Sunan Abu-Dawud (3 Vol. Set - English Only)

English translation with explanatory notes by Professor Ahmad Hasan. This edition contains the English translation and notes only — it does not include the Arabic text. Published by Sh. Muhammad Ashraf.

What Sunan Abu Dawud Is

One of the six canonical hadith collections, and the one compiled for a specific purpose. Where Al-Bukhari and Muslim selected for authenticity above all, Imam Abu Dawud gathered the narrations bearing on legal rulings — the hadith from which Islamic jurisprudence is actually derived.

That focus made his collection a foundational reference for fiqh rather than for hadith study alone, and it has not been displaced in the twelve centuries since.

Why an English-Only Edition

Because it is considerably cheaper and lighter than a bilingual set, and for a reader who cannot use the Arabic column, the facing page is weight and cost without benefit.

If you do read Arabic, or intend to, the Arabic-English editions are the better long-term purchase.

The Explanatory Notes

These are what make the set usable. Abu Dawud frequently records narrations that appear to conflict, because his purpose was to present the material jurists worked from rather than to settle every question. Without notes, a reader meets two hadith pointing different ways and has no means of reconciling them.

Related Reading

• Sunan Abu Dawud (5 Vol. Set) — the Arabic-English edition in five volumes
• Al-Muwatta' (2 Vol Set) — Al-Muwatta of Imam Malik
• Bulugh Al-Maram — Bulugh Al-Maram