al-Sunan al-Kubra by al-Hafiz al-Bayhaqi is one of the most important Hadith compilations in Islamic history, particularly in the domain of legal (Fiqh-based) Hadith arrangement. It gathers thousands of narrations, often with complete isnads, organized by chapters of Islamic law—covering rulings in purification, prayer, zakah, fasting, transactions, judiciary, punishments, oaths, and more.

What sets this work apart is al-Bayhaqi’s method: he combines authentic Hadiths with narrations from the Companions and Tabi‘in, followed by his own critical analysis and scholarly insights. His careful reasoning reflects deep knowledge of Hadith sciences (‘ilm al-rijal, ‘ilal, grading), as well as a jurist’s attention to legal application. The work bridges Hadith and Fiqh in a way that has long served scholars of both disciplines.

Imam al-Dhahabi said: "Al-Sunan al-Kubra by itself is proof of al-Bayhaqi’s vast memorization, deep insight into narrators and hidden defects, and firm Shafi‘i jurisprudence. None of our scholars equals him in this field."