as 202 AH (817/818), 204 AH (819/820), or 206 AH (821/822). Al-Dhahabi said, 'It is said that he was born in the year 204 AH,' though he also said, 'But I think he was born before that.' Ibn Khallikan could find no report of Muslim's date of birth or age at death by any of the ḥuffāẓ 'hadith masters', except their agreement that he was born after 200 AH (815/816). Ibn Khallikan cites ibn al-Salah, who cites al-Hakim al-Nishapuri's Kitab ʿUlama al-Amsar, in the claim that Muslim was 55 years old when he died on 25 Rajab, 261 AH (May 875) and therefore his year of birth must have been 206 AH (821/822). Ibn al-Bayyiʿ reports that he was buried in Nasarabad, a suburb of Nishapur. According to scholars, he was of Arab origin. The nisba 'al-Qushayri' signifies he belonged to the Arab tribe of Banu Qushayr, members of which migrated to the newly conquered Persian territory during the expansion of the Rashidun Caliphate. According to two scholars, ibn al-Athīr and ibn al-Salāh, he was a member of that tribe. His family had migrated to Persia nearly two centuries earlier following the conquest. The author's teachers included Harmala ibn Yahya, Sa'id ibn Mansur, Abd-Allah ibn Maslamah al-Qa'nabi, al-Dhuhali, al-Bukhari, ibn Ma'in, Yahya ibn Yahya al-Nishaburi al-Tamimi, and others. Among his students were al-Tirmidhi, ibn Abi Hatim al-Razi, and Ibn Khuzayma, each of whom also wrote works on hadith. After his studies throughout the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Iraq and Syria, he settled in his hometown of Nishapur, where he met, and became a lifelong friend of al-Bukhari.
Reader's Guide
In the mid-9th century, Muslim composed a collection of what he considered entirely sahih hadith, now known as Sahih Muslim. Today, it is considered one of the six canonical books of hadith in Sunni Islam. In particular, it along with Sahih al-Bukhari are considered the two pre-eminent collections in this canon; together they are called the Sahihayn. Figures on the number of hadiths in this book vary from three to twelve thousand, depending on whether duplicates are included, or only the text is. Muslim's collection has a substantial overlap with Sahih al-Bukhari: according to Al-Jawzaqi, 2,326 traditions are shared between the two. The collections also roughly share 2,400 narrators; only 430 of the narrators in Sahih al-Bukhari are not found in Sahih Muslim, and only 620 narrators in Sahih Muslim are not found in Sahih al-Bukhari. The scholar of Ahlus-Sunnah, Ishaq Ibn Rahwayh was first to recommend Muslim's work. Ishaq's contemporaries did not at first accept this; Abu Zur‘a al-Razi objected that Muslim had omitted too much material which Muslim himself recognised as authentic and that he included transmitters who were weak. Ibn Abi Hatim (d. 327/938) later accepted Muslim as 'trustworthy, one of the hadith masters with knowledge of hadith'; but this contrasts with much more fulsome praise of Abu Zur‘a and also his father Abu Hatim. It is similar with Ibn al-Nadim. Muslim's book gradually increased in stature such that it is considered among Ahlus-Sunnah the most authentic collections of hadith, second only to Sahih Bukhari.
Did You Know?
- Historians disagree on his birth year, giving it as 202 AH (817/818), 204 AH (819/820), or 206 AH (821/822).
- He was buried in Nasarabad, a suburb of Nishapur.
- His nisba 'al-Qushayri' indicates he belonged to the Arab tribe of Banu Qushayr, whose members migrated to Persia nearly two centuries before his birth.
- According to Al-Jawzaqi, 2,326 traditions are shared between Sahih Muslim and Sahih al-Bukhari.
- The scholar Ishaq Ibn Rahwayh was the first to recommend Muslim's work, though contemporaries like Abu Zur‘a al-Razi initially objected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj?
He was a Persian-born scholar of hadith (muhaddith) of Arab tribal origin from the Banu Qushayr clan, best remembered for his monumental work in Islamic jurisprudence and prophetic traditions.
What is Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj most famous for?
He is celebrated as the compiler of Sahih Muslim, a canonical collection of hadith that stands as one of the six major hadith collections recognized in Sunni Islam.
How is Sahih Muslim ranked among hadith collections?
Alongside Sahih al-Bukhari, it is regarded as one of the two most authentic and authoritative hadith compilations in the Sunni tradition.
What was Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj's background and field of study?
Born in the Persian region but of Arab descent from the Banu Qushayr tribe, he dedicated his scholarly life to hadith studies, meticulously gathering and verifying prophetic narrations.
Why does Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj matter to students of Islamic theology?
His rigorous methodology in selecting and organizing hadith made Sahih Muslim a foundational reference for scholars of law, theology, and prophetic tradition for over a millennium.
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