Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 2, Hadith 300
Abu Hurairah reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: …… He then narrated the tradition about drawing the line.
Sufyan said: We did not find anything by which we could reinforce this tradition, and this has been narrated only through this chain. He (‘Ali b. al-Madini, a narrator) said: I said to Sufyan: There is a difference of opinion of the name (Abu Muhammad b. ‘Amr). He pondered for a moment and then said: I do not remember except Abu Muhammad b. ‘Amr Sufyan said: A man had come to Kufah after the death of Isma’il b. Umayyah ; he was seeking Abu Muhammad until he found him. He asked him (about this tradition) but he became confused. Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad b. Hanbal who was questioned many times how the line should be drawn. He replied: In this way. horizontally like crescent. Abu Dawud said: I heard Musaddad say: Ibn Dawud said: The line should be drawn perpendicularly. Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad b. Hanbal describing many times how the line should be drawn. He said: In this way horizontally in the round semi-circular form like the crescent, that is (the line should be) a curve.
Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 2, Hadith 300
This hadith is from the Sunan Abi Dawud collection of hadiths. What truly distinguishes Sunan Abi Dawud among its peers is its compiler’s advanced critical scholarship. Abu Dawud was not merely a collector but a rigorous evaluator. He applied a discerning methodology to vet the authenticity of each narration, frequently providing his own notes on the strength or weakness of the hadiths included. While he prioritized sound (sahih) and reliable reports for legal derivation, he sometimes included less robust narrations to illustrate scholarly points. This transparent and critical approach is a primary reason for the collection’s esteemed and highly authoritative status within the Islamic sciences.
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For more Hadith in Book 2: Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat)