Meaning of our saying that a hadeeth was “narrated by the two Shaykhs”

Meaning of our saying that a hadeeth was “narrated by the two Shaykhs”
What does it mean when we say (a hadeeth was) “narrated by the two Shaykhs”? Who are they?.

Praise be to Allaah.

What is meant by “the two shaykhs” is Imam al-Bukhaari and Imam Muslim (may Allaah have mercy on them).

Al-Bukhaari is Muhammad ibn Ismaa’eel al-Bukhaari (d. 256 AH). He wrote a book, Saheeh al-Bukhaari, in which he compiled a number of saheeh ahaadeeth from our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Muslim is Muslim ibn al-Hajjaaj al-Nisaboori (d. 261 AH). He is the author of Saheeh Muslim. These two books – Saheeh al-Bukhaari and Saheeh Muslim – are the soundest books of ahaadeeth from our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

If it is said of a hadeeth that it was “narrated by the two Shaykhs”, what is meant is that it was narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim in their Saheehs. The same applies if it says “agreed upon,” i.e., al-Bukhaari and Muslim both agreed on its narration.

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in the introduction to Sharh Muslim (1/14): The scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) are agreed that the soundest of books after the Holy Qur’aan are al-Saheehayn, i.e., the two Saheehs of al-Bukhaari and Muslim, and the ummah accepted that from them. The book of al-Bukhaari is the sounder and more useful of the two. End quote.

And Allaah knows best.
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