What is the difference between Sunan of Abu Dawud and the Marasil of Abu Dawud?
The question, as received
What is the difference between Sunan of Abu Dawud and Maraseel of Abu Dawud?
I heard that Maraseel of Abu Dawud is not actually a part of Sunan of Abu Dawud.
The answer
TheSunan and theMarāsīl are both authored by Imam Abū Dāwūd rahimahullah.
In short: the Sunan and the Marāsīl are two separate works by Abū Dāwūd.
Explanation
In essence, a compendium of Hadīth called a ‘Sunan’ is known in the terminology of the Muhaddithūn as a collection of Ahādīth related to rulings (ahkām) compiled in a juristic sequence (Abwāb al-Fiqh). Thus, the first chapter is commonly the Laws of Purity followed by the Laws of Salāh etc.
Imam Abū Dāwūd rahimahullah assembled his book on Sunan from approximately 500,000 Ahādīth. He highlights any Hadīth which is weak in strength as well as commenting on the narrators of the Hadīth. His Sunan is among the famous six authentic books in books of Ahādīth.
Books of Marāsīl are collections of Mursal Ahādīth. According to the Muhaddithūn, a Mursal Hadīth is a narration in which a Tabi’ī omits his teacher and directly narrates from the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam. So books of Marāsīl contain all such narrations where a Tabi’ī directly narrates from the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam whilst omitting his/her teacher.
Imam Abū Dāwūd’s book on Marāsīl has approximately 544 narrations. He has compiled this also in a juristic sequence (Abwāb al-Fiqh).1
And Allah knows best.
Mufti Faraz Adam
References
1مصادر الحديث ومراجعه
Based on the Hanafi school and on the question as it was asked. Another mufti may reach a different conclusion. Read the disclaimer.