Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are named first in the authentic books of Ahadith. Sahih Bukhari holds the honour to be the most authentic book after the Noble Qur'an of Allah. Sahih Muslim has been graded after it. Those Ahadith which are common in both the
collections are termed as 'Agreed upon and possess the highest degree of authenticity.
About fifty or sixty years back, the eminent religious scholar of Egypt, Muhammad Fu'wad Abdul-Baqi made a collection of these Ahadith and named it as AI-Lulu' wal-Marjeln, fima ittafaqa alaihish-Sheiklan (Pearls & Corals, on which the two Sheikhs are agreed upon). In fact, these Ahadith are much more than the diamonds and pearls for us from the Prophet.
The scholars of Hadith have compiled the books of Ahadith after a thorough search, vast investigations, careful examinations, systematic studies and close analysis regarding their authenticity. For this purpose they evolved special sciences with strict measures to scrutinize Ahadith and its narrators. They collected and discussed the life histories and life styles of the narrators and then expressed definite opinions about them.
Undoubtedly, these great efforts of the scholars of Ahadith were laborious and painstaking as they sometimes travelled on their feet for hundreds of miles in those days of hard travel, to get a single Hadith to be collected in their books. The scholars of Hadith devoted their lives for this sacred purpose, and today it is because of their restless efforts that every act and every word of the Prophet is preserved.