A Comparative Analysis of “Sunan Abi Dawud” with Other Sahih and Sunan Collections

This article examines the specific features of the collection “Sunan Abi Dawud,” the criteria required of its narrators, the legal (fiqh) significance of its hadiths, and their distinctive aspects compared to other hadith collections. Imam Abu Dawud’s primary objective was to compile hadiths related to legal rulings (ahkām) and to present them as legal proof (hujjah). In his collection, he included not only authentic (sahīh) hadiths but also good (hasan) and some weak (da‘īf) hadiths, while clarifying the degree of weakness of the latter. The article analyzes the commonalities and differences between “Sunan Abi Dawud” and the collections of “Sahih al-Bukhari,” “Sahih Muslim,” “Sunan al-Tirmidhi,” “Sunan al-Nasa’i,” and “Sunan Ibn Majah.” The objectives of each collection, their narrators, the criteria for accepting hadiths, and their significance for jurisprudence (fiqh) and independent legal reasoning (ijtihād) are extensively discussed. Imam Abu Dawud paid special attention to the arrangement of hadiths and their application as evidence. Furthermore, his work provides detailed information on the chains of narration (sanad) and hidden defects (‘ilal). This article serves as an important scholarly guide for researchers studying the theoretical and practical aspects of hadith sciences and is of great significance for a deeper understanding of methodological foundations.