Biography of Imam Abu Dawud|Hadith collection PDF Books

The Sunan of Abu Dawud and its Commentaries

Imam Abu Dawud contributed to the development of the science of Hadīth through writing, teaching and transmission. He wrote many works on the science of Hadīth. However, his most famous work in this field was Sunan Abu Dawud. It contains traditions on Islamic law and other sciences. This work is regarded as the first work on Hadīth which contains traditions on juristic rules and regulations of rituals and personal transactions. He completed the work at Baghdad in 241 A. H. Imam Abu Daud was very careful when compiling his Sunan. He selected only 4800 Hadīths out of 500,000 traditions he collected and examined. He arranged them into various books which he subdivided into chapters. He gave his sources and stated various versions of the traditions, their relative values and defect(s) if any. The book of Hadīth was presented to his teacher, Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbali after completion. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbali was so pleased with the book. He also included in his Sunan not genuine traditions but the weak and the doubtful ones as well. He also commented on them as being weak or unauthentic. To Imam Abu Dawud, a weak tradition is better than personal opinions of the scholars. The Sunan of Abu Dawud is recognized as one of the six authentic collections of Hadīth. Prominent Scholars commended the methodology of Abu Dawud in compiling his Sunan. In this regard Imam Ibn al-Arabi: said “If a person has no book of knowledge except the Holy Qur’ān and this book, Sunan Abu Dawud, he will not need anything else beside them in his learning“ Sunan abu Daud was compiled during his stay in Tarsus for twenty years. Some Commentary works of Scholars on the Sunan Abu Dawud are:

1. Maālim al-Sunan by the polymath Abu Sulayman Ahmad bn Ibrahīm bn Khatab al-Bustī d. 388 AH. In his concise work the author comments on vocabularies and language. He verified reports, deduced legal in junctions and conduct. It is published and in circulation.
2. ‘Awnu `l-Mabūd ala Sunan Abu Dawud authored by Shaykh Muhammad Ashraf bn Ali Haydar as_Siddīqī, died in the 14th century AH. He restricted his comments on elucidation of some Arabic dialects and ambiguous expressions. He avoided verbosity and observed brevity when giving preference to an Hadīth upon another . He mentions the proofs of schools of laws only when necessary. Printed in India in four big volumes.
3. Al-Manhal al-Adhb al-Mawrud Sharh Sunan Abu Dawud authord by Shaykh Mahmud bn Muhammad bn Khattāb as-Sabkī. This is a comprehensive work, and explanation of vocabularies in which the author shows his interest in explanation of biography of Traditionailsts. He elucidates the meaning and judgement and teachings derivable from the Hadīths. He mentions others who recorded the Hadīths aside himself. He groups the Hadīths into authentic, sound and weak. He died before completing the work year 1352 AH. It is printed.
4. Abridgements and Revisions of the Sunan Abu Dawud: ,Imam Abdu `l-Azīm bn Abdu `l-Qawī al-Mundharī , author of At-Targhib wa `t-Tarhib (d.656 H.) Al-Mundhari mentions all the five Imams who agree with Imam Abu Dawud in authenticating each of the Hadīths in the collection as well as explaining reasons underlying the Hadīths. The Abridgement thus comes out as excellent work.

 (ii) A revision and commentary on the Abridgement has also been written by Imam Muh. Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah d. 751. He added some circumstances underlying some Hadīths on which Al-Mundharī kept quiet or which he mentions incomplete, authenticating some which he did not; spoke on texts which still remain ambiguous; sometime writes extensively in the interest of readers in the Imams well-known characteristic manner. The Abridgement and its revision have been published in one volume. Review the work and Sunan of Abu Dawud and its Commentaries

 His Death

Imam Abu Dawud died at Başrah on Friday in the month of Shawwal 275 A.H at the age of 73.

 CONCLUSION

This essay portrayed Imam Abu Dawud as a giant in the field of Hadīth. He was the leader of Hadīth scholars during his life time. Scholars of Hadīth such as Tirmidhī, Nasāī, Abu Awnah and Bashar al-Dūlabī transmitted the Sunan from him. Even his teacher, Ibn Hanbal wrote about him. His major contribution to the science of Hadīth was his Sunan which contains 4,800 Hadīth selected from the 500,000 he collected.

 SUMMARY

Abu Dawud Sulayman ibn Al-Ash’ath bn Ishaq Al-Azdī As-Sijistānī, was the prominent Imam of Hadīth. He was born in 202 A.H. He studied Hadīths under Imam Ahmad bin. Hanbal along with Al-Bukhārī and taught many of the later scholars of Hadīth like Tirmidhī and Nasāī. Though Abu Dawud collected 500,000 Hadīths he compiled 4,800 only in his book entitled Sunan. He taught the book in Baghdad and other major cities at that time. He died at Başrah on Friday in the month of Shawwal 275 A.H