He wrote it in Nishapur. Al-Hafiz Abu Tahir al-Silafi said in his introduction with which he began his dictation of the book of al-Khattabi: "When a fair-minded person examines his works and looks into his exquisite handling in his compositions, he becomes certain of his imamate, his piety in what he presents, and his trustworthiness."

He also said: "I have not seen anything better than the commentary of Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi al-Busti on the book of Abu Dawud al-Sijistani, for it is a venerable book, and in presenting it promptly there is a fine remembrance, and in the hereafter, God willing, an abundant reward."(1) He was trustworthy, solid, and among the vessels of knowledge and literature. He died in the year three hundred and eighty-eight, and was buried in Bust.

This commentary has been printed, and it was opened with a comprehensive introduction containing a biography of Abu Dawud, a biography of Imam al-Khattabi, and a description of the manuscript sources relied upon in its publication by the Shaykh, the scholar, the musnid, the historian of Aleppo, Muhammad Raghib al-Tabbakh al-Halabi, in the Scientific Press in the year (1351 AH). It was then reproduced in Beirut in the year (1401 AH) in the Scientific Library.

It was also printed in the margin of "Mukhtasar Sunan Abi Dawud" by al-Hafiz al-Mundhiri, along with "Tahdhib al-Sunan" by the scholar Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, edited by the muhaddith Ahmad Muhammad Shakir and Professor Muhammad Hamid al-Fiqi, in the year (1369 AH) in the Sunna Muhammadiyya Press in Egypt.

Imam Shihab al-Din Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Maqdisi, who died in the year (765 AH), summarized "al-Ma'alim" and named it "Ujalat al-Alim min Kitab al-Ma'alim."

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(1) His introduction to the commentary of al-Khattabi 4/375-376.