Sunan al-Nasa'i

Sunan al-Nasa'i represents one of the most rigorously authenticated collections after the two Sahihs, compiled by Imam Ahmad ibn Shu'ayb al-Nasa'i (215-303 AH/830-915 CE). Known for his exceptional expertise in identifying narrator weaknesses and hadith defects, Imam Nasa'i created this comprehensive work containing 5,761 hadiths. The collection emphasizes legal traditions with meticulous attention to chains of transmission. Initially compiled as 'Al-Sunan al-Kubra' (The Greater Sunan), the compiler later created a more concise version known as 'Al-Mujtaba' (The Selected), which became widely circulated. Imam Nasa'i's stringent authentication standards, sometimes stricter than those of Imam Muslim, make this collection particularly valuable. His expertise in narrator criticism and his travels across the Islamic world to verify traditions established this work as an authoritative source for Islamic jurisprudence and prophetic guidance.