1. Prior to his reformation, he was the proud king of Balkh. (Balkh today is a province of Afghanistan.) Hadhrat Junaid Baghdaadi (rahmatullah alayh) said: "Ibraahim Bin Adham is the Key of the Knowledge of the Auliyaa."

2. Once when he visited Imaam Abu Hanifah (rahmatullah alayh), many in the gathering viewed Ibraahim Bin Adham with contempt. Imaam Abu Hanifah said: "Sayyiduna Ibraahim!", and greatly honoured him. In surprise someone asked: "How has he become our leader?"
Imaam Abu Hanifah said: "He is always in the remembrance of Allah, while we are engrossed in remembrance of the world."

Faridi-ul-Din Attar (or Faridudin)

Faridi-ul-Din Attar (or Faridudin) was born in Nishapur, in the Iranian province of Khorasan and died in the same city. He has often being referred as Farid-ul-Din of Nishapur. The word 'Attar' (perfumist) derives from Arabic/Persian word 'Itur/Atur' meaning perfume. Attar therefore refers to profession of Farid-ul-Din which eventually became more of his pseudonym.

Farid-ul-Din left his profession to travel for the ultimate question of discovering oneself. It is being reported that he was at his shop when he encountered a sufi saint at his shop. The event influenced his life so much that he abandoned his perfume sgop and went on a spiritual pilgrimage to Kufa, Mecca, Damascus, Turkistan, and India, meeting with Sufi sheikhs - and returned to Nishapur promoting Sufism. Ilahi nama and Manteq al-Tayr are his greatest works.

Abu Zakariyya Yahya Ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi [d.677H - 1278CE] 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan

He was popularly known as al-Nawawi or Imam Nawawi. He studied in Damascus from the age of 18 and after making the Hajj in 1253 he settled there as a private scholar. In 1267 he succeeded Abu Shama as professor of hadith at the Ashrafiyya school in the city. He died at Nawa at a relatively young age, having never married.

Imam Nawawi Rahmatullahi alaih was one of the great Sufi scholars, strictest latter-time hadith masters, and most meticulous of jurists, Shaykh al-Islam Imam Muhyiddin Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi is with al-Rafi'i the principal reference of the late Shafi'i school. His books remain authoritative in the methodology of the law, in Qur'an commentary, and in hadith. His commentary of Sahih Muslim is second only to Ibn Hajar's commentary of Sahih Bukhari. Allah gave his famous compilation of Forty Hadiths more circulation and fame than possibly any other book of hadith, large or small, and has allowed Nawawi to be of immense benefit to the Community of Islam.

After the Sahâbah al-kirâm, Imâm al-Bukhârî ranks as the most eminent of those pious people who have conferred endless bliss upon the Ummah of the Holy Prophet sallallâhu `alayhi wa sallam. The greatest evidence of this is the book of Ahâdîth an-Nabawî he compiled, commonly known as Sahîh al-Bukhârî. It is universally acknowledged as the most authentic book after the Holy Qur'ân. So long as their is one Muslim left on the Earth, the blessings of Imâm Bukhârî will have a place in his or her Îmân and Islâm. Let us briefly examine below a short survey of his life and works.

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (d.241H/855CE) 'alayhi al-rahmah wa'l-ridwan

 Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Saffarini al-Hanbali [d.241H] relates in his Ghidha' al-albab li-sharh manzumat al-adab from Ibrahim ibn 'Abd Allah al-Qalanasi that Imam Ahmad said about the Sufis: "I don't know people better than them." Someone said to him: "They listen to music and they reach states of ecstasy." He said: "Do you prevent them from enjoying an hour with Allah?"

Imam Ahmad's admiration of Sufis is borne out by the reports of his awe before Harith al-Muhasibi, although he expressed caution about the difficulty of the Sufi path for those unprepared to follow it, as it may not be for all people to follow the way of those about whom Allah instructed His Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam:

Malik bin Anas, known as Imam Malik, is a prominent name in Islamic history. He was not only a great scholar of Hadith, but also a jurist after whom was founded one of the four Islamic schools of Islamic jurisprudence: the Maliki school.

He was 13 years younger to Imam Abu Hanifa and 103 years elder to Imam Bukhari. He compiled the first compendium of Hadith named Al-Muwatta. He was the most leading personality of his time in Madinah and was called Imam Darul Hijrah due to his remaining in Madinah the majority of his life. 

 Long ago in the city of Baghdad, there was a Muslim empire. On one side of the River Tigris were the royal palaces and on the other side was the city. The Muslims were gathered in the Royal Palace when an athiest approached them. He said to them, ‘I don’t believe in God, there cannot be a God, you cannot hear Him or see Him, you’re wasting your time! Bring me your best debator and I will debate this issue with him.’

The best debator at the time was Imam Abu Hanifah Rahimullah. A messenger from amongst the Muslims was sent over the River Tigris to the city, where Abu Hanifah Rahimullah was, in order to tell him about the athiest who was awaiting him. On crossing the River Tigris, the messenger conveyed the message to Abu Hanifah Rahimullah saying, ‘Oh Abu Hanifah, an athiest is waiting for you, to debate you, please come!’ Abu Hanifah Rahimullah told the messeneger that he would be on his way.