What is Sunan Abu Dawud 1501 about?

This hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud (Book of Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Detailed Injunctions about Witr), narrated by Narrated Sa'd ibn AbuWaqqas:, states: "Once Sa'd, with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), visited a woman in front of whom were some date-stones or pebbles which she was using as a rosary to glorify Allah. He (the Prophet) said: I tell you someth…"

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih li ghairih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sunan Abu Dawud, which contains 5,276 hadiths across 43 books. It is hadith number 1501 in the Book of Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Detailed Injunctions about Witr.

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

‹

#1500

#1501

Sunan Abu Dawud

#1502

›

Sunan Abu Dawud #1501

Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Detailed Injunctions about Witr

Sahih li ghairih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرٌو، أَنَّ سَعِيدَ بْنَ أَبِي هِلاَلٍ، حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ خُزَيْمَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ بِنْتِ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهَا، أَنَّهُ دَخَلَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ وَبَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا نَوًى أَوْ حَصًى تُسَبِّحُ بِهِ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ أُخْبِرُكِ بِمَا هُوَ أَيْسَرُ عَلَيْكِ مِنْ هَذَا أَوْ أَفْضَلُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَدَدَ مَا خَلَقَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَدَدَ مَا خَلَقَ فِي الأَرْضِ وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَدَدَ مَا خَلَقَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَدَدَ مَا هُوَ خَالِقٌ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ ‏.‏ وَلاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ ‏.‏ وَلاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Once Sa'd, with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), visited a woman in front of whom were some date-stones or pebbles which she was using as a rosary to glorify Allah. He (the Prophet) said: I tell you something which would be easier (or more excellent) for you than that. He said (it consisted of saying): "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He has created in Heaven; "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He has created on Earth; "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He has created between them; "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He is creating; "Allah is most great" a similar number of times; "Praise (be to Allah)" a similar number of times; and "There is no god but Allah" a similar number of times; "There is no might and no power except in Allah" a similar number of times.

Narrated by Narrated Sa'd ibn AbuWaqqas:

Context

The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) visited a woman who was using pebbles to perform dhikr, or remembrance of Allah. He suggested a more profound way of glorifying Allah, emphasizing the vastness of His creation. This hadith illustrates the importance of sincere worship and the various forms it can take.

Modern Application

In today's fast-paced world, many people seek ways to incorporate dhikr into their daily lives, whether through prayer beads or simply reciting praises of Allah. This practice helps individuals find peace and mindfulness amidst their busy routines.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Good Deeds and Remembrance of Allah (Dhikr) because it encourages a more meaningful form of worship compared to traditional methods.

Good Deeds Remembrance of Allah (Dhikr)