Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud lil-Ubbad
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud lil-Ubbad
Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud is an extensive contemporary commentary on Sunan Abi Dawud by the Saudi scholar Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbad, transcribed from his comprehensive series of hadith lectures .
Background and Introductory Topics
Al-Abbad opens the commentary by emphasizing that the Quran and the prophetic Sunnah are divine revelation, noting that following the Sunnah in matters of worship, transactions, and creed—including solitary reports (ahad)—is a fundamental tenet of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jama'ah . Before delving into the text, he surveys prior scholarly treatments and commentaries on Sunan Abi Dawud, highlighting al-Mundhiri's Tahdhib al-Sunan, which abridged the book by omitting chains of transmission and cross-referencing narrations with the other five principal collections of the Six Books . He also reviews Ibn al-Qayyim's extensive marginalia (hashiya) on al-Mundhiri's work—noting its varying depth across different narrations—and al-Khattabi's pioneering work Ma'alim al-Sunan, which selectively addressed specific hadiths under chapter titles .
In his preliminary analysis, al-Abbad also examines Abu Dawud's epistolary treatise to the people of Mecca (Risala ila Ahl Makkah), explaining Abu Dawud's structural breakdown of his work into eighteen parts (including one part devoted to marasil narrations), the estimated count of approximately 4,800 hadiths alongside around 600 mursal reports, and Abu Dawud's method regarding narrators and omitted evaluations (sukut) .
Method and Structure
The commentary follows the thematic layout and sequential order of Sunan Abi Dawud, proceeding chapter by chapter through its legal and devotional books:
- Analysis of Chapter Headings: Al-Abbad explicates the correlation between each chapter title (tarjama) set by Abu Dawud and the specific hadiths cited under it, clarifying the legal or contextual rationale of the categorization .
- Biographical Evaluation of Transmitters: Each chain of transmission (isnad) is analyzed through individual transmitter biographies (tarajim rijal al-isnad), where al-Abbad identifies narrators, outlines their status in hadith criticism (such as thiqah), and specifies which compilers among the Six Books included their reports .
- Legal and Textual Exegesis: The commentary deduces legal rulings (ahkam), clarifies jurisprudential implications, and explains textual expressions across various chapters, such as ritual purification, prayer, pilgrimage, and legal prohibitions .
- Questions and Answers: Lessons conclude with interactive sessions where al-Abbad addresses doctrinal, methodological, and practical jurisprudential questions submitted by attendees .
Answer updated