Imam Abu Dawud was a scholar of prophetic hadith who compiled the third of the six “canonical” hadith collections recognized by Sunni Muslims, the Sunan Abu Dāwūd. He was a Persian speaker of Arab descent.
He was born in Sistan and died in 889 in Basra. He traveled widely collecting ḥadīth (traditions) from scholars in numerous locations including Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Hijaz, Tihamah, Nishapur, and Merv. His focus on legal ḥadīth arose from a particular interest in fiqh (law). His collection included 4,800 ḥadīth, selected from some 500,000.
