Sunan Abu Dawud (Abu Dawud's Hadith Collection)
One of the six canonical hadith collections in Sunni Islam with a special focus on legal narrations.
Sunan Abu Dawud is one of the six canonical hadith collections (al-Kutub al-Sittah) in Sunni Islam. It was compiled by Imam Abu Dawud Sulayman ibn al-Ash'ath al-Sijistani (817-889 CE) and contains approximately 5,274 hadith selected from 500,000 narrations.
The work has a particular focus on legal narrations (ahadith al-ahkam) and is therefore an invaluable source for Islamic jurisprudence. Abu Dawud organized his collection into 43 books, of which "Kitab al-Salah" (The Book of Prayer) is the most comprehensive.
Imam Abu Dawud was a student of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and traveled to Iraq, Egypt, Syria, and Khorasan to collect narrations. He wrote to the people of Mecca: "I have not included in my book any hadith that there is consensus to reject." His collection is particularly important for detailed descriptions of the Prophet's (peace be upon him) manner of prayer.
Related terms
Wilayah (Divine Authority)
The concept of divine authority and leadership in Shia Islam.
Sha'ban (The Prophet's Month)
The eighth Islamic month, with special emphasis on the 15th night.
Jumu'ah (Friday Prayer)
The weekly congregational prayer on Friday, which replaces Dhuhr.
Ijma' (Consensus)
Agreement among Islamic scholars on a legal question, considered the third source of Islamic law.
Tahajjud (Night Prayer)
The voluntary night prayer performed in the last third of the night.
Mutahhirat (Purifying Agents)
The agents and methods that purify impure things according to Shia fiqh.