On one occasion, Imaam Abu Dawood (rahimahullah) was aboard a ship when he heard a person on the shore sneeze and recite the sunnah du‘aa saying, “Alhamdulillah”.

On hearing the person sneeze and recite the sunnah du‘aa “Alhamdulillah”, Imaam Abu Dawood (rahimahullah) immediately hired a small boat, for the fee of one dirham (silver coin), and requested to be taken from the ship to the shore. When he arrived at the shore, he went to the person who had sneezed and replied to his sneeze in the sunnah manner by saying, “Yarhamukallah”, and thereafter returned to the ship. 

Name: The name of Imaam Abu Dawood (rahimahullah) was Sulaimaan bin Ash’ath bin Ishaaq bin Basheer bin Shaddaad bin Amr bin Imraan. However, he was well known by the title “Abu Dawood”. (Wafayaat-ul-A’yaan 2/404)

Haafiz Ibnul Hajar Asqalaani (rahimahullah) has mentioned that according to some reports, Imraan, the forefather of Imaam Abu Dawood (rahimahullah), had participated in the Battle of Siffeen. He was in the army of Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) and he was blessed with martyrdom in this battle. (Tahzeeb-ut-Tahzeeb 4/169)

Birth: 202 AH (Siyar A’laamin Nubalaa 13/204)