Biographies - Abu Dawud

Sulaiman ibn al-Ash'ath (Abu Dawud) (r.a) – [202 -275 A.H.]
Abu Dawudwas born in Sijistan. Little is known about his early life,
but that he travelled to many regions and cities to hearand collect
ahadith from many different scholars.Abu Dawudis also a distinguished
Faqih as well as a Muhaddith. His knowledge of hadith is confirmed by
the fact that he had amassed 500,000 ahadith, 5,400 ofwhich he
selected for Sunan Abu Dawud. Hakimat- Tirmidhiwas of the opinion that
Abu Dawud was without doubt the chief muhaddith of his time.
His teachers are estimated to number more than 300. This includes ibn
Hanbal, ibn Mu'in, ibn Harab, Abd al-Wahid Tayalasi and ibnIbrahim,
who were also teachers of Imams Bukhari and Muslim.
The number of students in Abu Dawud's classes would sometimes be in
the thousands, Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i being amongst them. Some other
distinguished muhaddithun students ofhis were: Abu Bakr ibn Imam, Abu
Ali Muhammadibn Ahmad Lu'lu'wi, Abu Bakr Muhammad and AbuSa'id Ahmad
ibn Muhammad.
Abu Dawud used to say that for one to recognise the purpose of life
and topractise religion properly, out of his sunan, 4 hadith would
suffice:
1.The reward of deeds depends only intentions
2.Among you no one will be a true Muslim unless he wishes for his
brother or his neighbour exactly that which he wishes for himself
3.The exquisiteness of ones Islamis that he avoids things that do not
concern him and leaves what is not valuable to him
4.The lawful and unlawful are made clear, but there are in between
them doubtfulthings which are not known to most of the people. One who
keeps himself away from the doubtful things, protects his deen and
honour, and he who indulges in doubtful acts commits unlawful deeds.
In the year 275A.H. in Basrah Abu Dawud departed from this worldat the
age of 73, and was buried next to Sufyan ath-Thawri. May Allah Ta'ala
fill his Qabar with Noor.
Aameen.