| Full Name |
Mālik ibn Anas ibn Mālik ibn Abī ʿĀmir al-Asbahī |
| Kunya |
Abū ʿAbdullāh |
| Birth |
711 CE / 93 AH — Medina, Arabian Peninsula |
| Death |
795 CE / 179 AH — Medina, Arabian Peninsula |
| Title |
Imām Mālik, Faqīh, Muhaddith |
| Position |
Founder of the Mālikī School of Islamic Jurisprudence |
| Notable Works |
Al-Muwaṭṭaʾ |
| Regions of Influence |
North Africa (Maghreb), Egypt, Sudan, parts of West Africa, Andalusia, some parts of the Arabian Peninsula |
Life, Legacy, and the Mālikī School
Early Life and Education
Born in 711 CE (93 AH) in Medina, the city of the Prophet ﷺ, Mālik ibn Anas grew up immersed in its traditions and early Islamic scholarship. He was born into the Quraysh tribe and was deeply influenced by the practices of the people of Medina.
Education and Teachers
He studied under many scholars of Medina, inheriting the rich tradition of the city’s scholars and the practice of the people of Medina, which he considered a source of Islamic law.
Notable teachers included:
Expertise and Works
Mālik’s jurisprudence was unique in giving strong weight to the ʿamal ahl al-Madīnah (the practice of the people of Medina), alongside Qur’an and Sunnah.
His famous work Al-Muwaṭṭaʾ is a comprehensive collection of hadith and legal opinions, among the earliest and most authoritative Islamic legal texts.
Famous For
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Founding the Mālikī madhhab, emphasizing the practice of Medina’s people
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His strict adherence to hadith authentication and practice of the Companions
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Being among the earliest scholars to compile hadith with legal rulings
Character and Political Stance
Known for his piety, humility, and scholarship. Mālik faced political challenges under Abbasid rulers but remained committed to his principles. His influence was strongest in Medina but later spread widely.
Famous Quote
“The Sunnah is like the Ark of Noah whoever boards it will be saved, and whoever does not will drown.”Al‑Tārīkh al‑kabīr by Ibn ʿAsākir
Legacy
The Mālikī school spread widely across North Africa, Egypt, Sudan, parts of West Africa, Andalusia (Islamic Spain), and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. It remains one of the four main Sunni schools today.
Interesting Facts
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Al-Muwaṭṭaʾ is one of the earliest surviving hadith collections with legal content
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Mālik was known for his careful approach to hadith and law, often emphasizing consensus and community practice
-
Imam ash-Shāfiʿī praised Mālik’s knowledge and influence greatly
References
- Al-Dhahabī, Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ
- Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, Tahdhīb al-Tahdhīb
- Al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī, Tārīkh Baghdād
- Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, Al-Intiqāʾ fī Faḍāʾil al-Thalāthah al-Aʾimmah al-Fuqahāʾ
- Ibn Kathīr, Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah
