2, 889, 916,
887 respectively.

In the beginning of Islam the great traditionists were Ayesha, the
favourite wife of the Prophet, the four rightly directed Khalifs,
viz., Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman and Ali, and some of the companions[3]
known as the Evangelists of Islam. But besides these well-qualified
persons who had lived with or near Muhammad during his lifetime, many
others who had perhaps only seen him or spoken to him claimed to be
considered as companions, who handed down traditions; and when these
were all dead they were followed by others, who, having known the
companions, were now designated as the successors of the companions.

[Footnote 3: The names of these companions, and the kings,
princes, and countries to which they were sent by Muhammad,
are given in full detail in 'The Life of our Lord Muhammad,
the Apostle of God,' the author of which was Ibn Ishak; and
it was afterwards edited by Ibn Hisham. In the same work a
list is given of the disciples sent out by Jesus.]

Under these circumstances it can easily be imagined that many of the
traditions were of doubtful authenticity. Al-Bukhari, whose collection
of traditions of the Muhammadan religion holds the first place, both
as regards authority and correctness, selected seven thousand two
hundred and seventy-five of the most authentic out of ten thousand,
all of which he regarded as being true, having rejected two hundred
thousand as false. His book is held in the highest estimation, and
considered both in spiritual and temporal matters as next in authority
to the Koran. He was born A.D. 810, and died A.D. 870.

The Shiahs do not accept the collection of traditions as made by the
Sunnis, but have a collection of their own, upon which their system of
law, both civil and religious, is founded.

During the first and second centuries of the Hijrah (A.D. 622-816), of
all the physical sciences alchemy was studied most. The greatest
scientific man of the first century was undoubtedly Khalid, a prince
of the Omaiyide dynasty, and the son of Yazid I. His zeal for
knowledge and science induced him to get Greek and Syriac works
translated by Stephanus into Arabic, especially those which treated on
chemistry, or rather alchemy. Khalid, having been once reproached for
wasting all his time in researches in the art of alchemy, replied: 'I
have occupied myself with these investigations to show my
contemporaries and brothers that I have foun