Mālikī Madhhab

The Mālikī Madhhab is one of the four main Sunni schools of Islamic law. Founded by Imām Mālik ibn Anas in 8th-century Madinah, it is rooted in the practice of the people of Madinah as a primary legal source, alongside the Qur’an and Sunnah. Today, it is followed widely in North and West Africa, parts of the Arabian Peninsula, and beyond.

The four major Sunni madhhabs Ḥanafī, Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, and Ḥanbalī share the same core beliefs and sources of Islam, but differ in how they interpret certain rulings. These differences come from variations in methodology, how they weigh evidence, and the contexts of the scholars who founded them.
The basic differences can be studied  here

What is it?

The Mālikī Madhhab is the second-oldest of the four Sunni schools of Islamic jurisprudence. It is distinctive for prioritizing the ʿamal ahl al-Madīnah (the established practice of the people of Madinah) as a primary legal proof, alongside the Qur’an, Sunnah, consensus (ijmāʿ), and analogical reasoning (qiyās). This reliance reflects the belief that Madinah’s early Muslim community preserved the most authentic prophetic traditions through direct transmission.

Origin

Founded in Madinah during the 8th century CE, the school emerged from a city that was home to many Companions and Successors of the Prophet ﷺ. Imām Mālik’s reliance on the established communal practice of Madinah gave the school a strong link to early prophetic tradition.

Founder

Imām Mālik ibn Anas, known as Imām Dār al-Hijrah (the Scholar of the City of Migration), was born in 711 CE. He studied under hundreds of scholars in Madinah, including direct students of the Companions. His magnum opus, al-Muwaṭṭaʾ, remains one of the earliest and most respected hadith and fiqh compilations. Renowned for his dignity, caution in issuing fatwas, and refusal to compromise religious principles under political pressure, he became a central figure in preserving the Sunnah.

Education and Teachers

• Nāfiʿ, freedman of Ibn ʿUmar — a primary hadith source.

• ʿAbdullāh ibn Yazīd ibn Hurmuz — early fiqh teacher.

• Ibn Shihāb al-Zuhrī — leading hadith scholar.

• Learned from over 900 teachers, combining the precision of hadith science with juristic reasoning.

Methodology

1. Qur’an — Primary source of rulings.

2. Authentic Sunnah — Verified hadith of the Prophet ﷺ.

3. ʿAmal Ahl al-Madīnah — Established practice of Madinah’s early Muslim community.

4. Consensus (Ijmāʿ) — Agreement of qualified scholars.

5. Qiyās — Analogical reasoning.

6. Maṣlaḥah Mursalah — Public interest considerations not addressed explicitly in text.

7. Sadd al-Dharāʾiʿ — Blocking means to harm or sin.

Spread and Influence

• Gained prominence under the Umayyad and Abbasid eras.

• Adopted as the official madhhab in much of North Africa and al-Andalus (Muslim Spain).

• Spread via trade, scholarship, and political adoption to:

  • North Africa — Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya

  • West Africa — Mauritania, Mali, Senegal, Nigeria

  • Arabian Peninsula — Parts of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait

  • Egypt & Sudan — Southern Egypt, Northern Sudan

  • Muslim minorities worldwide

Notable Students

• Ibn al-Qāsim — Primary transmitter of Mālik’s opinions in North Africa.

• Ashhab ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz — Prominent Egyptian Mālikī scholar.

• ʿAbdullāh ibn Wahb — Student who documented Mālik’s rulings extensively.

Legacy

The Mālikī Madhhab remains influential across Africa and parts of the Middle East. Its fiqh literature addresses both personal worship and governance, producing a balanced approach to legal interpretation. al-Muwaṭṭaʾ continues to be a foundational text for hadith and fiqh students globally.

Recommended Books for Study

References

Primary Sources:

• Imām Mālik, al-Muwaṭṭaʾ

• Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, al-Istidhkār

• Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ, Tartīb al-Madārik

Secondary Sources:

• Abu Zahra, Muhammad — Mālik: Ḥayātuhu wa ʿAṣruhu, Ārāʾuhu wa Fiqhuhu

• Nadwi, Muhammad Akram — Imam Malik: His Life, Legal Method and Legacy

• Hallaq, Wael B. — A History of Islamic Legal Theories