25th Rajab

Name: Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj Nishapuri
Arabic: مسلم بن الحجاج النيسابوري
Persian: مسلم نیشابوری‎
Born: 204 AH
Died: 261 AH

Abul Husayn Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj ibn Muslim ibn Warat al-Qushayri al-Nisaburi was the author of the second authentic sahih collection of hadith, Sahih Muslim.

He was born in the town of Nishapur, in present day north-eastern Iran, into the Arab tribe of Qushair.

Among the author's teachers were 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
• Ibn Khuzaymah

Each of his student wrote works on hadith as well. After many studies throughout the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Iraq and Syria, he settled down in his hometown of Nishapur where he first met Bukhari, with whom he would have a friendship until his death.

Estimates on how many hadith are in his books vary from 3,033 to 12,000, depending on whether duplicates are included, or whether the text only or the isnad is also counted. His Sahih is said to share about 2000 hadith with Bukhari's Sahih.

He died in  Nishapur, where he was also buried.