Malik ibn Anas

Malik ibn Anas is the second of the four great Imams. He spent virtually his entire life in Medina — the city of the Prophet ﷺ — and built his school on the living practice of its people, inherited from the Companions generation to generation. His book 'al-Muwatta'' is a towering achievement in jurisprudence and hadith.

Malik was born in Medina around 711 CE and barely ever left it: for Medina in his view was a living repository of the Sunnah in the daily practice of its people, passed down from the Companions generation to generation. This is the heart of his school: adhering to the practice of the people of Medina.

He composed 'al-Muwatta'' ('the Beaten Path'), one of the earliest works combining hadiths and legal rulings. Imam al-Shafi'i, who studied under him, held al-Muwatta' in the highest regard.

His standing was immense: it was said 'no fatwa is given while Malik is in Medina.' He taught for decades, students from every corner of the Muslim world coming to him. He died in Medina in 795 CE.

Al-Muwatta' of Malik is important in the history of hadith: it is one of the earliest collections, predating Bukhari and Muslim by a generation. But its method differs: Malik combines hadiths, Companion opinions and the practice of the people of Medina together, while Bukhari focuses exclusively on hadiths authenticated by strict criteria. This illuminates how hadith sciences evolved over time: each generation refined the tools of scrutiny. Malik is an essential link in this chain.

Malik teaches the value of being rooted: he drew his knowledge from where it was richest — Medina itself, the city of the Prophet ﷺ. He also reminds us of scholarly humility: he would say 'I am a human being, I err and I am right; check my opinions against the Book and Sunnah.'