What is Sunan Abu Dawud 3620 about?

This hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud (Book of The Office of the Judge (Kitab Al-Aqdiyah)), narrated by Ibn Abi Mulaikah said:, states: "Ibn ‘Abbas wrote to me that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)had defendant should take an oath."

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. 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 3620 in the Book of The Office of the Judge (Kitab Al-Aqdiyah).

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.

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#3619

#3620

Sunan Abu Dawud

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Sunan Abu Dawud #3620

The Office of the Judge (Kitab Al-Aqdiyah)

Sahih

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

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا نَافِعُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ، قَالَ كَتَبَ إِلَىَّ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَضَى بِالْيَمِينِ عَلَى الْمُدَّعَى عَلَيْهِ ‏.‏

Ibn ‘Abbas wrote to me that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)had defendant should take an oath.

Narrated by Ibn Abi Mulaikah said:

Context

In this hadith, Ibn 'Abbas reports that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) ruled that the defendant in a dispute should take an oath. This ruling emphasizes the importance of oaths in establishing truth and justice in legal matters. The takeaway is that oaths serve as a means to uphold integrity and accountability in society.

Modern Application

In contemporary settings, the principle of taking oaths can be seen in legal proceedings where witnesses and defendants affirm their honesty before giving testimony. This practice reinforces the value of truthfulness and the serious nature of legal commitments.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Justice and Prophetic Conduct because it highlights the role of oaths in ensuring fairness in disputes, reflecting the Prophet's emphasis on integrity.

Justice Prophetic Conduct