Imâm Abû-Dâwûd Sulaymân ibn Al-Ash'ath al-Sijistâni (rahimahullâh) compiled his collection of Sunan, which consists of 5274 Hadeeths in 43 books.  

Below is a selection of short Hadeeths that have been summarised to make it easy to copy as a text message or post to your social networking profile to spread the knowledge. Note: these Hadeeths are authentic (Saheeh) and have been verified by Shaykh Muhammad Al-Albânî (rahimahullâh).

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 36: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "...if anyone ties his beard or wears round his neck a string to ward off the evil eye, or cleanses himself with animal dung or bone, Muhammad has nothing to do with him."

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 39: A deputation of the jinn came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Muhammad, forbid your community to cleans themselves with a bone or dung or charcoal, for in them Allâh has provided sustenance for us." So the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade them to do so.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 47: The Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ) said, "Were it not hard on my ummah, I would order them to use the tooth-stick at the time of every prayer."

Zayd ibn Khalid used to attend the prayers in the mosque with his tooth-stick on his ear where a clerk carries a pen, and whenever he got up for prayer he used it.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 59: "Allâh does not accept charity from goods acquired by embezzlement, [just] as He does not accept prayer without purification."

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 83: A man asked the Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ), "We travel on the sea and take a small quantity of water with us. If we use this for ablution, we would suffer from thirst. Can we perform ablution with sea water?" The Messenger (ﷺ) replied: "Its water is pure and what dies in it is lawful food."

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 93: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to take a bath with a sa' of water and perform ablution with a mudd of water.
Note: a mudd is the amount that an average man can hold up in two hands, a sa’ is four mudds.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 105: "When any of you wakes up from sleep, he should not put his hand in the utensil until he washes it three times, for none of you knows where his hand remained during the night or where it went round."

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 169: The Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ) said: "Anyone amongst you who performs ablution, and does it well, then he stands and offers two rak’ahs of prayer, concentrating on it with his heart and body, Paradise will be his lot by all means."

He (ﷺ) also said: "If any one of you performs ablution, and does it well, and when he finishes the ablution, he utters the words: 'I bear witness that there is no deity except Allâh, He has no associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and His Messenger', all the eight doors of Paradise will be opened for him; he may enter through any of them." 

أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُه

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 383: Regarding impurity that touches the hem of one's clothes, Umm-Salamah, the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ), was asked: "I am a woman having a long border on my garment; when I walk on a filthy path, what should I do?" Umm Salamah replied: "The Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ) said: 'What comes after it cleanses it.'"

And in Hadeeth 384: A woman from the Banu AbdulAshhal asked the Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ), "Our road to the Masjid has an unpleasant stench; what should we do when it is raining?" He (ﷺ) replied that the cleaner part of the road, after the filthy part, makes up for it.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 385: Regarding impurity which touches one's shoes, the Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ) said: "When any of you treads with his sandal upon an unclean place, the earth will render it purified."

And in Hadeeth 386: "When any of you treads with his shoes upon something unclean, they will be purified with the earth." 

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 469: The angels invoke blessings (saying: "O Allah, forgive him; O Allah, have mercy on him") for anyone who remains sitting at the place where he prayed so long as he does not lose his Wudoo or stand up.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 508: Bilal was commanded to pronounce Adhân in double pairs and Iqâmah in single pairs.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 521: The supplication made between the Adhân and the Iqâmah is not rejected.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 522: When you hear the Adhân, you should repeat the same words as the Muadhdhin pronounces.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 567: The Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ) said; "Do not prevent your women from visiting the Masjid; but their houses are better for them (for praying)."

And Hadeeth 570: "It is more excellent for a woman to pray in her house than in her courtyard, and even more excellent for her to pray in her private chamber than elsewhere in her house."

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 575: When the Prophet (ﷺ) had prayed, there were two people (sitting) in the corner of the mosque; they did not pray (along with the congregation). He called for them. They were brought trembling (before him). He asked: "What prevented you from praying along with us?" They replied: "We have already prayed in our houses." He said: "Do not do so. If any of you prays in his house and finds that the imam has not prayed, he should pray along with him; and that will be a supererogatory prayer for him."

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 678: The best of the men’s row is the first and the worst of them is the last, but the best of the women’s rows is the last and the worst of them is the first. 

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 582: The one who is most versed in the Books of Allâh should act as imâm for the people; and the one who is the earliest of them in reciting (the Qur’ân); if they are equally versed in reciting it, then the earliest of them to emigrate (to Madeenah); if they emigrated at the same time, then the oldest of them. No man must lead another in prayer in his house (i.e. in the house of a latter) or where the latter has authority, or sit in his place of honour without his permission.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 794: When one leads the people in prayer, he should be brief, for among the people are the weak, the sick and the elderly. But when one prays by himself, he may pray as long as he likes.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 852: The (time duration of the) prostration practised by the Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ), his bowing and his sitting between the two prostrations, were nearly equal.

Note: a common mistake in Salâh is not stopping to sit between the two prostrations. One should sit still after the first Sajdah, say Dhikr (such as "Rabbighfirlee, Rabbighfirlee") before moving for the next Sajdah.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 875: The nearest a servant comes to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so make supplication often (in prostration).

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 880: The Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ) used to make supplication during the prayer saying: "O Allâh, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave; I seek refuge in You from the trial of the Antichrist; I seek refuge in You from the trial of life and death; O Allâh, I seek refuge in You from sin and debt." Someone remarked, “How often you seek refuge from debt!” He (ﷺ) responded, “When a man is in debt, he talks and tells lies, makes promises and breaks them.”

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 889: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "I have been commanded to prostrate on seven (body parts*), and not to fold back the hair or the clothing.

*I.e, face, both palms, both knees and feet.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 898: When the Prophet (ﷺ) prostrated, he kept his arms so far away from his sides that if a lamb had wanted to pass under his arms, it could have done so.

Note: some people (mistakenly) tend to keep their arms close to their sides in Sujood (during Salâh) even when space is available.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 932: When the Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ) recited the verse "Nor of those who go astray" (“waladdâlleen” - Surah al-Fâtihah) in Salâh, he would say “Âmeen” and raised his voice while uttering this word.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 1117: The Prophet (ﷺ) turned to the people and said: “If you arrive for the Friday prayer while the Imâm is giving the Khutbah, you should pray two Rak`ahs* and make them short.”

*I.e. the two-Rak`ah Sunnah prayer that is prayed upon entering the Masjid.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 1134: When the Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ) came to Madeenah, the people had two days on which they engaged in games. He asked: “What are these two days (what is the significance)?” They said: “We used to engage ourselves on them in the pre-Islâmic period.” The Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ) said: “Allâh has substituted for them something better than them: the day of sacrifice and the day of the breaking of the fast.”

I.e. the two annual `Eeds were sufficient for the Muslims and replaced the other annual celebrations they used to observe in the pre-Islâmic period. It is the sole right of Allâh to designate any continually recurring day of significance.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 1136: The Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ) commanded us to bring out the secluded women on the day of `Eed (festival). He was asked: “What about the menstruating women?” (i.e. they are exempt from prayer whilst in that state) He said: “They should be present at the place of virtue and the supplications of the Muslims.” A woman asked: “Messenger of Allvh, what should we do it one of us does not possess an outer garment?” He replied: “Let her friend lend her an outer garment.”

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 1138: Umm 'Atiyyah said, “We were commanded to go out for offering the `Eed prayer. The menstruating women stood behind the people and they uttered the Takbeer (Allâh is most great) along with the people.”

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 1276: The Prophet of Allâh (ﷺ) said: “There is no prayer after the dawn (Fajr) prayer until the sun rises; and there is no prayer after the `Asr prayer until the sun sets.”

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 1326: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Prayer during the night should consist of pairs of rak'ahs, but if one of you fears the morning is near he should pray one rak'ah which will make his prayer an odd number for him."

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 1422: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The witr is a duty for every Muslim so if anyone wishes to observe it with five rak'ahs, he may do so; if anyone wishes to observe it with three, he may do so, and if anyone wishes to observe it with one, he may do so.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 1423: The Messenger of Allâh (ﷺ) used to pray Witr Salâh, reciting the following Surahs -

"Glorify the name of thy Lord, the most High" (Surah 87),

"Say O disbelievers" (Surah 109), and

"Say, He is Allâh, the One, Allâh, the eternally besought of all" (Surah 112).

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 1434: The Prophet (ﷺ) asked Abu-Bakr and then Umar: “When do you observe the Witr?” 

AbuBakr replied: “I observe the Witr pyayer in the early hours of the night.”

Umar replied: “At the end of the night.”

He (ﷺ) said about Abu-Bakr: “He has followed it with care”; and about Umar: “He has followed it with strength.”

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 1454: One who is skilled in the Qur'ân is associated with the noble, upright recording angels, and he who falters when he recites the Qur'ân and finds it difficult for him will have a double reward.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 1455: No people get together in a house of the houses of Allâh (i.e. a Masjid), reciting the Book of Allâh, and learning it together among themselves, but calmness (Sakeenah) comes down to them, Divine mercy covers them from above, and the angels surround them, and Allâh makes a mention of them among those who are with Him.

Sunan Abî-Dâwūd, Hadeeth 1548: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say: "O Allâh, I seek refuge in Thee from four things: Knowledge which does not profit, a heart which is not submissive, a soul which has an insatiable appetite, and a supplication which is not heard."

‏ "‏ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الأَرْبَعِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لاَ يَنْفَعُ وَمِنْ قَلْبٍ لاَ يَخْشَعُ وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ لاَ تَشْبَعُ وَمِنْ دُعَاءٍ لاَ يُسْمَعُ ‏"‏