The Life and Scholarly Legacy of Imam Malik, the Jurist of Medina

“And among people and moving creatures and grazing livestock are various colors similarly. Only those fear Allāh,

from among His servants, who have knowledge. Indeed, Allāh is Exalted in Might and Forgiving.” (Quran 35:28)

Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.

“In the name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.”

“[All] praise is [due] to Allāh, Lord of the worlds -” (Quran 1:1-2)

And peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

Welcome, my brothers and sisters, to a new session of these gatherings

which focus on the biographies of the Imams of Islam, the biography of an Imam.

Today, I will speak about another prominent scholar among the leading scholars,

and a defender of Islam's stronghold; indeed, he is the scholar

of scholars, the jurist of the people of Medina, and the mufti of the Haramain,

the devout, pious, and God-fearing scholar, who followed what the Lawgiver ordained.

He embraced knowledge with a brilliant mind, and coupled it with a pure soul.

Allah ﷻ spread his knowledge and preserved his remembrance.

His virtues were passed down by caravans, adorning the garments of day and the cloaks of night.

Do you know who?

It is Malik ibn Anas, may Allah ﷻ have mercy on him

and may Allah ﷻ be pleased with him —

the scholar of Madinah, Abu Abdillah,

Malik ibn Anas ibn Malik ibn Amr ibn al-Harith al-Asbahi, the Imam of Dar al-Hijrah.

and the disseminator of the Sunnah of the dweller of the chamber ﷺ.

His grandfather, Malik ibn Anas, was one of the senior Tabi'un, and it is mentioned that he was one of those who

carried the Caliph Uthman ibn Affan (RA) at night to his grave.

As for the mother of Imam Malik, she was Al-Aliyah bint Shurayk ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Asdiyyah.

And his sons, it is said, were Yahya, Muhammad, and Hammad.

Imam Malik (RH), in terms of his physical characteristics,

it is said that he was very fair-skinned, tending towards blondness,

He was tall, with a large head,

he was bald, and he wore fine Adeni clothes.

He disliked shaving the mustache and criticized it,

and his fatwa is well-known, as he held that shaving the mustache is a form of mutilation and that its doer should be disciplined.

He also did not dye his gray hair (RH), so his beard was white.

Imam Malik (RH) was born in Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah,

but scholars differed regarding the year of his birth.

Yahya ibn Kathir said: "Malik was born in the year 93 AH."

As for Abu Dawud al-Sijistani, he said he was born in the year 92 AH.

He (RH) was raised in a pure upbringing,

and his life since childhood was full of diligence in seeking knowledge.

As you know, Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, where he grew up and walked its land,

had a strong scholarly movement,

until it became the destination of students of knowledge

from all over the world, who traveled

to Al-Madinah to learn from its scholars,

especially since it had the seven jurists of Al-Madinah.

People sought them from far and wide,

to obtain high chains of narration and study fiqh under them.

The poet gathered them by saying:

"If it is said: Who are the seven oceans of knowledge, whose narration does not deviate from knowledge?"

"Say: They are Ubaydullah, Urwah, Qasim, Sa'id, Abu Bakr, Sulayman, and Kharijah."

Perhaps this great scholarly activity in Al-Madinah Al-Nabawiyyah

was one of the most important factors that contributed to

shaping the scholarly personality of Imam Malik,

after the grace of Allah ﷻ,

Imam Malik (RH) had indeed won the prize in this field.

For this reason, when we come to reflect on the teachers of Imam Malik,

we find that Imam Malik had many, many teachers.

Remarkably, Imam Malik did not travel

as the rest of the scholars traveled, and the reason for that — and Allah ﷻ knows best —

is that Madinah was the repository of scholars; Madinah

to which students of knowledge migrate to acquire knowledge

from the scholars of Madinah, as I mentioned of the seven jurists.

Therefore, Imam Malik (RH)

learned from many of the Tabi'un and their followers, numbering in the hundreds.

For example, if we were to mention Nafi', the freed slave of Ibn Umar,

to the extent that scholars said that the Golden Chain is

Malik, from Nafi', from Abdullah bin Umar, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ,

He also learned from Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri,

and from Abu al-Zinad, and A'ishah bint Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas,

and from Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani, Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Ansari, and Humayd al-Tawil,

and many others, to the point that some of his teachers later narrated from him,

meaning that the teachers of Imam Malik narrated from Imam Malik, such as

al-Zuhri, Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Ansari,

and Rabi'ah ibn Abi Abd al-Rahman, the jurist of the people of Madinah.

Well, what does this indicate?

It shows that Imam Malik reached a level in knowledge

that surpassed his peers, and even his teachers,

and surpassed the people of his era,

to the point that it was said that Imam Malik attained unprecedented fame in his time.

If we look, for example, at the students of Imam Malik,

I believe the expression 'there is no limit' truly applies to him,

because people would travel to seek him out.

You can imagine that the people of Al-Andalus sought out Imam Malik,

coming from Al-Andalus and North Africa to meet him and learn from him.

Al-Qadi Iyad (RH)

wrote a book in which he listed 1,300 names

of those who narrated from Imam Malik (RH),

the most famous of whom was Sufyan ibn Sa'id al-Thawri,

and Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak (RH)—these are amazing names,

Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i, and 'Abd al-Rahman al-Awza'i.

They were the giants of that time, of that era,

may Allah Almighty have mercy on them and forgive them.

Imam Malik (RH).

I can say, or rather, I am certain that if we want to discover his scholarly status,

and have it clearly envisioned for us, we must look at the statements of the scholars

praising Imam Malik and commending him, both from his contemporaries and those who came after him.

Therefore, I will suffice with quoting the statements of these outstanding, brilliant scholars

praising Imam Malik, to give us a picture of how Imam Malik (RH) was in his era and time.

Al-Shafi'i (RH) said, "When narrations are mentioned, Malik is the star."

"And when the scholars are mentioned, Malik is the piercing star."

"No one reached the level of Malik in knowledge, due to his memorization, precision, and preservation."

"And there is no one to whom I am more indebted in knowledge than Malik,

and I have made Malik the proof between me and Allah."

This is the speech of Imam al-Shafi'i, and al-Shafi'i (RH)

is known for measured speech.

Speech that, for the most part, cannot be corrected.

Look at his words regarding Imam Malik (RH).

Yahya ibn Ma'in says—Yahya ibn Ma'in,

this giant among the giants of Hadith,

says: "Malik is one of Allah's proofs over His creation,

and he is an Imam among the Imams of the Muslims, whose virtue is agreed upon."

As for Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan,

he says: "Malik is the Commander of the Believers in Hadith."

And he used to say: "Malik is a mercy to this Ummah."

As for Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah (RH), Abu Muhammad al-Hilali,

he said, "May Allah ﷻ have mercy on Malik. How strict he was in criticizing narrators!

He would only convey of the Hadiths that which was authentic,

and he only narrated from trustworthy people."

As for 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi —

this great imam and master critic said:

"There remains no one on the face of the earth

more trustworthy in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ than Malik ibn Anas,

and I place no one above him in the soundness of hadith.

And I have seen no one more sound in judgment than him.

As for Hammad ibn Zayd —

he said to a man who came to him regarding a matter in which people differed:

"O my brother, if you desire safety for your religion, then ask the scholar of Madinah

and listen to his words, for he is the authority — Malik ibn Anas."

Malik ibn Anas: the imam of the people.

Hammad ibn Salamah (RH)

says, "If it were said to me, 'Choose for the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ an Imam from whom they may take their religion,'

I would see Malik as worthy and fit for that, and I would see that as a benefit for the Ummah."

As for Abdullah, the son of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (RH), he said to his father,

"O my father, who is the most reliable, or the most reliable of Al-Zuhri's companions?"

He said, "Malik is the most reliable in everything."

"Malik is the most reliable in everything."

This is a statement from Imam Ahmad—sorry, Imam Ahmad about Imam Malik—saying:

"Malik is the most reliable in everything," meaning not only in the Hadith of Al-Zuhri.

As for Al-Layth ibn Sa'd, the famous judge,

"By Allah, no one on earth is more beloved to me than Malik."

And he used to say, "O Allah, add from my lifespan to his."

And he said: "The knowledge of Malik is pure knowledge."

"The knowledge of Malik is a security for mankind who act upon it."

As for al-Bukhari, Muhammad ibn Isma'il, the author of the Sahih,

he says: "The most authentic chain is Malik, from Nafi', from Ibn Umar (RA)."

And this is what they call the Golden Chain.

And Ibn Wahb says: "I heard a caller calling out in Medina:

'Lo! No one should issue fatwas except Malik ibn Anas and Ibn Abi Dhi'b.'"

And Abu Qudama says: "Malik is the most retentive of my time."

Ibn Abd al-Barr al-Qurtubi (RH) said,

speaking about Imam Malik:

"He spent about seventy years issuing fatwas and teaching the people."

"And the Tabi'un testified to his knowledge of fiqh and Hadith."

Indeed, after this short tour...

I have not surveyed all the statements of the scholars, nor did I wish to cover them all,

but I wanted to paint a picture of this giant among the giants of knowledge, this great Imam,

how his peers, the scholars of his time, and those who came after him spoke of him.

This indeed paints a wonderful picture for us of Imam Malik (RH).

After this journey through the statements of these giants regarding Imam Malik,

it becomes very clear to us all that Malik has crossed the bridge—that Malik has crossed the bridge,

and that he was an exceptional case in his era, and people still bask in the shade of his scholarly legacy.

Imam Malik (RH) had a revered personality among both the common people and the elite.

He preserved himself and preserved the knowledge that his chest contained, so much so that

it was his custom that people would stand before him—meaning, a man would be brought

to stand before him just as they would stand before caliphs and princes.

To the extent that his personality influenced many of the scholars of his time,

and many of his students and disciples came to emulate him, may Allah ﷻ have mercy on him.

Even the rulers would seek guidance from his opinion and would not decide on most public matters without consulting Imam Malik.

He would command and be obeyed without holding any political authority.

He would speak, and no one would ask for proof,

and he would give the answer, and no one dared to question him due to the immense awe Imam Malik inspired.

Once, he entered upon the Abbasid Caliph al-Mansur, who was on his couch,

and a young boy was entering and leaving, repeatedly coming into the Caliph's assembly.

So the Caliph al-Mansur said to Imam Malik, "Do you know who this is?

"This is my son, and he is frightened by your awe-inspiring presence."

And about him, the poet recited: "He declines to answer, so he is not questioned out of awe, while the questioners bow..."

Al-Alqan: 'The etiquette of dignity and the honor of the authority of piety,'

he is obeyed, though he is not a ruler.'

Imam Malik (RH)

whenever he wanted to narrate, he would perform wudu, sit at the head of his bed, comb his beard,

settle himself in his seat with dignity and awe,

and then he would narrate to the people. This was his habit and practice.

He was asked about this,

"You have distinguished yourself from other scholars,

by performing wudu, sitting at the head of the assembly, combing your beard, and settling yourself,"

meaning, he would not start immediately until he was settled in his seat, with dignity and awe upon him.

So what did he say? He said:

"I love to honor the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ,

and I do not narrate it unless I am settled and in a state of purity."

May Allah have mercy on him.

Imam Malik disliked that the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ be treated casually,

or that knowledge be demeaned; he would not allow this.

He would not narrate while on the road, nor while standing, nor while in a hurry,

and he used to say: "I like to understand what I narrate from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."

It was mentioned about him (RH), due to his extreme piety, that he

would not ride a donkey or a beast in Medina, despite his weakness and old age, saying:

"I will not ride in a city where the body of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is buried." Allahu Akbar.

Imam Malik (RH) became famous for his wonderful, delightful book,

Al-Muwatta, in which he included a collection of marfu' hadiths and mawquf narrations from the Companions (RA) and the Successors,

and those after them, and he also included a number of his own ijtihad, may Allah have mercy on him and be pleased with him.

This book is a book of Hadith and fiqh.

The scholars received it with great acceptance,

and agreed that it is one of the best-compiled books, especially since he was among the first scholars

who sparked the compilation of books in this manner.

Al-Qadi Iyad says in "Al-Madarik":

“With his Muwatta, he opened the door for authors among the scholars of Islam,

teaching them how to author and compile,

and organize chapters. Everyone who came after him to this day admired his method and followed it,

so he surpassed them in precedence." May Allah ﷻ have mercy on him.

Of course, Al-Muwatta was presented to the Abbasid Caliph, Harun al-Rashid.

Naturally, Harun admired the book and was pleased with it,

so he proposed to Imam Malik to go with him to Iraq,

since Imam Malik lived in the Prophet's City (Medina),

while the seat of the Caliphate was in Baghdad.

When Harun al-Rashid visited Medina and saw the book,

he proposed to Imam Malik to go with him to Iraq, but Imam Malik declined.

Harun al-Rashid resolved to compel the people to adopt his book, Al-Muwatta,

and send it to all the regions of the Muslims, so they would act upon it.

But look at the reaction of Imam Malik (RH). What did he say?

Human nature, disposition, and desire dictate that a person would rejoice at this,

rejoicing that the Caliph of the Muslims is distributing and adopting this book in all regions,

but Imam Malik, out of his piety, devoutness, and fear of Allah ﷻ, said:

"O Commander of the Faithful, do not do this, do not do this. For the Companions (RA) have dispersed to other lands,

and he said that the Companions (RA) dispersed to the regions, carrying narrations with them,

so he requested that the people be left to practice what they worship Allah ﷻ with.

In fact, when we look at the fiqh of Imam Malik,

we find it based on these principles agreed upon by

most Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah scholars in source-reception, understanding, and inference:

the Noble Quran, the Prophetic Sunnah, consensus, and sound analogical reasoning.

Imam Malik was distinguished by one thing: the practice of the people of Medina.

He considered the practice of the people of Medina to be a binding proof—though not unconditionally.

When Ibn al-Qayyim (RH) spoke about this principle of Imam Malik, he said: "It is not...

...meaning, it is not unconditional, but rather has guidelines detailed in the books of usul al-fiqh

and the books of the principles of legislation.

For he viewed Medina as the abode of the believers,

the abode of the Muhajirun, the Ansar, and the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ.

The traces of prophethood remained, as did the mikyal and the sa',

and many other things, which is why he relied on this.

Of course, the other three Imams disagreed with him.

He also relied on maslahah mursalah, istihsan, 'urf, customs, and sadd al-dhara'i',

istihsan and sadd al-dhara'i' being among the principles that distinguished Imam Malik (RH).

We notice in reality that when we trace the fiqh and principles of Imam Malik,

he does not deviate from the methodology of the righteous predecessors in reception and inference.

As I mentioned, he was distinguished in the matter of the practice of the people of Madinah,

making it a source-principle to refer to under known guidelines, as I mentioned.

But I did not want to elaborate on this matter here, and I mentioned to you that its place is in usul al-fiqh.

As for Imam Malik (RH)...

Shaykh al-Islam says about him—Shaykh al-Islam Abu al-Abbas Taqi ad-Din ibn Taymiyyah...

...says about his school: "The school of the people of the Prophetic City,

the abode of the Sunnah, the Hijrah, and the support,

wherein Allah ﷻ ordained for His Messenger ﷺ

the practices and laws of Islam, and to which the Emigrants migrated to Allah ﷻ and His Messenger,

and in which were the Ansar 'who settled in the Home and faith before them,'

their school during the time of the Companions, the Tabi'un, and their followers is the soundest of the schools of the Islamic cities

east and west, in the usul and in the furu'."

Whose words are these? The words of the expert Mujtahid, Abu al-Abbas Shaykh al-Islam ibn Taymiyyah (RH).

In any case, brothers and sisters, time has caught up with us.

Speaking about Imam Malik is a vast topic, and there is much more to say,

even if briefly. But, if Allah ﷻ wills, in the next session...

I will continue the talk about Imam Malik (RH),

and until then, wait for me. I entrust you to Allah.

May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.