Malik ibn Anas facts for kids

Malik ibn Anas (Arabic: مَالِك بن أَنَس, 711–795 CE / 93–179 AH) was a very important Arab Muslim scholar. His full name was Mālik bin Anas bin Mālik bin Abī ʿĀmir bin ʿAmr bin Al-Ḥārith al-Aṣbaḥī al-Ḥumyarī al-Madanī. He was known as al-Imām Mālik by Sunni Muslims. He was an expert in Islamic law (a jurist), religious beliefs (a theologian), and hadith (sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad).

Malik was born in Medina, a holy city in Islam. He became the top scholar of Prophet Muhammad's traditions in his time. He used these traditions to create a clear way of understanding Islamic law. People called him the "Imam of Medina." His ideas about law were highly respected. He founded one of the four main schools of Sunni Islamic law, called the Maliki school. This school became very popular in North Africa, parts of Egypt, and some areas of Syria, Yemen, Sudan, and Iraq.

Malik's most famous achievement was writing the Muwatta. This is one of the oldest and most respected collections of hadith for Sunni Muslims. It's also one of the earliest surviving books on Muslim law. In the Muwatta, Malik wanted to explain Islamic law and justice. He also covered religious practices based on what was commonly accepted in Medina. The book aimed to provide a "smoothed path" (which is what al-muwaṭṭaʾ means) for understanding Islamic rules. A famous scholar named al-Shafi'i called it "the soundest book on earth after the Quran." Because of this work, Malik was given titles like "Shaykh of Islam" and "Knowledgeable Scholar of Medina."

Many Sunni Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad predicted Malik's birth. He reportedly said that people would travel far to find knowledge but would find no one wiser than the scholar of Medina. Malik's student, Al-Shafi'i, who also founded a major school of law, said of Malik: "No one has helped me more in the Religion of God than Malik."

Biography

Malik was born around 711 CE in Medina. His father was Anas ibn Malik, and his mother was Aaliyah bint Shurayk al-Azdiyya. His family came from Yemen. His great-grandfather moved the family to Medina after becoming Muslim in 623 CE. Malik's grandfather, Malik ibn Abi Amir, was a student of Umar, the second Caliph of Islam. He helped collect the Quranic texts during the time of Caliph Uthman. Malik was described as tall, strong, fair-skinned, with white hair and beard, and blue eyes.

Who Taught Malik?

Living in Medina meant Malik could learn from many wise people. He memorized the Quran when he was young. He learned how to recite it from Abu Suhail Nafi' ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman. He also got his Ijazah (a certificate to teach) from him.

Malik studied with many famous scholars. These included Hisham ibn Urwah and Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri. He also learned from the respected Imam Jafar al-Sadiq. Both Malik and al-Zuhri were students of Nafi Mawla Ibn Umar. Nafi was a very important scholar and a former slave of Abdullah ibn Umar.

Imam Malik also studied with Imam Jafar, a well-known scholar of his time. Shia Muslims consider Imam Jafar to be one of their Imams. Later, Imam Malik became a teacher to Imam Shafi. Imam Shafi then taught Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal.

The Golden Chain of Narrators

Malik's way of listing the people who passed down a hadith (called an Isnad or chain of narrators) was very special. Scholars like Muhammad al-Bukhari called it Silsilat al-Dhahab, or "The Golden Chain of Narrators." This chain was seen as the most reliable. It included Malik, who learned from Nafi‘ Mawla ibn ‘Umar. Nafi‘ learned from Ibn Umar, who learned directly from Muhammad.

Malik in Hadith

The Prophet Muhammad is said to have mentioned a future scholar. A hadith, confirmed by Muhammad ibn `Isa at-Tirmidhi, states: "Soon people will travel far looking for knowledge. They will find no one more knowledgeable than the knowledgeable scholar of Madina." Many scholars, including Qadi Ayyad and Al-Dhahabi, believed this scholar was Malik ibn Anas.

Malik's Views

Understanding God

Malik had clear ideas about God. He was against anthropomorphism. This is the idea of giving God human features like hands or eyes. He believed it was wrong to compare God's qualities to human ones. For example, when asked about a Quran verse saying God "established Himself over the Throne," Malik replied: "How it is, we cannot imagine. That He established Himself is known. Believing in it is a must. Asking about 'how' is a new, wrong idea."

Malik also supported the idea of the beatific vision. This means that believers will see God in the afterlife. He used Quranic verses to support this belief.

What is Faith?

When asked about faith, Malik said it was "speech and works." This shows he believed that faith isn't just what you say, but also what you do.

Asking for Help (Intercession)

Malik seemed to support asking for help through others in personal prayers. For example, when the Caliph al-Mansur asked if he should face the Prophet's tomb or the qibla during prayer, Malik said: "Why should you not face him? He is your way (wasīla) to God, and that of your father Adam on the Day of Resurrection." This idea, called tawassul, remained a key part of the Maliki school.

Mystical Practices (Sufism)

Malik respected early Sufis and their practices. He believed in combining "inward science" (mystical knowledge) with "outward science" (Islamic law). He said: "He who practices Sufism (tasawwuf) without learning Sacred Law corrupts his faith. While he who learns Sacred Law without practicing Sufism corrupts himself. Only he who combines the two proves true." This means both spiritual practice and religious law are important.

Some stories say Malik disliked group dhikr (remembering God). However, these stories are considered weak in their chain of transmission. They might have been about people who misused Sufism, not about dhikr itself.

Holy Objects (Relics)

Malik supported tabarruk, which is seeking blessings from holy objects or relics. For example, he approved of someone holding the pommel of the Prophet's pulpit for blessings. He also stopped a caliph from replacing the Prophet's wooden pulpit. Malik said: "I do not think it good that people be deprived of the relics of the Messenger of God!"

Following the Prophet's Way (Sunnah)

Malik believed that following the sunnah (the way of Prophet Muhammad) was very important. He reportedly said: "The sunnah is Noah's Ark. Whoever boards it is saved, and whoever remains away from it perishes."

Ethics and Knowledge

Different Opinions

Malik believed that different opinions among scholars were a mercy from God. Even when caliphs wanted to make his school of law the only one, Malik refused. He said that people in different lands had learned different ways. Changing them would cause problems. He wanted people to keep following what they had learned.

Knowing Your Limits

Malik famously said: "The shield of the 'alim (scholar) is: 'I do not know.'" This means a scholar should not be afraid to say they don't know an answer. If they pretend to know everything, they might make big mistakes. It is said that Malik himself often replied "I do not know" to many questions.

Religious Debates

Malik disliked arguing about religious matters. He believed that too much debate could make a person proud and harden their heart. He preferred to stay silent on religious issues unless it was necessary to speak to prevent wrong ideas from spreading.

Social Views

Shaving the Moustache

In the Muwatta, Malik wrote that "Shaving the mustache is an innovation." He disliked shaving the mustache completely. He also did not like beards that were too long. He believed that only trimming the mustache was part of the Prophet's way.

Physical Appearance

Malik was described as tall and heavy-set. He had a fair complexion, white hair, and a white beard. He was bald and had blue eyes. He always wore nice clothes, especially white ones.

Death

Final resting place of Malik at Al-Baqi Cemetery, Medina

Imam Malik died in Medina in 795 CE, when he was 83 or 84 years old. He is buried in the Al-Baqi' cemetery, which is across from the Mosque of the Prophet. There used to be a small shrine over his grave, but it was removed in 1932.

His last words were: "To Allah belongs the command [i.e., decree] before and after." The Abbasid governor of Mecca and Medina, Abdallah al-Zaynabi, led his funeral prayers.

Works

Imam Malik wrote two main books:

• Al-Muwatta: This is one of the earliest collections of Hadith.
• Al-Mudawwana al-Kubra: This book was written down by Sahnun ibn Sa'id after Malik's death. It contains more of Malik's legal opinions.

See also

In Spanish: Málik ibn Anas para niños

• Salaf
  • Tabi' al-Tabi'in
• The Seven Fuqaha of Medina

Further read

Online

• Mālik ibn Anas: Muslim legal scholar, in Encyclopædia Britannica Online, by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Aakanksha Gaur, Marco Sampaolo and Adam Zeidan