In the young age, Sayyiduna Imam Bukhari رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه used to visit the blessed scholars of Basra with us to learn Hadees. Apart from Sayyiduna Imam Bukhari رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه, all of us used to write the Hadees down in order to secure it. After sixteen days, we had a go at Sayyiduna Imam Bukhari رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه saying that you have wasted the hard work of so many days by not recording down the Ahadees. Listening to it, Sayyiduna Imam Bukhari رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said to us: ‘Well, bring your pages (where you have written down the Ahadees).’ Therefore, we brought our pages. Sayyiduna Imam Bukhari رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه started mentioning the Ahadees. To the extent that he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه mentioned more than fifteen thousand (15,000) Ahadees. Listening to them made us think as if he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was the one who made us write down (all) those narrations. (Irshad-us-Saari, Tarjama-tul-Imam Bukhari, vol. 1, pp. 59)

Hafiz of seventy thousand Ahadees

Once, Sayyiduna Suleiman Bin Mujahid رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه visited Sayyiduna Muhammad Bin Salaam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه. Sayyiduna Muhammad Bin Salaam         رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said to Sayyiduna Suleiman Bin Mujahid رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه: ‘Had you come a little while ago, then I would have made you meet the child who remembers seventy thousand (70,000) Ahadees by heart.’ Listening to this astonishing fact, an urge to meet Sayyiduna Imam Bukhari رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه rose in the heart of Sayyiduna Suleiman رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه.

Therefore, after leaving from Sayyiduna Muhammad Bin Salaam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه, Sayyiduna Suleiman Bin Mujahid رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه started looking for Sayyiduna Imam Bukhari رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه. When he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه met Sayyiduna Imam Bukhari رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه, then Sayyiduna Suleiman Bin Mujahid رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: ‘Are you the one who has memorised seventy thousand (70,000) Ahadees?’ Listening to it, Sayyiduna Imam Bukhari رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: ‘Yes. I in fact know more Ahadees than this. Moreover, the blessed Sahabah عَـلَيْهِمُ الرِّضْوَانْ and Tabi’een from whom I narrate the Hadees, I also know the date of birth, place of living and date of demise of most of them. (Irshad-us-Saari, Tarjama-tul-Imam Bukhari, vol. 1, pp. 59)

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب              صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد