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
Hujjah (Proof/Divine Authority)
Allah's proof over humanity — a title for the Prophet and the twelve Imams.
Minbar (Pulpit)
The elevated platform in the mosque from which the imam delivers the Friday khutbah.
Tartib (Order in Prayer)
The correct sequence of the prayer's actions and the daily prayers.
Ihsan (Excellence)
The highest level of worship: to worship Allah as if one can see Him.
Minaret (Prayer Tower)
The mosque's tower, from which the adhan (call to prayer) is traditionally recited.
Turbah (Prayer Stone)
A small clay tablet upon which Shia Muslims place their forehead during sujud.