INTRODUCTION
In this unit, you will be introduced to the study of yet another popular traditionists they are Imam's Abu Dawud. Details of their biographies, knowledge, personality and contributions to the development of Islam learning in general and Hadith literature in particular, will be highlighted.
IMAM ABU DAWUD
He was born in the year 202 AH at Sijistan in Khurasan and died in the year 257 AH His full name was Suleiman B. al-Ash'ath B. Ishaq B. Bashir B. Shaddad B. Yahaya al-Azadi al-Sajastani al-Khurasani. He was a descendant of Banu Azad a tribe from Arabia.
HIS TRAVELLINGS IN SEARCH OF KNOWLEDGE
Like other traditionists/jurists, Imam Abu Dawud travelled extensively for the study of Hadith. He first had his education in his city Khurasani after which he left for other cities in other countries like Rayy, Harat, Kufa, Baghdad, Turasu, Dimashq, Misra and Basra He also visited Iraq, Sham and al-Hijaz. He received a lot of learning from the prominent scholars of these countries.
His teachers include: Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abdullahi B. Maslamah, Musa Ibn Ismaila al-walid al-Taya'lisi, Ahmad Ibn Yunus, Abu Thaubah al-Halabi, Qutaibatu Ibn Sa'id, Uthman Ibn Abu Shaibah, Ibrahim Ibn. Musa al-Farau. He was also an associate of Imam Bukhari. Imam Muslim and Qutaibatu Ibn Sa'id.
HIS PERSONALITY
Imam Abu Dawud has been described as a man of honesty, integrity,trustworthiness, piety and accuracy. His power of retentive memory was such that qualified him as a narrator, compiler and a critic of Hadith. He accepted an offer from then ruling Abbasid caliph (al-Muwaffaq) to settle in Basra so that it continue nourishing as a center of learning. While there, the Imam imparted knowledge not only to the sons of al-Muwaffaq but also to the generality of the populace. To him, all are equal knowledge wise. The outstanding character of the noble Imam continued to be guided by Islamic injunctions. Infact, he did not allow his popularity and association with the Caliph to corrupt his living. His means of livehood was mainly from subventions he received from the rulers and his relatives.
Imam Abu Dawud died on 15th Shawwal 275 at the age of about 73 in Basrah and was buried near Sufyanu ath-thauri.
HIS WORKS AND CONTRIBUTIONS
Like his predecessor, Imam Abu Dawud contributed a lot to the development of Islamic learning in general and Hadith in particular. He loved knowledge and learners. He visited them, delivered lectures and allowed students to take lessons from him. He also wrote many works and treaties in all aspect of Islamic learning.
They include:
1. Kitabu ai-sun an
2. Kitabu al-Qadr
3. Kitabu al-Nasikah wal-Mansukh
4. Kitabu al-Masa'ij
5. Kitabu Az-Zuhud
6. Kitabu ddu'a
7. Kitabu Ibtida'u al-Wahyi
8. Kitabu Akhbarul-Kharwarij
9. Kitabu Fada ilul-a'mal
10. Kitabu al-mara aid
11. Kitabu Mas'ij Imam Ahmad
12. Kitabu Risalah Fi east Kitabu as-sun an
13. Kitabu As'ilah an Ahmad B. Hanbal
14. Kitabu al-Ba'ath wan'Nushur
15. Kitabu al-masa'il allati halfa ' alaihi ai-Imam Ahmad.
16. Kitabu Fada'il al-ansar
17. Kitabu Musnad Imam Malik
18. Kitabu al-Tafrud Fissunan
19. Kitabu A'lamu an-Nubuwah.
When a book is called sunan, it is referred to a collection of tradition of the prophet (S.A.W) which has been complied in chapters such as "Tahara" (purification) "salat" (prayer) "Zakkat" (almsgiving) "saum" (fasting), "Hajj" (pilgrimage) which are related on the authority of the prophet. Sunan type of collection do not contain traditions concerning morality, History, Zuhud e.t.c
THE POSITION OF THE WORK
Imam Abu Dawud wrote many on traditions, Islamic law and other sciences but the most famous is the book of sunan, that is, sunan Abu Dawud which has been recognized as the first book of it's type in Hadith literature in which only traditions that deals with law and ritual are complied. It took him years to complete it's compilation.
According to him, it is more important to know the method followed by the prophet (S.A.W) in almsgiving buying and selling, marriage and divorce, contract and manumission of slaves e.t.c. than mere historical matters and events. So Imam Abu Dawud works contained only those traditions which concern juristic rules and regulation affecting rituals and other transactions.
Imam Abu Dawud was extremely scrupulous in compiling his book. He selected and examined and as well compiled 4800 out of 500,000 traditions. He arranged them into various books which he subdivided into chapters and then classified the report under various headings. He gave his sources and stated various versions of the traditions, their relative values and pointed out their defects if any.
He also included in his sunan not only the genuine traditions, but the weak and the doubtful ones as well, though he freely gave his comment on them as being weak or unauthentic and also according to him, a weak tradition is better than personal opinions of the scholars.
HIS METHOD OF COMPILATION
Imam Abu Dawud, like any other Hadith collector joined in laying down some conditions before accepting any traditions which included honesty, integrity, retentive memory of the transmitter and also the traditions should and must not be contrary to the teaching and of the Qur'an and what had been reported before.
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