Sahih Bukhari ( Complete: Book 1 - 97)
Author: Imam Al-Bukhari
Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ismaeel bin al-Mughirah al-Bukhari was born on 13th of Shawwal 194 AH in Bukhara, a town in the eastern part of Turkestan.
His father died while he was still in his infancy and his upbringing was left entirely to his mother, who looked after his health and education very carefully and spared nothing in order to provide him with the best education.
Quite early in life, Imam Bukhari's intellectual qualities became noticeable. He had great piety and an extremely good memory and devotion to learning. It is said that while he was still in his teens he knew by heart seventy thousand Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad.
At the age of 16, he went to Macca with his mother and enjoyed his stay in the City so much that he decided to prolong his visit in order to benefit from the company of the great Muslim scholars who were always to be found there. At the age of eighteen, he wrote his first book on the subject of the Prophet's Companions and their immediate successors, and later a book on history called "Al-Tarikh-al-Kabir".
Imam Bukhari was very interested in history and the Ahadith (sayings of the Prophet He sought the company of great scholars in order to learn and discuss the Ahadith of the Prophet. He visited various countries, travelling to Damascus, Cairo, Baghdad, Basra, Mecca, and Medina etc. During his stay in Baghdad, he frequently held discussions with the Imam Ahmed Hanbal, the founder of the Hanbali School of law.
During all these travels,