Imam Abu Dawood’s Rank in Fiqh and Ijtihad

Just as Imam Abu Dawood held a leading position in Hadith, he also had a distinguished status in Fiqh and Ijtihad. Due to his deep juristic insight and profound understanding, some scholars ranked him second only to Imam Bukhari in the field of jurisprudence. It has been written that after Imam Bukhari, the highest rank belongs to Imam Abu Dawood, and all the biographers and compilers of scholars’ classes have mentioned this quality of his.

This inclination and insight of his can be clearly understood from the fact that he restricted his book “Kitab al-Sunan” solely to the compilation and arrangement of legal rulings and issues.

SB Imam Abu Hatim: EB Imam Abu Hatim considers him an Imam of Fiqh.

SB Imam Abu Ishaq Shirazi: EB Imam Abu Ishaq Shirazi counted only Imam Abu Dawood among the authors of the six canonical books in the ranks of jurists (fuqaha), and this distinction was granted to him due to his deep juristic perception and refined fiqhi taste.