Imaam Maalik bin Anas al-Madani - rahimahullah

In this article, we will present a brief and succinct mention of The author of Al-Muwatta, and the famous Imaam of Madeenah, Maalik bin Anas (rahimahullah)

His Name and Lineage:

مالك بن أنس بن مالك بن أبى عامر بن عمرو الأصبحى الحميرى ، أبو عبد الله المدنى الفقيه ( إمام دار الهجرة )

Maalik bin Anas bin Maalik bin Abi Aamir bin Amr al-Asbahi al-Himayri, Abu Abdullah al-Madani al-Faqeeh (Imaam Daar al-Hijrah)

Birth: He was born in 93 H or 94 H in Madeenah Tayyibah.

Tabaqah: 7 – From the Major Taba Taabi’een

Narrated by: Al-Bukhaari – Muslim – Abu Dawood – Tirmidhi – Nasaa’ee – Ibn Maajah

His Teachers: Muhammad bin Muslim bin Ubaydullah bin Abdullah bin Shihaab az-Zuhri, Naafi the slave of Ibn Umar, Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaani, Ja’far bin Muhammad as-Saadiq, Humayd at-Ta’weel, Zayd bin Aslam, Abu Haazim Salamah bin Deenaar, Hishaam bin Urwah, and Abdullah bin Deenaar etc.

His Students: Sa’eed bin Mansoor, Sufyaan ath-Thawree, Sufyaan ibn Uyaynah, Shu’bah bin al-Hajjaaj, Abdullah bin Idrees, Abdullah bin al-Mubaarak, Qa’nabi, Abdullah bin Wahb, Awzaa’ee, Abdur Rahmaan bin Mahdi, Yahya ibn Sa’eed al-Qattaan, Ibn Jurayj, Qutaybah bin Sa’eed, Shaafi’ee, Wakee’, Imaam Fazaari and others.

Death: 179 Hijri, in Madeenah Tayyibah.

Status: Thiqah Thabat, Imaam Daar al-Hijrah

Opinions of Ahl ul-Jarh wat Ta’deel:

Imaam Maalik is unanimously agreed upon to be Thiqah Thabat and Faqeeh of Islaam. The following are just a few sayings about him:

1-    Imaam Yahya ibn Ma’een said: “He is Thiqah”

[Muqaddimah Al-Jarh wal Ta’deel: Pg 16, Chain Saheeh]

2-    Imaam Ahmed ibn Hanbal said: “Maalik is Thiqah in everything.”

[Kitaab al-Illal wa Ma’rifat ur-Rijaal: 2/349, # 2543]

And he also said: “Maalik is Hujjah (in the narration of ahadeeth).”

[Su’aalaat al-Marwazi: 45]

3-    Imaam Abu Haatim ar-Raazi said: “He is the Imaam of the people of Hijaaz, and is the most Thiqah among the students of Zuhri.”

[Al-Jarh wal Ta’deel:  1/17]

4-    Imaam Ali bin Abdullah al-Madeeni said: “Maalik is Saheeh ul-Hadeeth.”

[Muqaddimah Jarh wal-Ta’deel: Pg 14, Chain Saheeh]

5-    Haafidh Ibn Hibbaan mentioned him in Kitaab ath-Thiqaat and said: “He was born in 93 or 94 hijri.”

[7/459]

6-    Abdur Rahmaan bin Mahdi, the famous Thiqah Thabat Haafidh, was asked:  “I have come to know that you have declared Maalik bin Anas to be a bigger Aalim than Abu Haneefah?” He replied: “I have not said such a thing; rather I say that he is even a bigger Aalim than the Teacher of Abu Haneefah, Hammaad (bin Abi Sulemaan).” [Al-Jarh wal Ta’deel: 1/11, Chain Saheeh]

7-    Yahya ibn Sa’eed al-Qattaan said: “Maalik was an Imaam in Hadeeth.” [Muqaddimah Al-Jarh wal Ta’deel: Pg 14, Chain Saheeh]

8-    Imaam Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Idrees ash-Shaafi’ee (rahimahullah) said: “When a hadeeth comes from Maalik then hold on to it firmly.”

[Same Ref: Pg 14, Chain Saheeh]

9-    Imaam Shu’bah bin al-Hajjaaj said: “I entered Madeenah while Naafi was still alive, and the Halaqah of Maalik had established (i.e. even with the presence of such a knowledgeable Taabi’ee).”

[Al-Jarh wal Ta’deel: 1/26, Chain Saheeh]

Imaam Naafi (rahimahullah) died in 117 hijri, and at that time Imaam Maalik was 23 or 24 years old. Meaning in his young age, he took the position of Amaamat (Leadership) and Tadrees (Teaching).

There is the consensus of everyone on the tawtheeq of Imaam Maalik. The ahadeeth narrated by him are found in Saheeh Bukhaari, Saheeh Muslim, Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah, Saheeh Ibn Hibbaan, Saheeh Ibn al-Jaarood, Saheeh Abi Awaanah, Sunan Arba’ah, Kitaab al-Umm of Ash-Shaafi’ee, Musnad Ahmed, and other well-known hadeeth books of the Muslims.

Al-Muwatta of Imaam Maalik: Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee (before the existence of Saheeh Bukhaari and Muslim) said: “Muwatta Maalik is the Most Authentic book on the face of the earth, among the books of knowledge.”

[Al-Jarh wal Ta’deel: 1/12, Chain Saheeh]

Muwatta Imaam Maalik is mentioned abundantly in Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah (140), and Saheeh Ibn Hibbaan (Al-Ihsaan: 5638) etc.

Imaam Ahmed bin Hanbal (rahimahullah) was asked about the book of Imaam Maalik, so he said: “What a wonderful book it is, for the one who wants to follow the path of deen.”

[Kashf al-Mughatta fi Fadl al-Muwatta by Ibn Asaakir: Pg 41, Chain Hasan; Also see: Al-Istidhkaar 1/12, 13]

May Allah have Mercy upon him!